News
White House Launched Veterans' Complaint Hotline: Call 855-948-2311
Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | Category: Health Care - National
Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Shulkin announced the White House "soft launch" of their veterans' complaint phone line on June 1st. Veterans can call 855-948-2311 to voice their concerns. The Secretary noted that the intent of the phone line is to allow "veterans to call in their complaints and concerns about conditions at the Department of Veterans Affairs."
An official launch will occur by August 15, 2017.
The Woman Behind the Only National Memorial for Female Vets
Thursday, May 25, 2017 | Category: History/Heritage - National
Get to know a bit about Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, the founder of what is still the only national memorial for military women in the world. She shares a snapshot of women in the military’s history and ongoing challenges for the women who choose to serve.
The “Women in Military Service for America” memorial needs perpetual funding to keep its doors open, add exhibits, and develop and maintain an online registry of women who served in the U.S. military. Donations are always welcome!
Facebook Live-Stream/Q & A May 23, 2017@ 2:00 p.m. EST: VA Office of Women's Health "Women Veterans' Health Panel"
Sunday, May 21, 2017 | Category: Health Care - National
VA Facebook site states:
'In observance of National Women's Health Week and Mental Health Awareness Month, which also occurs in May, the HHS Office on Women's Health is hosting a panel discussion with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Army Medicine and several others to raise awareness about women veteran's health.
Join us live on Facebook as we talk to experts and women veterans about steps that #womenvets can take to improve their health.'
When: May 23, 2017@ 2:00 p.m. EST
Save the Only National Memorial Honoring Women's Military Service (Campaign Ended February 4, 2018)
Friday, April 21, 2017 | Category: History/Heritage - National
The "Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA), women veterans' memorial at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia faces closure nearly 20 years after it was chartered. Commonly known as the "Women's Memorial," it officially opened in October 1997. PRWeb notes that it is the "only national memorial to recognize and honor the service of America's almost 3 million military women who have proudly served since the American Revolution. Initially, Congress earmarked money for the Women's Memorial to assist with operating costs, but in 2010 the Congressional funding stopped." Since 2010, the memorial's doors remained open through personal donations. The "Women's Memorial," partnered with the Academy Women's Military Women eMentor Community to launch a fundraising campaign that began November 4, 2016. The campaign's goal is to raise $20 for every living woman veteran. If the campaign target is met, the $20 million dollars will keep the memorial open for the next 20 years and remain a "rallying point for current military women and a pilgrimage site for women veterans. The Memorial tells the story of women's service to over 150,000 visitors every year and almost 300,000 permanent registrations by current and veteran military women have been recorded and preserved for future generations."
Donations accepted via:
Online at: www.FundRazr.com: http://www.fundrazr.com/SaveTheWomensMemorial
US Postal mail:
Please download and complete the Donation Form at: http://www.womensmemorial.org/PDFs/RegForm.pdf
Mail donation form to:
Women's Memorial Foundation
Dept. 560
Washington, DC 20042-0560
Other questions, call: 800-222-2294 or 703-533-1155
Spread the word...Twitter #!: #SistersLetsGetThisDone #20-4-20 #SaveTheWomensMemorial
Augusta Home for Homeless Female Veterans Nears Completion
Thursday, April 13, 2017 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - Maine
The Betsy Ann Ross House of Hope hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 13, 2017. The house will be a safe home for a total of eight women veterans and their children. Founder Martha St. Pierre is focusing on completion of the first floor in the near future and then, welcoming the first two women veterans in need of transitional housing. When opened, the Home will be the sole home in Maine serving only women veterans and their children who are either experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. With a permanent address, it becomes much easier to connect veterans, and maintain that connection, with Department of Veterans Affairs services and benefits program managers, State of Maine veteran employment and education centers, and partner with other state and community agencies. Financial literacy, healthy cooking, and other personal support will be offered.
Opportunity to Take Survey in "Down for the Count: Women Veterans Likely Underestimated in Federal Homelessness Figures"
Thursday, April 13, 2017 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
This is the sixth and final article in a grant-funded series penned by Lily Casura. She encourages women veterans to take the included survey to inform future initiatives. The previous five articles in addition to an interactive map of homeless women veteran stories, a developing national directory accepting input from anyone who knows of homes for women veterans experiencing homelessness, and a podcast are linked at the end of this piece.
How many women veterans are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness across the nation? Like homeless men, no one has a definitive count, but the women's count is significantly more precarious for a number of reasons. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officially included a question asking women if they served in the military in 2012, which was then used for the first time in their January 2013 annual point-in-time survey. A similar question was used by HUD for years when counting homeless males, a reflection of the nation's bias and awareness of both men's and women's military service. Other factors include the availability of volunteers in counties to assist with annual counts, what time of the year counts are conducted, counter bias, and where homeless individuals present. Women with and without children, for example, are less likely to go to cogender shelters and sleep outside and more likely to "couch surf" or "double up" with family and friends until no longer welcomed.
The best national count offered today is a wildly variant range from HUD's 2016 report of 3,328 to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimated 14,000 in any given year to 30,000 upwards to 41,000+ based on 2013 VA research that includes assessing the impact of poverty. What everyone agrees on is that women veterans are the fastest growing cohort of homeless people and they are many times more likely to experience homelessness than civilian females.
The challenges are many to include full enfranchisement in the military while serving, a continuing imprecise and unreliable count, government definitions of homelessness (federal law does not allow for "couch surfing"), women veterans are undercounted, underrepresented in research, and underfunded through government agencies. The extraordinary efforts of individual passionate citizens and faith-based organizations nationwide are the primary sources of alternative housing options for this population of homeless women.
Homeless Women Veterans Struggle to Be Seen
Sunday, April 2, 2017 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - National
This article offers a limited-time opportunity to complete a university Institutional Review Board-approved survey intended to gather more information about housing challenges women veterans may experience after leaving the military. The fastest growing cohort of homeless veterans are women veterans. This article explores the nation's stereotype of who a homeless veteran is and how this impacts who volunteers approach during annual accounts of homeless persons. Interviews with women veterans indicate that their "invisibility" started while serving in the military and being "discounted" continued after leaving military service. Oregon's Women Veterans Coordinator encourages all to be intentionally inclusive women veterans in all veteran activities. Without representation in media, womens' roles in the military will continue to be marginalized and trivialized. Better responses to housing instability are possible with better research.
New Program for Homeless Women Vets is First of Its Kind in NC
Saturday, April 1, 2017 | Category: Housing/Experiencing Homelessness - North Carolina
The Aura Home in Hendersonville, North Carolina will offer 29 beds in a safe and secure environment for women veterans and their children experiencing homelessness. Alyce Knaflich, Founder, notes that it is the first such home in the state.
IAVA "She Who Borne the Battle Campaign"
Monday, March 20, 2017 | Category: Advocacy/Outreach - National
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America veteran service organization launched their "She who Borne the Battle" campaign on March 20, 2017 to recognize and improve services for women with military service. Their effort is a 4-phased initiative that includes securing sponsors for the Deborah Sampson Act (S. 681).
Women's History Month 2017
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 | Category: History/Heritage - National
The Department of Defense "Women's History Month" site offers information about women serving in the U.S. military.