Officials trying to reinstate veterans' counselor
By Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Morning Sentinel
PORTLAND — Officials are ramping up efforts to convince the Maine Veterans Affairs Medical Center to reinstate a full-time counselor position at the city's Oxford Street Shelter.
The full-time VA representative has been credited with connecting homeless veterans with services more quickly and reducing the number of nights they must stay at the shelter. The position, created in 2011, was cut in June.
City officials have been lobbying the VA Maine Healthcare System, and are getting support from the state's two congressional representatives. They argue that not filling the position is contrary to a federal initiative to end homelessness among veterans.
Both Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree sent letters to the VA, pointing out that U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and President Obama have made eliminating homelessness among veterans a top priority.
"Given the large amount of homeless veterans in the Portland area, I request you reconsider (the) VA's decision and employ a full-time service representative at this location immediately," Pingree wrote on Aug. 22. "I believe this type of collaboration among VA and other providers is the best way to achieve Secretary Shinseki's goal of ending homelessness among veterans."
read more here
Monday, August 27, 2012
Small charities begin at home
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
August 27, 2012
On Friday I put out an urgent request for donations because I was notified I am overdrawn at the bank. I couldn't stop crying. It wasn't just the money that has come out of my family's pocket, but because after all this time, I still couldn't even manage to break even. That was all I ever asked for.
While it would be nice to have a paycheck for the 70 hours a week I work, that is not the reason I do this. I am still looking for a part time job to help make ends meet. I just need enough donations to cover the expenses of what I do. That is all I need the money for.
I sent out the request on this blog, 2 Facebook accounts, Linkedin and by email.
I received one donation on Friday right away and another on Saturday. Yesterday I posted this.
Why am I worth less?
Aside from the stress of wondering how to make it the rest of this week until the 1st of the month comes, I really was feeling as if I just didn't matter enough.
This morning I received two gifts beyond words.
Colleen from Fearless Nation PTSD Support donated even though she is broke. She needs donations as much as I do but can't get enough support to keep her going.
Twenty years ago when I started working online there were a lot of groups working on PTSD. We started long before PTSD was in the news and because of Vietnam Veterans. Most of them are gone now. They didn't need a lot of money simply because they were not in this work for the money. This work is heartbreaking on a daily basis but what keeps me going is when a life is saved, a veteran is on his/her way to healing and when a family is no longer blaming themselves. It was the same way for the groups long gone. They didn't spend their time advertising or asking for money. They spent their time caring and helping.
Having to ask for help has taken time out of tracking reports, answering emails and returning phone calls. I should be posting right now on what has happened over the last couple of days.
This work does not cost a lot of money. On average it costs my family between $1,500 and $2,000 a month, depending on how much traveling I have to do and how many events I film. None of the organizations I film have to pay anything and most of the time if it is an event with a price for a meal, I pay that.
I went to college to be able to make better videos. I've been terrified of the student loans coming in and having to pay them when I am taking so much money out of our bank account already. Top that off with my car is getting really old and you know what kind of stress I've had worrying about how to replace it.
So why is it that people stop helping others? No one supports them no matter how much they do, give or how much time they dedicate. There are no Secret Millionaires rushing to our aid, so we end up being forced to stop doing what we do.
There was another donation that came in last night and it was from Spc. Freddy Hook's Mom.
Crying for you. I will be donating 50.00 withing the next few minutes. I will pledge 50.00 a month because I believe that you cover our soldiers and their struggles and deaths with accuracy, depth, concern, and prayer. May God bless you and carry you through these dark days.
In memory of US Army Airborne Medic SPC. Freddy Hook, 1990 - 2010 In the presence of our Lord and Savior...
What we read about everyday with military suicides is heartbreaking but for the families that pain does not end unless they get help to heal as well. There have been many heroes seeing past their own pain because they know there are others out there just like them and they rise up to expose themselves so other people may find some comfort and support.
This is why I do it and this is why people need to step up and help the small charities only seeking enough to get by without having their lights shut off (happened to me two years ago right before Christmas) or turning someone down because they can't afford to get there to help them.
We've all read about the big charities in trouble because they keep most of their money for themselves and their own bank accounts. They were in it for the money. People like me do it out of love. If people like me help you, then think of helping them so they can still be able to help others.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Fort Hood soldier of the month serving 40 years and counting
Soldier Of The Month: One Of The Army's Longest Serving Women
August 24, 2012
By Sophia Stamas
Fort Hood's soldier of the month is changing history, all the while also changing young soldiers' lives.
The 1st Cavalry Division's band director is known to be the Army's longest serving woman on active duty, and her music is making a difference and much more on post.
