PHL Veterans

11/19/2025

Good Afternoon!!

Calling all Veterans!!

If you are in need of a suit or dress, please join the Philadelphia Register of Wills & Clerks of the Orphans Court for the Veteran Suit & Dress Drive!! This amazing event will be held at the First African Baptist Church , located at 700-798 N 67th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19151. Please feel free to share!

11/07/2025

The City of Philadelphia invites you to a Veterans Day Pancake Breakfast & Ceremony at Fox Chase Farm (8500 Pine Road, Philadelphia, PA) on Friday, November 15th from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

🥞 8:00–9:00 AM: Enjoy a warm, complimentary pancake breakfast prepared and served by student volunteers.
🎖 9:00–10:00 AM: Stay for a heartfelt Veterans Day Ceremony honoring the courage, service, and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes.

A hayride tractor shuttle will transport veterans and guests to the event area, and street parking is available along Pine Road.

🎟 Admission is FREE for all veterans!
To help us plan, please register here: 👉 https://forms.gle/zvAiq1K1v3ocoMfh9

This special event is dedicated to honoring all who have served. We are deeply grateful for your commitment and look forward to celebrating with you at Fox Chase Farm!

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10/14/2025

⚓️🦅🌎⚓️ Philadelphia Honors 250 Years of the Navy & Marine Corps ⚓️🦅🌎⚓️

This past weekend, Philadelphia proudly celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the United States Navy and Marine Corps with a historic lineup of events that brought our city together in honor of service, sacrifice, and tradition.

From the powerful ceremonies to Monday’s parade through our streets, the energy and pride were undeniable. Veterans, service members, families, and community partners all stood united — a reminder that Philadelphia is truly a city that honors its heroes.

👏 A heartfelt thank you to the Navy, Marine Corps, our veteran service organizations, city departments, and countless volunteers who worked together to make this celebration unforgettable.

10/13/2025

Hello Philly!

My name is Gregory Wright Jr., and I have the honor of service as the Director of the Office of Veterans Affairs for the City of Philadelphia.

Our office is here to connect, support, and advocate for the 65,000 + veterans and their families who call this city home. In the months ahead, you will see more updates from us as we:

- Share resources and benefits available to veterans
- Highlight community events and programs
- Recognize the incredible service of our veterans and their families

This is more than a page, it is a community! I look forward to working alongside you to build a stronger, more connected veteran community here in Philadelphia.

Stay tune-great things are ahead of us!

03/11/2021

From our Director, Carlo Aragoncillo:

In 2019, I had the honor and privilege to participate in the George W. Bush Institute Veteran Leadership Program.

I presented a proof of concept to the institute, laying out the complex, interagency framework that local municipalities can adopt to support transition from military to civilian life.

The idea was not only meant to provide a direct skills translation from military service to potentially meaningful employment in , but also a means to reintegrate and familiarize military families with a community they may not be familiar with, or have stepped away from.

Groundwork was laid as I had direct contact with folks from U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies.

I pitched the same presentation to Mayor Jim Kenney and elaborated further on the City of Philadelphia Government’s unrealized potential in leading the charge on veteran support. We even went so far as to explain how some elements could be adopted for the private sector and returning citizens.

Still had some work to do, and as much as I would have liked to see this to start in , I welcome any city or municipality to pick up the initiative.

cc: PHLCouncil Darrell L. Clarke

Last year, I had the opportunity to present to the George W. Bush Institute a workforce development concept to allow transitioning service members opportunit...

03/10/2021

This unreleased trailer for the City of Philadelphia Government Office of Veterans Affairs collab with Mission Roll Call was filmed when they came to Philadelphia in 2019.

The episode and highlights were a brief snapshot of Philly’s culture, history and roots in our nation’s military.

As the birthplace of our nation, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy, we have an unrealized potential to be a driving force in shaping veteran support both in the Greater Philadelphia Area and across the nation.

Our office had some big things planned pre-pandemic and needed support from other city agencies to create the momentum to bridge the civilian-military divide.

Our hope is that our next veteran leader will continue to build on the foundation we created.

Thanks again Mission Roll Call for your continued support.

🎥: Kenny Gamblin
cc: Garrett Cathcart Carlo Aragoncillo PHLCouncil Darrell L. Clarke Mayor Jim Kenney

03/09/2021

From our Director, Carlo Aragoncillo:

My farewell letter to the City of Philadelphia Government Office of Veterans Affairs.

cc: PHLCouncil Darrell L. Clarke Mayor Jim Kenney

It’s been a long 3 years, and wasn’t what I imagined coming home from deployment was going to be like. Part of the journey, but definitely not over.

Starting next week, I’ll be taking the role of Program Director of Integrative Medicine with the Marcus Institute at Thomas Jefferson University to support veterans impacted by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Thank you to my wife for always supporting me in all my goals, to my team — Wanda Pate-Dennis and Nate Porter — for all your hard work and having my back, and to the veterans and non-veterans I met along the way.

Thanks for everything Philly.

03/09/2021

03/05/2021

If you served in the military, you’ll appreciate this PowerPoint.

If you don’t know what the City of Philadelphia Office of Veterans Affairs is/does, now you do.

02/27/2021

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo discuss their new film "Cherry" with a panel of veterans advocates, and explore how veterans are depicted in film, the impact of PTSD and substance use disorder on some veterans, and solutions for ensuring veterans receive the benefits and treatment they have earned.