Read the May 2023 Newsletter from the Delaware Valley Veterans Consortium to stay informed about events and issues happening in the area.
Do you have news to share or upcoming events for the June 2023 newsletter and beyond? Please share!
This newsletter is published monthly as part of DVVC’s efforts to connect, collaborate, and communicate in service to Veterans throughout our region. Send your updates and questions to dvvcinfo@gmail.com.
Member Organizations: To submit articles to the newsletter, please email Fern.Billet@va.gov by the 25th of the month with your news. To submit news to DVVC social media sites, please email Lynne Williams at Director@greatcareersphl.org with “For DVVC Social Media” in the subject line.
NEWS FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Dear DVVC Community,
As I face my last remaining months on the DVVC executive committee, I am taking the opportunity to reflect on the past seven years of serving on the Executive Committee, or EC as we affectionately call it. I joined the EC shortly after becoming director of Operation Home and Healing (OHH) at Council for Relationships (CFR) in 2015. Prior to my tenure as director, OHH had focused solely on providing clinical services to Veterans and their families, funded through a large family grant. I saw my role as broader. At that time OHH and Council for Relationships were not well known in the Veteran space, even though OHH had been around for eight years, and CFR was founded 83 years earlier. Thus, I viewed increased engagement with this new Veterans’ group as a way to not only give back service to the Veteran population but to reach out to organizations in the Veteran space, explaining OHH services and what we could offer to them. Just a year or two earlier the RAND Corporation had published a report (Tanielian 2014) that providers who worked for community mental health agencies like CFR were not well trained in military culture. CFR made a commitment at that time to train its clinicians in military culture. Thus, it became a required course for our post-graduate students in marriage and family therapy and a requirement for our therapists working with Veterans in our fee subsidy program.
Beyond the opportunity to explain OHH/CFR services to others in the community, I was given the chance to meet and interact with many Veterans and professionals working with Veterans and their families. One goal of DVVC is networking. Between the meetings and the program organizing committee work, networking has become an important part of my work with DVVC. Through networking I was able to establish a connection with The Headstrong Project five years ago, which allows OHH/CFR to provide therapy to any Headstrong military/Veteran client from any era and their families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey at no cost for 30 sessions and unlimited sessions beyond that for a small fee.
Most importantly, I’ve become colleagues and friends with a wonderful group of dedicated individuals working on behalf of the military/Veteran communities through DVVC. I have seen the consortium grow into a solid organization, providing programming for interested people across the nation. Our recent program on military sexual trauma had over 300 registered, and 100 participants. Everyone who registered will receive the link to our website where the recording, slides, and any resource handouts, are posted.
DVVC has a website full of useful information with dedicated committee people focused on improvements that make the website more useful to our members. DVVC also produces this monthly newsletter with information about our members’ activities and always includes a column from a member of the EC to keep our members informed.
The past seven years have been ones of exciting growth for DVVC. Although I will not be on the EC, I intend to stay active on the programming committee. I hope this column encourages others to run to replace me on the EC. The work matters; DVVC matters. Whatever I gave I got back in satisfaction, new avenues to pursue, and in friendship. Thank you for electing me three times to the EC and giving me the privilege of working with all of you to improve the lives of Veterans and their families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Nancy Isserman, MSW, PhD
DVVC Executive Board Vice-Chair
Director, Operation Home & Healing
Co-Director, Transcending Trauma Project
Council for Relationships
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE
Transitioning to End-of-Life Care: Benefits and Services for Veterans and their Families
DVVC Summer Quarterly Meeting – July 21
Location to be announced soon!
Combination of in-person and virtual meeting
MAY EVENTS from our Member Organizations
The 15th Annual OCS High School Enlistee Recognition Ceremony of South Jersey to Honor Local Class of 2023 High School Seniors and Their Parents/Guardians
May 9 from 5:30-9 pm
Featured Speakers Include:
Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Jack Jacobs (USA, Ret.)
USMC Major General William J. Bowers, Commanding General, USMC Recruiting Command
Rear Admiral Alexis Walker, Commander, US Navy Recruiting Command
Command Sergeant Major Michele Jones, (USA, Ret.)
The US Army Brass Quintet will provide our musical entertainment.
DVVC veterans interested in attending this event (no charge, but space is limited), must email Dr. Kenneth Hartman, by 21 April, at: ken@ocsusa.org
Mother’s Day Brunch for Women Veterans – May 12, 9:30-11:30 am
Delaware County Veterans Memorial’s 10th Anniversary Time Capsule Burial – May 13, 10 am
Armed Forces Muster – May 13, 11 am-4 pm
Salute2Service and Bucks County Housing Group proudly present our 3rd Annual Armed Forces MusterSaturday, May 13th, 1100-1600 hrs
Bristol Twp Municipal Grounds Amphitheatre
2501 Bath Rd
Bristol, PA 19007
Face Painting, Bounce House and Photo Booth
Music and Entertainment
Veteran-centric presenters including vendors, resources, non-profits, clubs, services, and more!
