military service members

LVMAC Tidbit: Local Red Cross Seeks Special Volunteer to Serve Our Military Servicemembers and Their Families

American Red Cross SAF PinOne of our member organizations, the Lehigh Valley-Bucks Chapter of the American Red Cross, wants to re-establish its Services to the Armed Forces (SAF) program in Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties.  As a first step, a special kind of volunteer, working with the regional project manager for the program, must be found.

What is the Red Cross’ SAF program in the first place?  It is a longstanding program which supports our service members in the military by connecting them with their families during emergencies, providing them resilience training to deal with the challenges of deployment, and linking their families with local community resources.  (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Want to Learn How to Drive and Get Paid?

NCC Offers Free Tuition for Truck Driver Training

NCC LogoAccording to a 4 March 2016 posting by Northampton Community College (NCC), a grant from the United States Department of Transportation has enabled the college to offer free commercial truck driver training to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses (including current members of the National Guard and Reserves) who reside in Northampton, Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, or Lackawanna counties.   [Editor’s Note: It is unfortunate such a course offering does not exist for Lehigh County residents.] (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — New VA Policy on Military Sexual Trauma Is in Place

va_sealWhile little mention of it has occurred locally, it is important for some veterans to know, as of 1 December 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), under the authority from the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (aka VACAA or Public Law 113-146; and the same authority which introduced Veterans Choice Cards) has expanded eligibility for military veterans, male or female, in need of mental health care due to sexual assault or sexual harassment that occurred during their military service, now commonly referred to as military sexual trauma (MST).  Dr. Adelman, the new Director of the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Network, assures us the program is fully operating in his network.

The change in policy primarily affects Reservists and National Guard members participating in weekend drills, (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbits — PTSD Help for Families

Veterans and Families’ Guide to Recovering from PTSD is Now Available

We thank the author, Stephanie Laite Lanham, PMH-NP, for granting us permission to publish the 6th edition of this booklet. “The Guide”, as it has come to be called by many, was very well received when nationally distributed for several years by the Military Order of Purple Heart (MOPH) to the Vet Centers in all 50 states. The Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC) believes it has found a new life for the Veterans and Families’ Guide for Recovering from PTSD.  It has been in the process of distributing it over the last two months. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago