The Committee’s Newsletter for January, 2010

We at the Disabled Veterans Committee on Housing (DVCH) want to wish each and every one of our veterans, friends, associate members, supporters the very best.

A new section of our Newsletter

The purpose of this new section is to bring our readers important information about organizations that are helping veterans and want to reach those that the DVCH assists day in and day out.  If you are from that type of organization, please get in touch with me so I can include information in the next and succeeding issues of the newsletter on what your group is doing. The following is about an important new funding source that has great interest in helping veterans address their financial needs.

NewWell Fund

1602 Rolling Hills Drive
Suite 107
Richmond, Virginia  23229
Telephone:  (804) 662-9000
Toll-Free: (866) 835-5976
Fax: (804) 662-9533
E-Mail: atlfa@atlfa.org

The NewWell Fund offers loans to individuals with disabilities who are starting a home based business, or are working at home for a company, many times doing “Telework” type of activities.

More specifically, the NewWell Fund offers loans for work or business related equipment, supplies, or inventory. We know that veterans with disabilities might be interested in obtaining funding for one of these purposes.  If NewWell can be of assistance, please contact:

Joey Wallace, Executive Director
Phone: 804-662-9997
E-Mail: Joey.Wallace@ATLFA.org

Sandra Prince, Program Administrator
Phone: 804-662-7021
E-Mail: Sandra.Prince@ATLFA.org

Note: What is Telework?

There has been much confusion surrounding the definition of telework, or telecommuting. While there is no universally accepted definition, the following seems to strike the right balance for most North American organizations:

“Telework, often referred to as telecommuting, occurs when paid workers reduce their commute by carrying out all, or part of, their work away from their normal place of business.”

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Meeting with our VETERANS PARTNER’S GROUPS

Well the regular monthly meeting with the veteran organizations that have come together to aid veterans in our area had to be cancelled due to the weather.  I hope to see all of our organizations at the February meeting.

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Meeting with “HMS Technologies”

January 25, 2010 the President and the Executive Director, DVCH, arranged a meeting with Mr. Harry Siegel, President/CEO of HMS Technologies, Martinsburg, West Virginia.  This was a partnership meeting aimed at discussing various ways that our two organizations can assist veterans address financial and other needs in 2010 that enhance and improve the veteran’s life.  Issues from the funding of a Revolving Construction Fund and how veterans groups can best work together to maximize their impact were discussed and action items agreed upon.   HMS Technologies has been awarded and recognized as the “Department of Defense’s 1^st Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) of the Year.  This award was given to President Harry Siegel of HMS Technologies.

Most employees of HMS Technologies are veterans like Mr. Siegel, himself a disabled Vietnam veteran.  Those I met with and who are in the photograph are (left to right)

Chris Geary, Army * Paul Andrews, Coast Guard * James Magnanelli, Jr., Army;  Chris Rush, Army * Matthew Schultz, Army * Michael Miller, Marine Corps;  Brandon Turner, Army * President/CEO Harry Siegel, Navy and the President of the DVCH, Army.

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NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR “VETERANS FOOD PANTRY”

On January 27^th, the Disabled Veterans Committee formed a partnership with the Lord Fairfax Area Food Bank. Blue Ridge’s Area Manager, Matt Ruddle, of the Food Bank, invited the DVCH to become a participating agency within their network.  This allows the DVCH to provide needed food items to our veterans and their families in Winchester and surrounding areas.  Below see a story that the “Blue Ridge Newsletter” published about veterans in our area.

Thanksgiving Meals Delivered to Disabled Veterans

Daren Mitchell’s life changed forever in 1987.  He was aboard the USS Detroit during the bombing of Libya as the call echoed out from his commander for everyone to report to their battle stations. Daren ran for his station but, as he began to run, his fellow sailor pulled out the pins on a nearby steel door. It came crashing down on Daren’s knee and his limb twisted completely out of joint.  Since that day, Daren has not been the same. He relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and two years ago, doctors discovered another problem – a bone spur in his neck, which causes severe pain and cuts off the circulation in his left arm. Seizures are another issue he has to deal with as well as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unable to work, Daren, his wife Tammy, and their 11-year-old daughter, Alisha, have been struggling to survive.

He receives no Social Security but lives on a small check from his Veteran’s benefits – a meager $600 each month. The bills far outstrip their income wife Tammy says. She is doing everything she can to make ends meet including relying on food stamps. “I get $200 (per month) in food stamps,” she said. “But that doesn’t go very far when you have to buy even the basics.”

It’s an all too familiar story for disabled veterans. As President of the Disabled Veteran’s Committee on Housing, John S. Lewandowski’s makes it his priority to help the Mitchell’s and so many others.  Many are homeless and without food. Part of his hope for the organization is to help both homeless and hungry veterans. Over the past year, things have been looking a little brighter for the Mitchell family, thanks to John. He connected them with the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and member food pantries.

For Thanksgiving, John worked with the Food Bank to fill 28 boxes with Thanksgiving meals and personally deliver them to disabled veterans in the Winchester area. He teamed up with the Food Bank again for Christmas deliveries. Tammy said it made all the difference for her family over the holidays.  “It made my family have a nice Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she said. “The food bank is a tremendous help. If it weren’t for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank supporting the soup kitchens and the pantries, we would have gone hungry.”  (I’m uncomfortable with this word, especially with Haiti?)

Tammy encourages everyone to remember our veterans, their families, our soldiers in combat, and those left behind. Many veteran families are struggling. “There are a lot of us out there who go without food,” she said.

The DVCH has created an indoor area for storage of items, as well as storage space for a freezer and a refrigerator for perishable items.  We will be governed by the regulations of the USDA and other organizations.  Please help us continue to help our veterans/families.

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS

I received a call from a Mr. David Mellon, Public Affairs Specialist from the Social Security Administration Wounded Warrior Program in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, Philadelphia Region.  He asked our assistance in helping spread the word about the benefits and programs the Social Security Administration, Wounded Warrior Program offers to our warriors and their families.  The following is important information from this the agency:

SOCIAL SECURITY SERVES THOSE WHO SERVE AMERICA

By:   Michael Weakland Social Security Administration Area Director

Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, Philadelphia Region

Each and every day of the year, Americans in the armed forces serve our nation.  At Social Security, we honor our nation’s military personnel and all of America’s veterans.  In fact, military service members receive expedited processing of their disability applications from Social Security.  Under an agreement initiated by Social Security, the Department of Defense transmits information that allows us to quickly identify military personnel injured in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The expedited process is available for any military service member who becomes disabled during active duty on or after October 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs.  Depending on the situation, some family members of military personnel also may be able to receive benefits, including dependent children and spouses.

If you, or someone you know, were wounded while on active duty in the military, find out more about what Social Security can do for you by visiting our website designed specifically for our wounded veterans:

www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors.  There, you will find answers to a number of commonly asked questions, as well as other useful information about disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).  Please pay special attention to the fact sheets available on that website, Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors and Expediting Disability Applications for Wounded Warriors.

You’ll also find links to useful Veterans Affairs websites.  There are links to information about the “Operation Enduring Freedom / Operation Iraqi Freedom Home,” information on Survivors Benefits, the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes, a fact sheet on Veterans benefits, and the Veterans On-Line Application, known as VONAPP.

To learn more about Social Security for people who have served in the military, read a copy of our publication, Military Service and Social Security.  You can find it online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10017.html or call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ask us to mail a free copy to you.

Each and every day, the brave men and women of our nation’s armed forces serve us.  Social Security salutes everyone who serves.

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Here in the Winchester and surrounding areas you can contact the following representative of the Social Security:

Mr. David Melton

Public Affairs Specialist

12 Ricketts Dr.

Winchester, VA. 22601

Office: 866-331-2320 x 29814

Cell: 540-535-5079

Fax: 540-667-7912

“Social Security Benefits America”

The following provides linking icons to Social Security:  https://www.socialsecurity.gov/linking/index.html.  You’ll note that the icons link people to either our homepage, online retirement estimator, qualify and apply web page, and online claims and services web page.

Our web address is www.socialsecurity.gov.  The web address for Wounded Warriors is www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors.

ANOTHER NEW PARTNERSHIP

At the same time of the “Veterans Food Pantry” in our community, we also came in contact with another partner organization – “HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY”. They are working to help provide meat products to our veteran and their families.  If you would like to work with them or to make a donation which will helping them in their efforts please go to their website:   http://www.h4hungry.org.  Through your assistance, you will be helping HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY be successful in this most worthy cause.

Well, another month has come and gone and, as usual, we at the Committee keep searching for and welcoming people who are willing to work with us to take care of our veterans.  We want to extend our sincere thanks and best wishes from the Members of the Committee to you as we all work to provide rooms for homeless veterans and food for their tables.  Through our efforts we are making the world a better place for all.  Remember, please check our website we are always updating the site so we can better help our veterans and friends:  www.DVCHVets.org.