County Council set to approve Volusia Values Veterans Program
By Joe Byrnes
May 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDT
The Volusia County Council is set to make it official Tuesday that "Volusia Values Veterans," by ratifying a multi-pronged program bearing that name.
The program attempts to show the county's commitment to its more than 50,000 veterans and address some of their critical needs.
Councilman Jake Johansson, a veteran himself, said he pushed for the program. He wants Volusia to be “the best place for veterans in the state of Florida.”
"And this is just a start. We’re going to keep going," he said. "We’re going to roll this out, and we're going to add and expand as we're able."
V3P, as this program is called for short, develops partnerships with community organizations, businesses and agencies to benefit county veterans.
It includes discounts at parks, free or discounted tickets to entertainment venues and even a break on permitting fees.
V3P would increase county job opportunities for vets, boost veteran entrepreneurs, support the Stand Down program that benefits homeless veterans and train county employees on suicide prevention.
Volusia County would target veteran homelessness and food insecurity by partnering with nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Johansson said the message to veterans is "that they matter to us, that those that are suffering matter to us, that we value the freedoms that they've worked hard to provide for us."
The program attempts to show the county's commitment to its more than 50,000 veterans and address some of their critical needs.
Councilman Jake Johansson, a veteran himself, said he pushed for the program. He wants Volusia to be “the best place for veterans in the state of Florida.”
"And this is just a start. We’re going to keep going," he said. "We’re going to roll this out, and we're going to add and expand as we're able."
V3P, as this program is called for short, develops partnerships with community organizations, businesses and agencies to benefit county veterans.
It includes discounts at parks, free or discounted tickets to entertainment venues and even a break on permitting fees.
V3P would increase county job opportunities for vets, boost veteran entrepreneurs, support the Stand Down program that benefits homeless veterans and train county employees on suicide prevention.
Volusia County would target veteran homelessness and food insecurity by partnering with nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Johansson said the message to veterans is "that they matter to us, that those that are suffering matter to us, that we value the freedoms that they've worked hard to provide for us."