Honor Guard and Bugle Corps
Refreshments, Raffles
FREE grocery boxes, refreshments, clothing and NEW outerwear!
For more information or to host a space, please contact:
Event Coordinator, Jessica Finnell 267.456.1351 JessicaFinnellPA@gmail.com
OR
S2S Director, Rodney Wyatt 570.916.4695 DJWyatt1@comcast.net
With Special Guest Speaker, Capt. David A. Christian
VOLUNTEERS WELCOME!
ASK ABOUT OUR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES!
Veterans Outreach Fair – May 20, 11 am-2 pm
USS New Jersey Commissioning Anniversary & Veterans Banners Unveiling
On Tuesday, May 23 at 11 am, a ceremony at the Battleship USS New Jersey will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Commissioning of the USS New Jersey and the unveiling of new banners honoring Veterans from the region and the Battleship.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Samuel J. Cox, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired), and current Director, Naval History and Heritage Command and Curator of the Navy. This free ceremony will also feature Veterans, live patriot music performances, and even birthday cake celebrating the Battleship’s 80th year and honor Veterans and supporters.
For more information, here is the link – https://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/event/uss-new-jersey-commissioning-veteran-banners-unveiling-ceremony/
DVVC Executive Committee Update – Proposed Amendment to Bylaws
Our bylaws currently state that a representative from a supporter organization (defined as a for-profit organization) does not have voting rights on issues that come before the general membership. Further, the bylaws appear ambiguous on the question of whether or not a representative of a supporter organization can serve as Chair of DVVC. Theoretically, a representative from a supporter organization could be the chair of DVVC, but also have no vote on issues that come before the group.
To correct this, the executive board is proposing the following amendment to the bylaws Section 3:
Section 3: Supporter organizations (SO) are for-profit organizations that proactively or retroactively demonstrate a positive impact on the veteran or military community and/or their families. SO do have voting rights on any votes that come before the general membership. Further, to clarify that member of the DVVC Executive Committee can represent a Supporter Organization, the following amendment is proposed to the fourth paragraph of Section 6: [change is underlined]
Section 6: When a vacancy exists, the EC shall elect a member of the DVVC to fill the vacant office for the balance of the term for which the former officer had been chosen. If an EC’s organization (either MO or SO) withdraws its membership from the DVVC, then the officer must resign from his or her position on the EC. [change is underlined]
These proposed amendments will be voted on at the July quarterly meeting. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the DVVC executive committee or email dvvcinfo@gmail.com
STAY UP TO DATE
Monthly Newsletters from Dept of Military and Veterans Affairs for News, Veteran Events and Opportunities in NJ and PA
In PA see: https://maestro.pa.gov/list/k3hdw2n4/230302C/8z6u9k2ia3mw.vib?test&a0=903
In NJ see: https://dmava.org/
MAY 2023 Career Support Available from Great Careers Groups
Join in on the career development topics and networking in May 2023 at the Great Careers Groups (GCG). Visit the EVENTS page to register for our Zoom and in-person events. Connect on social media and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Topics include:
- Career Success Group Job Seeker Accountability & Networking
- How Your Hair Stylist Can Solve Your Career Woes
- LGBTQ+ OUTstanding Careers Group™
- Interview Clinic
- 2023 Tips on Building Your LinkedIn Profile
- Networking for Success
- How to Stand Out in Any Industry
- How to Gain Customers with a LinkedIn Company Page
- What’s Your Shtick? Personal Branding Online & Off
- Recruiter on Call with Jobs (focusing on workers with disabilities)
- Perception vs. Reality: The Maps We Use to Navigate Our Careers
- How to Analyze Your Headlines for LinkedIn, Emails, and Blogs
- Career Roadblocks, Actions, Resources, & Goals
- Smarter Job Searching: How to Land Your Dream Job as a Neurodivergent Job Seeker
- Research for Targeting Your Job Search
And much more!
Any GCG meeting with a $5 fee is free for unemployed Veterans by arranging in advance that you want to attend – director@greatcareersphl.org.
VA News
Whole Health: What matters to you?
Whether you want to wake up with less pain, change careers or reduce stress, start by talking with your healthcare team about what matters to you.Or visit our Whole Health website to complete a Personal Health Inventory.
VA health care travels with you Are you traveling?
VA has resources across the states to provide you with easily accessible information about telehealth options, the closest VA location, and the Veterans Crisis Line.
How to Get Your Free Veteran ID Card
Your service can get you free event tickets and entry to national parks, discounts from retailers, restaurants, hotels, recreational activities and many other perks.
Learn how you can get your free official Veteran ID card and easily show your Veteran status.