The Grateful Veteran
Veteran Resources
No veteran should have to navigate it alone. Here is who to call.
Organizations across Southwest Florida that serve veterans, first responders and their families. Sorted by what you need, not by who we know.
If you are in crisis right now
The Veterans Crisis Line is answered 24 hours a day, every day. You do not need to be enrolled in VA benefits or VA health care to use it.
Dial 988, then press 1
Text 838255 · Chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net · TTY 1-800-799-4889
Mental health and peer support
Talking to someone who understands is not a last resort. These organizations provide care and peer support at no cost to the veteran.
NAMI Southwest Florida
Free peer and family mental health support groups, education courses including Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer, and referral to community mental health resources.
Home Base Florida
No-cost outpatient mental health and traumatic brain injury care for veterans, service members and their family members. Delivered in person in Fort Myers, Naples and Pensacola, and by telehealth across the state.
Housing, food and basic needs
Hearts & Homes for Veterans
Housing and rent assistance, a food pantry, and transportation for homeless and low-income veterans in Southwest Florida.
Benefits and claims help
The Grateful Veteran does not prepare, file or represent VA claims. The offices below employ accredited service officers who do that work at no charge. Go to them.
Lee County Veteran Services
County-accredited Veterans Service Officers file and appeal VA claims for disability compensation, pension with Aid and Attendance, education, health and burial benefits, for veterans, dependents and surviving spouses. Seen by appointment.
Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
The state agency whose accredited Veterans' Service Officers prepare and file VA benefit claims at no charge. It also operates Florida's state veterans' nursing homes.
Health and giving back
Lee Health
Four acute care hospitals, a children's hospital, and outpatient, rehabilitation and urgent care locations across Lee County.
OneBlood
Collects blood and platelet donations at donor centers and mobile drives and supplies partner hospitals across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Posts and halls: places to show up
These are the VFW and American Legion posts that have hosted The Grateful Veteran. They are member halls rather than staffed service offices, so hours vary and the phone is not always answered. For benefits or crisis help, use the sections above.
Rabe O. Wilkison American Legion Post 38
Fort Myers. Home of Coffee & Conversations, the first Saturday of every month.
VFW Harney Point Post 8463
Cape Coral.
VFW William A. Garvey Post 8203
North Port.
VFW Sunshine Post 3233
Sarasota.
VFW Captain Mardy D. Lewis Post 706
Pensacola.
Sauls-Bridges American Legion Post 13
Tallahassee.
Medical cannabis education
The Grateful Veteran's own program. We educate, we help people navigate the process, and we assist with cost for approved applicants. We are not a clinic and we do not make medical decisions. The physician determines whether someone qualifies.
Red, White & Blue Tour
Veteran resource events across Florida with education, community organizations on site, and certification appointments for eligible veterans and first responders. Family and friends are welcome. Florida state application fee assistance is available to approved applicants and is campaign-dependent.
About this page
The organizations listed here serve veterans, first responders and families in our community. A listing is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the organization is affiliated with or sponsored by The Grateful Veteran.
These links lead to websites we do not control. We are not responsible for their content, their privacy practices, or the services they provide.
If your organization is listed and anything is wrong, or you would rather not appear here, contact us and we will correct it or remove it.