As Veterans Day approaches, e-mails have been coming in with suggestions on how best to observe this occasion.

Parades, memorials and religious commemorations get high mention, of course and turnouts at such events really lift the spirits of those who served the nation.

Ideas are also coming in about ways to reach out directly, especially to the vets who are serving now in Afghanistan and Iraq and other hot spots around the world, or who have recently returned home.

A good suggestion comes from Marlene Lao-Collins, director of Social Concerns for the New Jersey Catholic Conference.

She calls attention to the comprehensive, 127-page Resource Guide for Veterans and their Families – http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/gcada/pdf/Veterans-Guide.pdf.pdf – with information on everything from support and assistance for vets and their families, housing, tax benefits, issues critical to women vets, education and medical concerns. It’s wide ranging and thorough.

"As Veterans Day approaches, this would be a good time to share with your readers a resource guide that can be used by providers, clergy, social ministries and their families," Lao-Collins said.

"We owe a great deal of gratitude to the many brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect our freedom," she said. "This resource guide can be helpful in assisting veterans in our churches and community that are experiencing problems as they return from combat zones."

The link, she noted, provides a pdf version of the resource guide which can be printed out.

The guide was produced by the NJ Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. It’s a go-to tool that can help cut through red tape. Another good site is www.nj.us/military, with a host of information on available resources and services, said Don McNamara, Monmouth County Veterans Services Officer.

McNamara has run the Veterans Services Office, located at 630 Bangs Avenue, Asbury Park, for more than 20 years.

A member of Holy Spirit Parish in the resort town, he said now is a good time to call attention to the Veterans Services offices located in 14 counties throughout the state.

"We are here to help with everything from claim entitlements to traumatic stress, to getting needed medical care to veterans’ property tax deductions to assisting widows," said McNamara, a Vietnam veteran.

He regards himself as a "gatekeeper, someone who helps veterans and their families get to where they need to be in seeking help.

"When they run into problems, when they have needs that have to be met, I’m the person who can help them make the connections. I think of myself as a walking encyclopedia on veterans matters at times, but, I’ve been doing this for 20 years."

His counterparts in Mercer, Ocean and Burlington counties have the same skills and bank of knowledge, said McNamara who encourages vets and their families to tap into their expertise.

McNamara calls the job "a gift – it’s a way to say thank you from a veteran to a veteran. Nothing makes me happier than helping them get what they are entitled to. If they have troubles and I can help them, it’s all worthwhile."

Monmouth County veterans can reach McNamara at 732-775-7009. In Ocean County, call Joseph Salzano at 732-840-3033. The Mercer County Veterans Service Officer is William McDonnell at 609-292-5880. In Burlington County, call Charles Piscopo at 609-518-2273.

The Veterans Service Offices, which operate under the umbrella of the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, are typically open Monday through Friday though the hours may vary, said Burlington’s Piscopo.

"My sign says we are always open for walk-ins but because we go to outside events, informal sessions at malls and ceremonies and we make home calls to homebound veterans, it’s a good idea to give us a call," Piscopo said.