After meeting AARP representatives at a local fair, Lavender learned about resources dedicated to veterans, including grants to help him pay to remodel his house. “I didn’t know that there was actually a way that you could go and get some of these services,” he says.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delivered $187 billion in benefits to former service members and survivors in 2024. But many still don’t know these grant programs exist—or that they could be eligible. AARP Veterans and Military Families was created in 2018 to address this challenge and make sure veterans take full advantage of the opportunities they earned through service.

“We try to be connectors of information and resources for these veterans who are so deserving of [these] benefits,” explains Juanita Jiménez-Soto, AARP’s national Veterans and Military Families manager.

To do so, AARP provides key resources to veterans and their families:

▶︎ Online toolkits. AARP publishes guides summarizing health benefits and other grants veterans can claim. Recently, the Veterans and Military Families team worked on the “Home Modifications Benefits Guide,” highlighting several grants, the largest of which could provide eligible vets with up to $117,000 to adapt their houses to their mobility needs.

▶︎ Job center. The team also provides ways to connect former service members and their families with work opportunities, as well as classes designed to guide and counsel them as they explore new career paths. Go to aarp.org/vetsjobcenter.

▶︎ Fraud center. Veterans and active-duty service members are 40 percent more likely to lose money to scams and fraud than civilians, a 2021 AARP survey found. Veterans who believe they are targeted by scammers can visit the AARP Veterans Fraud Center to learn more about the most common scams or contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline (877-908-3360).

▶︎ Caregiver support. Those who served our country can face unique caregiving challenges. On average, veterans deal with more health problems than the general population. Their caregivers often have to step into the role at a younger age, Jiménez-Soto says, requiring more time and money to provide care. Caregivers of veterans spend 1.5 times more on out-of-pocket costs each year than other family caregivers. Military caregivers looking for help can call 877-333-5885.

You don’t have to be an AARP member to access any of these resources. But if an AARP membership is of interest to you, veterans are eligible for up to 43 percent off.

Lavender is now an AARP volunteer who helps to connect other veterans with the resources they need. “Veterans served us,” Jiménez-Soto says. “It’s now time for us to serve them.”