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…)
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 Card Act of 2015. The card cannot be used as Read more…
On 16 August 2017, Lyndsey Antanitis from the Rodale Institute spoke to the Council on its relatively new veterans farming initiative. (more…)
In a joint effort between the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC), Reliable Auto Body and the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides Program™, the keys to a newly refurbished 2010 BraunAbility EntryVan (wheelchair adapted) were presented to the Mescavage family at an 11 a.m. on 23 May at Reliable Auto Body, located at 967 Sumner Ave., Whitehall, PA. (more…)
Although originally created to address a Pennsylvania Guard “Family” need, the program has application to veterans and their families as well. In fact, the Pennsylvania’s Department of Banking and Securities is offering the event to both groups.  Click here to go directly to the registration site. After attending, give us your feedback. Perhaps an event can be arranged in the Lehigh Valley in the future, if we hear good words about it. (more…)
May be heavily hospital-oriented initially, but it is also a way to feed new thoughts to the staff about customer service and events elsewhere. A vast portion of their activities are outside that pleasure dome known as Wilkes-Barre VA Hospital. Yes, it is an old idea with a face lift, Read more…
This is a step forward which local health networks might want to emulate. They should at least participate. Regardless of the controversy which stimulated it, such willingness on the part of the VA to be transparent should prove useful to toward improving the quality of and the understanding of the Read more…