On 29 November 2017, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the White House VA Hotline (first launched in June as part of President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to reforming VA but which also had a shaky start) is now fully staffed with live agents working to serve veterans 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The actual facility location is in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. (more…)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the application process for the national Veterans Identification Card (VIC) is now available for veterans, an action overdue since 2015 and still causing controversy among some veterans organizations over the implementation of the character of service requirement (unlike the VA, the law excludes practically no one who has served). Currently only those veterans with honorable service will be able to apply for the ID card. However, this is a change from previous statements by others because it means those who have a general discharge (under honorable conditions) can now also apply, in addition to those with honorable discharges/releases. (more…)
You may find this strange at a time when we are also seeking a Lehigh Valley Community Foundation Grant, but we wish you to know that Victory House does exceptionally fine service for our veterans who need extra help in getting back on track. They are a valued partner in our homelessness initiative.
Indeed, except for CACLV, all the finalists for a Lehigh Valley Community Foundation grant are member organizations in LVMAC. We support or form efforts addressing a range of needs that define a supportive community. Our membership reflects the gamut of our interests. Therefore, we do not like the appearance of competing with our member partners, for this is not our intent. For us, at this time, it is more about promoting a good effort on the part of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation to become engaged in assisting our military and veterans community. Accordingly, we openly publish this request from Victory House: (more…)
Source: Spark Grants – Veterans Affairs | Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
We could use your help from 6 November through 17 November by the mechanism of voting on a Lehigh Valley Community Foundation webpage. As an organization of organization with no paid employees, we do not ask for ourselves, but instead (more…)
Jack Daniel’s and the Armed Services YMCA Operation Ride Home program helps bring military families together for the holidays. Operation Ride Home sponsors travel for eligible service members and their dependents to travel from their duty station back home to spend time with their families. Reconnecting military families during this special time of year is one small way Operation Ride Home is strengthening military families. (more…)
The Lehigh Valley-Bucks Chapter spoke to the Council at its meeting on 18 October on what it is doing for our military and, often, veterans in the Lehigh Valley under its Service to the Armed Forces program. It is revitalizing its activity in this program in our area and asked for LVMAC’s assistance. (more…)
Yet another glitzy and confusing acronym has appeared on the veterans scene: MAVRIC, which stands for “Military and Veterans Information/Resource Center.” But as our combat buddy, Bill Shakespeare, once said, “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose … By any other word would smell as sweet …” And, indeed, this one smells sweet. To fanfare (more…)
A VA official on Wednesday confirmed the cards are on track to be available nationwide starting in November. Source: VA Photo ID Cards for All Veterans Coming in November | Military.com Editor’s Note: This a result of the Veterans Identification Read more…
On 16 August 2017, Lyndsey Antanitis from the Rodale Institute spoke to the Council on its relatively new veterans farming initiative. (more…)
On 27 June 2017, the VA released its final plans laying the framework for providing emergency mental health coverage to former service members with Other-Than-Honorable (OTH) administrative discharges. For the older generations of veterans, the characterization of service was termed Undesirable.
Effective July 5, all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers are to offer emergency stabilization care for former service members who present at the facility with an emergent mental health need. Under this initiative, former service members with an OTH administrative discharge may receive care for their mental health emergency for an initial period of up to 90 days, which can include inpatient, residential or outpatient care. (more…)