Kevin C. Meggett enlisted in the United States Navy and achieved the rank of Fireman E-3.

His service to our Nation began on August 3, 1990, just one day after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He was called to enlist in the Navy, serving two years on active duty and six years in the Reserve.

During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Mr. Meggett earned numerous commendations, citations, and awards for his bravery responding to a pre-dawn Class Bravo fire that nearly consumed the naval ship he was on. Acting quickly, he helped save both the vessel and the lives of 375 crewmembers.

After receiving an honorable discharge, Mr. Meggett found himself faced with an entirely new kind of battle at home. The 2009 economic downturn left him unemployed after having worked in positions at the United Nations Federal Credit Union and New York City Off-Track Betting.

As a single father of three, Mr. Meggett was on the brink of homelessness when he discovered the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP). Through its support, he was able to secure housing, regain stability, and find a renewed sense of purpose.

Determined to pay that support forward, Mr. Meggett joined HVRP as a staff member and spent the next 13 years serving veterans, eventually becoming the program’s Director. This journey taught him two crucial lessons: no two veterans share the same challenges, and to truly help, we must meet veterans where they are and lift them from there.

After more than a decade working with HVRP, he came to the realization that veterans’ issues were evolving faster than what the traditional services offered could keep up with. To meet that need, Mr. Meggett founded Veteran Action Now, an organization focused on direct support and policy advocacy.

His work has taken him to Washington, D.C., where he met with key leaders, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, whom he joined as a Veteran VIP at the 2024 State of the Union.

In 2025, a press conference was organized urging the administration to protect VA healthcare, and on July 4, Mr. Meggett led the End Veteran Poverty Now campaign at the Bronx Supreme Court.

Mr. Meggett continues advocating for expanded State funding to support New York’s veterans and create programs strong enough to inspire national change.