Friedlander Named Veteran of the Month and Kline Veterans Fund Named Veteran Supporter of the Month

We congratulate Morton Friendlander for being named Veteran of the Month (VOM) and the Kline Veterans Fund being named Veteran Supporter for the Month (VSM) of June. Due to the risk of coronavirus exposure, special ceremonies to honor and recognize the VOM and VSM will be postponed until it is safe to resume them once again.

Friedlander served in the Air Force for 25 years and following his service, he has been incredibly involved in the veteran community.  

Friedlander has been a committed and supportive member of the veteran community in southern Nevada. He is a volunteer veterans advocate and serves on the board of directors for the Kline Veterans Fund. He is a member of Jewish War Veterans Post 64 and sits on the board of the Nevada Veterans Foundation. As a former realtor and attorney, he also assists veteran families in negotiating with landlords and other parties to help veterans secure or sustain housing. He additionally assists with sourcing job opportunities for veterans.

The Kline Veterans Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides emergency housing assistance and other support to at risk and indigent veterans and their families in southern Nevada. This organization began to fill a need with gaps of support for the homeless veteran population in the Las Vegas Valley. As a result of their efforts, 201 families secured permanent housing, 130 have been able to remain in their homes, and 37 were able to be placed in 2019 to safe and secure temporary shelters.

The Kline Veterans Fund assists in covering expenses related to utilities, transportation, medical and employment, in addition it sponsors service dog training for vets with PTSD or with mobility issues in partnership with the Raider Foundation. The Kline Veterans Fund is also an active participant in Nevada’s Governors and the Las Vegas Mayor’s Challenge teams, an effort that aims to reduce veteran suicide rates in our State.

The Veteran of the Month is awarded to veterans across Nevada who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, specifically with respect to volunteer work in support of veterans and the military. The Veteran Supporter of the Month award recognizes both organizations and non-veteran Nevada community members who support military members stationed in Nevada, Nevada veterans, and their families. Both programs shine a bright light on individuals and organizations that help military members, veterans, and their families with no expectation of recognition or award.

The June Veteran of the Month and Veteran Supporter of the Month ceremony has been postponed. The Nevada Department of Veterans Services will provide information on rescheduling once this unprecedented health crisis is over.