The Melrose Messenger

Veterans’ Services in Melrose Support and Honor Veterans

By Patrick DeVivo

As we approach Veterans Day, Melrose is preparing to host a number of events to honor and support military veterans in our city:

• On Saturday, November 8th, there will be a food drive to benefit veterans in front of Shaw's between 8am and 4pm. This is especially essential right now, with the current suspension of SNAP benefits, which many Melrose families rely on.
• Then, on Monday November 10th, veterans and their family members are invited to attend the annual Veterans Breakfast at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, which will be followed by a student assembly honoring veterans.
• Finally, on Tuesday, November 11th - Veterans Day itself - there will be a ceremony at 11am on the Knoll honoring veterans.

The occasion reminds us of the importance of caring for and honoring the veterans in our community. Services for veterans in Melrose are organized and delivered by two entities:

• The Melrose Veterans’ Services Office is a department at City Hall staffed by a Veterans’ Service Officer (VSO) who is employed by the city. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that all cities and towns employ a VSO.
• The Melrose Veterans’ Services Advisory Board is a volunteer group of 12 to 15 Melrose residents who are veterans, family members of veterans, or individuals with a special interest in and concern for the status of veterans. Melrose is somewhat unique in having such a group of dedicated citizens.

The Advisory Board and the VSO work in tandem to ensure that the immediate and often unique needs of Melrose’s veterans are met, and that current and future generations understand and honor the sacrifices made by these individuals.

Massachusetts has historically been at the forefront of providing assistance to veterans. Massachusetts worked to address the needs of Revolutionary War veterans and later, as the Civil War began in 1861, the state passed landmark legislation under Chapter 115 of the state’s general laws mandating assistance to “qualifying veterans and their dependents for food, shelter, clothing, fuel, and medical care” as well as “certain financial, medical, educational, and other benefits earned by their service.” The law established the state's Executive Office of Veterans Services and the requirement that every city and town staff and fund a local Veterans’ Service Officer. Today, Chapter 115 is still the foundation for the work of Veterans Services Officers throughout Massachusetts.

For years, Melrose coordinated and shared veterans’ services with the neighboring communities of Wakefield and Saugus. However, earlier this year, Wakefield voted to disband this arrangement. As a result, Melrose restructured its Veterans’ Services Office, reducing its budget by 35% due to reorganization. The city also hired a new VSO, Tammy Shovelton, who started in July.

As required by Chapter 115, Shovelton is herself a veteran; she is also a passionate advocate for the needs of her fellow veterans. “I have seen through family experiences how difficult it can be for veterans to access and receive the unique support that they need.”

The stated mission of the Veterans’ Services Office is, “To advocate on behalf of all the district’s veterans and provide them with guidance on local, state, and federal benefit programs, early support services, and access to an emergency financial assistance program for those veterans and their dependents who are in need.”

Shovelton helps local veterans deal with a wide range of challenges. She assists individual veterans in navigating the Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits system, ensuring that each veteran is receiving the healthcare that is available to them and that claims are handled correctly and efficiently. She also works with veterans who are unemployed, homeless, or in need of some level of social services intervention. According to state law, Melrose must provide Chapter 115 benefits to veterans who qualify for them, although the state reimburses the city for 75% of the benefits paid.

Shovelton said, “I want Melrose veterans to know that my door is always open to them to assist and provide support.” She has used direct mail to reach the 630 veterans who live in Melrose. She has also increased the office’s presence on the city’s website and on the kiosk in front of City Hall, to introduce herself to the city’s veteran community and ensure that each veteran knows how to access her services.

The Veterans’ Services Advisory Board was formed in 2005 under the leadership of then-Mayor Rob Dolan. In the aftermath of 9/11, as Melrose residents began returning from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Dolan wanted a group to advise him and the City Council on how best to honor and thank these veterans.

In subsequent years, the Board has continued to support the VSO by being a sounding board for ideas and taking the lead in activities such as maintaining the monuments to veterans around the city and planning commemorative ceremonies, including those held each year to celebrate Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The Advisory Board meets at City Hall on the third Tuesday of each month and is open to all Melrose residents.

According to Bob Driscoll, the chair of the Advisory Board, the group would like to sponsor more presentations that raise community awareness of the unique challenges faced by veterans. Last March, they arranged for a presentation that addressed the issue of veteran suicides in response to two recent local incidents, although Driscoll notes that the relatively high rate of veteran suicides has been a concern for a long time.

The Veterans’ Services Office and the Advisory Board have also advocated for policies and laws important to veterans. One example of this is their advocacy of the “Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022,” a law that expanded health care and benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during their service.

According to Driscoll, through the combined efforts of the Veterans’ Services Office and the Veterans’ Services Advisory Board, “We are supporting our current veterans and educating future generations of this country’s remarkable history of ordinary people doing extraordinary things when called to do so to preserve all of our freedoms.”

For more information about veterans services, contact the Veterans Services Office.

Posted November 6th, 2025