CW5 Jeanne Pace is in the business of making music and history.
She joined the Army when she was 18-years old, and at the end of August, she'll celebrate 40 years of service, all of them in band.
She said, "I talk to friends all the time and say I don't know how I wound up in this job necessarily, because I really don't like being the center of attention, as an instrumentalist, when I played in the band, I didn't like doing solo work. I just like being part of the group and helping the group along."
As she makes her mark on history, she's also making her mark on young soldiers like SGT Breanna Lemons.
read more here
August 24, 2012
By Sophia Stamas
Fort Hood's soldier of the month is changing history, all the while also changing young soldiers' lives.
The 1st Cavalry Division's band director is known to be the Army's longest serving woman on active duty, and her music is making a difference and much more on post.
CW5 Jeanne Pace is in the business of making music and history.
She joined the Army when she was 18-years old, and at the end of August, she'll celebrate 40 years of service, all of them in band.
She said, "I talk to friends all the time and say I don't know how I wound up in this job necessarily, because I really don't like being the center of attention, as an instrumentalist, when I played in the band, I didn't like doing solo work. I just like being part of the group and helping the group along."
As she makes her mark on history, she's also making her mark on young soldiers like SGT Breanna Lemons.
read more here
DAV members want to get word out about local chapter
Proud American veterans: DAV members want to get word out about local chapter
August 26, 2012
By Chris Lavender
Times-News
When Buddy Tate returned to Burlington in 1968 after serving in Vietnam, he found help from the local Disabled American Veterans chapter.
The group, also known as DAV, has 1.2 million members nationwide. The DAV chapter in Burlington serves nearly 500 members. DAV’s local headquarters is at 315 W. Willowbrook Drive.
Tate, 66, said when he first joined DAV in the 1970s, the local chapter consisted mostly of World War II veterans. He was always amazed by their war stories.
“Nothing compares to what some of them went through,” Tate said.
Tate, a Burlington native, was drafted into the U.S. Air Force in 1965 and was later stationed at Bien Hoa, Vietnam, and worked as a sheet metal mechanic.
After his military service, Tate went to work as a dispatcher with the Burlington Police Department. He is now retired. DAV allows Tate to connect with other disabled veterans in the local area.
Tate said when he left the service in 1968 he didn’t know what benefits were available to veterans. He later attended Alamance Community College to receive additional training.
Enrico Mitchell, 56, also is a member of the local DAV chapter. Mitchell, a Wendell native, has served many roles in DAV including former commander.
read more here
August 26, 2012
By Chris Lavender
Times-News
When Buddy Tate returned to Burlington in 1968 after serving in Vietnam, he found help from the local Disabled American Veterans chapter.
The group, also known as DAV, has 1.2 million members nationwide. The DAV chapter in Burlington serves nearly 500 members. DAV’s local headquarters is at 315 W. Willowbrook Drive.
Tate, 66, said when he first joined DAV in the 1970s, the local chapter consisted mostly of World War II veterans. He was always amazed by their war stories.
“Nothing compares to what some of them went through,” Tate said.
Tate, a Burlington native, was drafted into the U.S. Air Force in 1965 and was later stationed at Bien Hoa, Vietnam, and worked as a sheet metal mechanic.
After his military service, Tate went to work as a dispatcher with the Burlington Police Department. He is now retired. DAV allows Tate to connect with other disabled veterans in the local area.
Tate said when he left the service in 1968 he didn’t know what benefits were available to veterans. He later attended Alamance Community College to receive additional training.
Enrico Mitchell, 56, also is a member of the local DAV chapter. Mitchell, a Wendell native, has served many roles in DAV including former commander.
read more here
Mom in UK helped others but took her own life after her son died
Mother who devoted her life to bereaved service families commits suicide over the death of her own soldier sonsent from Nadia McCaffrey
By MARK NICOL
25 August 2012
A mother devastated by the loss of her soldier son in Afghanistan committed suicide after her grief became too much to bear.
Gill Atherton, 47, killed herself five years after her son, Guardsman David ‘Jaffa’ Atherton, 25, died in a battle with the Taliban.
She is believed to be the first mother of a UK serviceman killed in recent conflicts to take her own life because she couldn’t live with the loss.
In a tragic irony, after her son’s death Mrs Atherton had devoted her life to helping other bereaved service families, drawing on her personal experiences to provide emotional support and legal advice.
Her daughter Kelly, 27, said: ‘My mother was never the same person after David died.
'She put on a face for us as best she could but she could not mention his name without crying. It was impossible for her to move on.
‘The grief became too much and in the end my mother could not cope with losing David. It is clear to us all that is why she took her life.
read more here
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