Queens Gazette: Veterans Program Celebrates 20 Years
As published in the Queens Gazette, November 5, 2026
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Veterans Program Celebrates 20 Years
As Veterans Day approaches, Samaritan Daytop Village is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Ed Thompson Veterans Program in Richmond Hill. Since opening in 2006, the 50-bed residential program run by veterans has served more than 1,000 individuals who served in the U.S. Military, providing them with specialized care for substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health challenges.
“After serving our country, some veterans return home facing PTSD, substance use disorders, and other challenges that require specialized care,” said Mitchell Netburn, President and CEO of Samaritan Daytop Village. “We owe it to them to provide services that honor their experiences and give them the support they need to move forward. For 20 years, the Ed Thompson Veterans Program has stood alongside veterans, helping them through recovery and giving them the tools to rebuild their lives.”
The Ed Thompson Veterans Program works by helping veterans build relationships with one another to support their recovery, and also provides veterans with assistance finding employment, securing permanent housing, and accessing veterans’ benefits. Samaritan Daytop Village has a 40-year history of supporting veterans through recovery. The organization’s 43rd Street Veterans Program in Manhattan is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The program is named in memory of the late Sergeant Ed Thompson, a National Guard and Korean War Army veteran who struggled with PTSD and addiction after returning to civilian life. Following his own recovery, Thompson made it his mission to assist others recovering from substance use disorders. As a Samaritan Daytop Village program director and advocate, he helped inspire the organization’s unique approach to serving veterans. This involved creating a program based on military cultural competency, using peer-to-peer support, and implementing a comprehensive approach to address all aspects of addiction and PTSD.
Today, the program is run by Roger Walker, a U.S. Navy veteran who went to Samaritan Daytop Village for his own recovery. His experience at Samaritan Daytop Village led him to pursue a career helping his fellow veterans.
“I know firsthand how difficult it can be to ask for help, and how much it means to have people around you who understand what you’re going through,” said Roger Walker, Program Director of the Ed Thompson Veterans Program.
The Ed Thompson Veterans Program offers individual and group counseling, relapse prevention, trauma-specific therapies, health and mental health care, vocational training, employment assistance, benefits counseling, housing referrals, and continued recovery support.
Veterans seeking recovery services or organizations making referrals can contact Samaritan Daytop Village’s Central Admissions team at 855-322-4357 (HELP) or visit samaritanvillage.org.
