Free VetFest Returns To Islandia With 40+ Veteran Resources

ISLANDIA, NY — Pal-O-Mine Equestrian will host VetFest next month, bringing dozens of veterans’ resource organizations to its Islandia farm for a free event for veterans, active-duty service members and their families.

VetFest is scheduled for Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, 829 Old Nichols Road.

Sponsored by the Long Island Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition, the event will feature more than 40 organizations offering information about housing, health care, employment, mental health and addiction support, education, and financial and legal assistance.

The event will also include family activities such as cornhole, farm-themed games, horseshoe painting, musical saddles, a playground and livestock education.

“Many veterans and families who come through our gates are dealing with struggles that aren't visible to the outside world,” Pal-O-Mine founder and CEO Lisa Gatti said. “We’ve seen firsthand how spending time with horses can bring a real sense of calm, even if it's only for a short while.”

Pal-O-Mine Equestrian began in 1995 as a therapeutic horseback riding program and now provides equine-assisted programs for children and adults with disabilities, trauma survivors, veterans, first responders, people on the autism spectrum and others.

More than 400 students participate in programs each week at the nonprofit’s 13-acre Islandia campus, which is home to 25 specially trained horses, small farm animals and a therapeutic horticulture program that also serves as a vocational internship site for people with disabilities.

VetFest is intended to offer both practical resources and a welcoming setting for military families.

“VetFest is about much more than connecting people with services, though that’s a huge part of it,” Gatti said. “It’s about giving our military community a place where they feel welcomed, valued and cared for — and knowing Pal-O-Mine will always be in their corner.”

For information about VetFest sponsorships or tabling opportunities, contact Tessa Van Florcke at tessavf@pal-o-mine.org or 631-887-3751.

Additional VetFest information is available by emailing Salvina.Barresi@va.gov or mark.murphy8@va.gov. Information about Pal-O-Mine and its programs is available at pal-o-mine.org.