Putnam Returns the ‘F.A.V.O.R.’ to Veterans
As the county and millions of other people celebrated those who served our country so valiantly this past Friday, Putnam County will continue to honor those who performed duty in one of the branches of the military with its “RETURN THE F.A.V.O.R” veterans assistance program.
The acronym F.A.V.O.R. refers to “Find and Assist Vets Of Record,” a program that aims to provide discounts and services to veterans living within Putnam County. According to Putnam County Clerk Dennis Sant, veterans can file their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty forms at the clerk’s office at 40 Gleneida Avenue in Carmel in order to be issued a Putnam County Veteran ID card.
“The number one focus for us is to get the DD214’s filed here in the county clerk’s office,” Sant said. “That’s really what the card is stating, that I am certifying that they have filed their discharge papers with me as county clerk.”
Both the filing of discharge papers and the issuing of the Putnam County Veteran ID card are services that are provided free of charge for the veteran community. The rules and conditions of the card include that the cardholder must present the card to receive a discount, the discount is applicable to the cardholder only, the F.A.V.O.R. discount cannot be combined with any other discounts, sales or offers and the discounts may change or cease at any time at the discretion of program participants.
“In Putnam County we’ve probably less than 10 percent of the veterans have fulfilled that, and certainly it’s no legal obligation, but that obligation of filing their [discharge] papers,” Sant said. “That’s only the way they get the card is to file those discharge papers—than it’s used for veterans benefits and tax deduction on their property tax.”
Many businesses throughout the county participate in the “RETURN The F.A.V.O.R. program—from automobile services like Park Ford Lincoln Mercury in Mahopac to restaurants like Bob’s Diner in Brewster. It also provides services like cemetery and burial benefits, as well information for V.A. hospitals and veterans organizations.
Any veteran looking to find out more information about Putnam’s “RETURN the F.A.V.O.R.” program should visit www.putnamcountyny.com/countyclerk/favor.html. The website provides a list of merchants and their discounted services, as well as the program’s rules and conditions, merchant application forms and services available from the Putnam County Office of Veteran’ Affairs.
Karl Rhode, Director of Putnam County Veterans Affairs can be contacted via telephone at 845-808-1620. Veterans interested in filing their discharge papers should visit the Office of the Putnam County Clerk at 40 Gleneida Avenue in Carmel or call 845-808-1142 for more information.
Editor’s Note: In the Nov. 8 issue of The Putnam Examiner, the “Putnam Returns The F.A.V.O.R.” article contained information specific to Westchester County. We’ve updated the information in this article, as well as the new article that appears in Nov. 15’s edition on page 3. The Putnam Examiner regrets the error.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.