The upcoming Broward County Library Vet Fest, a multi-faceted event connecting veterans and their families with FREE library and community resources, is scheduled for Saturday, November 3rd from 10:30AM-5:30PM at Main Library, 100 S Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, 33301.
In partnership with Mission United, Vet Fest 2018 features classes, workshops, demos and more that introduce members of our veteran and military community to valuable, free services and resources that can make their transition to civilian life easier and more successful. Military veterans and their families can register for a FREE Thanksgiving turkey thanks to the partnership between Mission United and Broward County Library.
Keynote speaker Retired Army General Nolen Bivens will discuss building stronger communities with coordinated arts and healing programs that facilitate the transition to civilian life as well as how communities can support military veterans and their families during his presentation at 11:30AM.
In addition to Bivens’ speech, discussions of veterans’ issues, resume and job search assistance, legal and financial services, housing support and information about digital resources, Saturday’s events will also include:
- Speaker, E. Matthew “Whiz” Buckley, with book giveaway and book signings
- Virtual reality demos and Paracord 550 craft
- Record your story: Library of Congress history project
- “Ask a Curator: Desert Storm Memorabilia” with display
- The Welcome Home Group: Employment preparation
- Family fun: Storytime, book giveaway and caricature artist
- Veterans organizations’ information tables and expo
- Marine Corps birthday cake celebration
- Combat Hippies spoken word performance
- Computer flight simulator
- Face painting
- Special session of the award-winning “Coffee & Conversation with a Librarian” from 10:30-11:30AM, featuring Fort Lauderdale Commissioner and Naval Reserve Officer Ben Sorensen, who will share information on services from Mission United and other programs that are available to veterans experiencing homelessness.
- Free yoga with Connected Warriors, the largest volunteer organization providing trauma-conscious yoga therapy for the military community.
There will also be sign-up opportunities for library cards and the Veteran’s Hotspot Program, which loans Wi-Fi hotspots to veterans and their families, affording them free Internet service. To receive these free benefits, participants need to bring military and civilian ID.
For additional information, including sponsor and vendor opportunities, contact Michael Bryant, mdbryant@broward.org, 954-357-7435.
Vet Fest 2018 is generously funded by grants from the Broward Public Library Foundation, Broward County Cultural Division and the Florida Humanities Council.