LOS ANGELES (September 2026) — Veterans can use digital tools to manage appointments, access prescriptions and records, and connect with other U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) information and services. While these tools put a range of resources within reach, navigating them can present challenges for veterans who are less familiar with technology.
Operation Access Granted brought veterans together Sept. 25 at The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU) Veterans Upward Bound Center in Los Angeles for hands-on assistance navigating the digital tools used to access VA resources.
The event was organized by the Veteran Peer Access Network, Supervisorial District 1 – Jobs.Vision.Success Southern California (VPAN SD1 – JVS SoCal) and TELACU Veterans Upward Bound Program, with support from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center’s Homeless Virtual Health Resource Center and other community partners.
For Ramon Nevarez, a Marine Corps veteran and squad leader with VPAN SD1 – JVS SoCal, the idea grew from a challenge he and other veteran service providers were seeing firsthand.
“We’ve been noticing a large number of our older brothers and sisters not being able to access their DD-214s, prescriptions, appointments,” Nevarez said. “A lot of us younger guys, we even struggle using the app and the technology.”
Operation Access Granted was designed to bring those generations together, pairing personal assistance with access to people who regularly help veterans navigate technology and other resources.
“This was meant to bring us younger vets and our older vets together to learn this thing that can make the VA a little more seamless for us,” Nevarez said.
Veterans received assistance based on their individual needs. Those who needed an email account could get help creating one, while others worked with volunteers and staff to navigate ID.me, VA.gov and other online tools.
College students from TELACU’s College Success Program volunteered alongside event partners to provide hands-on support. The students, who attend universities across Southern California and complete community service hours as part of the program’s scholarship requirements, brought backgrounds ranging from engineering and public health to business and education.
The Homeless Virtual Health Resource Center at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center provided specialized technology assistance. The center helps veterans set up devices, connect to telehealth and email, navigate digital health tools and overcome technology challenges that can make it difficult to access VA care and services.
TELACU Veterans Upward Bound provided the setting and another pathway to continued support. The program helps veterans prepare for and pursue postsecondary education through academic instruction and support services, including computer classes and connections to community resources.
The East Los Angeles Vet Center and other community partners were also on-site, giving veterans an opportunity to connect with services beyond the technology assistance available that day.
For Rudy Chavez, a Marine Corps veteran and longtime California educator, that personal connection was what ultimately brought him through the door.
Chavez met Levy Lopez, a peer support specialist with VPAN SD1 – JVS SoCal, while visiting East Los Angeles College the day before Operation Access Granted. Lopez told him about the event and invited him to attend. Their conversation made enough of an impression that Chavez committed to being there the next morning.
“I was so impressed by Levy,” Chavez said. “He told me about the event, and I wanted to see how they could help me with some of the technical stuff.”
Chavez said he arrived early, eager to continue connecting with fellow veterans. He shared stories, learned about available resources and started conversations he hoped would continue beyond the event.
“Right away, they sat down and said, ‘Hey, we’ll help you, you know, get online, and whatever help you need with the computer,’” Chavez said.
The event paired practical technology assistance with opportunities for veterans to discover new resources, share their experiences and build camaraderie with one another.
“A program is a program, but it’s people that make the program,” he said.
That philosophy reflects the peer-supported approach behind VPAN, where veterans and military family members use shared experience to build trust, connect with other veterans and help them navigate available resources.
Operation Access Granted is also intended to extend beyond a single event. VPAN SD1 – JVS SoCal and its partners plan to continue offering opportunities for veterans to receive hands-on technology assistance and build the skills needed to access resources online.
For Nevarez, however, success is not measured simply by how many veterans attend.
“Even just helping one of our older brothers and sisters, that’s what it’s all about,” Nevarez said. “We’ll be there one day too, and hopefully there’s something like this to help us.”
Story and Photos by Ashley Cohen, Public Information Associate, Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
