On 12 April, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., VALOR Clinic Foundation is once again conducting a mini-stand down for the homeless, veteran and non-veteran alike. This time the event will be held at the Curtis National Guard Armory at 15th and Allen Streets. For more details, see the flyer below. (more…)
One Way You Can Help Your Homeless Veterans Locally – Find Them, Gather Them
Not all who are homeless deserve their circumstance. Good families are affected nowadays. We of the Lehigh Valley are a hardy people, but living on the streets or in pioneer camps should not be our final option. It is an unfortunate reality nonetheless.
It seems doubly a shame for our community when one who has honorably served and actually fought for his or her country is found in such a condition. Whether it is this veteran’s pride or behavior, or a combination of both, that has led to the situation should not matter to us – we can always find a plausible excuse for inaction.
As the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC) activates its new Lehigh Valley Homeless Veterans Action Committee to attack veteran’s homelessness as a regional problem, one of its participants is already trying to get those in the most extreme of circumstances in from the “cold.” VALOR Clinic Foundation, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit now working its way down from the Bangor area into the wider Lehigh Valley, has taken up the mission of establishing routine stand downs in the Lehigh Valley. (more…)
See our Street Sheet Section and other resources on this Answers Desk page: Local Homeless Veterans Resources. ### As of 12 December 2013
It is that time of year again when temperatures are getting cold again. Temperatures are predicted to be slightly below 32 degrees overnight throughout the next couple of days and into the weekend. I have spoken with both Shelter Directors (Salvation Army and Allentown Rescue Mission) who have agreed to Read more…
No, it is not Marine recruiting we’re talking about, but instead a Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley request for veterans as construction volunteers.
They seek about 10 to 20 women who are veterans or in the Guard and Reserves for a day’s worth of construction during its Women’s Blitz Build on St. James St. in Bethlehem expected to occur from August 13 through 24, this year. (more…)
Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley, a low income housing building ministry which relies on volunteers, is keenly interested in finding veterans to help them because they come with many of the skill sets needed. It is currently offering a paid, part-time supervisory position at its new Lehigh Valley Read more…
Debra Cummins, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Lehigh Valley (HFHLV), an LVMAC member, and her Program Development Director, Thomas Mohr, a veteran, addressed the Council at its 17 March 2013 business meeting on its desire to recruit veterans as volunteers.
She said, “Habitat for Humanity International, the parent organization, has a global vision of everyone having a decent place to live. And Habitat has been in the Lehigh Valley since 1989 improving lives, seeking to put God’s love into action by bringing people together, for it is an ecumenical movement.” She emphasized the organization will work with and provide homes regardless of a person’s religious persuasion. (more…)
Pending Payday Lending Legislation: A Debt Trap for Military Veterans
General Announcements
Homelessness
Scholarship Program
Community Educational Outreach
PTSD Booklet for Families
Healthcare in Our Community
Veterans Supportive Colleges Initiative
DoD/VA News
Go to the Forward Observer article on payday lending to read what Kerry Smith told the Council at its 20 March business meeting. (more…)
In This Issue
MR. BABB TALKS ABOUT THE VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT ROUNDTABLE
David Babb, a historian and interviewer for the Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project Roundtable, a member organization, spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 17 January 2013.
His organization was formed in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization two capture the stories of all wartime veterans and also those who served on the home front. It collects documents and preserves their personal experiences and then shares those stories with both the public and the Library of Congress. To date about 200 interviews have been done. (more…)
WILKES-BARRE VA MEDICAL CENTER SAYS IT IS PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY
Dr. Aruna Bhatia, Chief of Mental/Behavioral Health Services spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 19 December on the advances in care by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In an honest and straightforward talk, she stated there has been a focus on mental health over the last decade and a lot of work done in recovery, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention, albeit with some stumbling along the way. (more…)