News from the Executive Committee
Read the comments from DVVC Vice Chairperson Nancy Isserman at the end of this newsletter!
Register now for the
DVVC Fall 2021 Quarterly Meeting
Our Fall meeting, Friday, October 15 via Zoom, will provide an update on Complementary and Alternative Medical Programs for Veterans.
This meeting will include remarks by Dr. John Kelly, Chief of Staff, Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center; a short video clip of The Journey Back to Normal followed by discussion with the film director, Nicole Amelio-Casper, and James White, scholar in the GW Bush Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program; and a panel discussion with VA and community providers.
Register here for Wellness Warriors 2021!
DVVC Annual Elections
Our Fall meetings always include ELECTIONS! DVVC representatives attending the meeting should review the slate below and be prepared to cast one vote per member organization. The elections are uncontested, so there will be one vote for the entire slate through the Zoom polling process. DVVC member organizations unable to have a representative at the meeting can send an email vote to dvvcinfo@gmail.com.
Vice-Chairperson Position: Nancy Isserman
Nancy has been the Director of Operation Home and Healing: Services for Veterans and Families (OHH) for the past six years; she also serves as Co-Director of Transcending Trauma Project (TTP) at Council for Relationships (CFR), Philadelphia, PA. She has served as an at-large member, secretary, and now vice-chair of the DVVC executive committee. Since the committee structure was created, she has served as the link between the executive committee and the programming committee. On behalf of DVVC Nancy recently served on a statewide task force on brain injury resources for Veterans. In August 2021 a paper she co-authored on the impact and effectiveness of teaching military culture to clinicians was published in JCES. Nancy would like to serve another term as vice chair to have the opportunity to complete important projects that have started; one of which is to oversee additions to the new website member portal to make it a useful tool for DVVC members.
Member-at-Large Position 1: Norm Glover
“Chef Pop Pop” is a long-time volunteer in the region. He wears many hats, including Veterans Healthcare Navigator for the New Jersey Hospital Association. He serves on the Veterans Advisory Commission for Mercer County Community College and on the boards of several other Veteran-serving organizations, including DVVC’s Programming Committee. Norm was brought up understanding the importance of giving back to the community and he would like to continue serving on the DVVC executive committee to do just that.
Member-at-Large Position 2: Tammy Cartagena
Tammy would be honored to serve the DVVC Executive Committee. As a retired NJ Air National Guardsman currently working for US Family Health Plan serving seven counties in PA, she has a vast network of resources and flexibility to support this position. Tammy also currently serves as the Secretary of the Board for the Retiree Association at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, volunteers at the Retiree Office at the 111 Air National Guard in Horsham, and on the Board for the Philadelphia Parade committee. She has been active in DVVC’s membership committee for years. Tammy’s years of experience with different organizations will be an asset to DVVC.
Senator Muth Invites DVVC Member Organizations to the 2021 Vet Expo
State Senator Katie Muth, who spoke at our DVVC Spring Quarterly Meeting on PA & NJ Legislative Priorities, will host a Veterans Expo on Saturday, October 30, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks, PA.
The 2nd Annual Veterans Expo is open to all Veterans along with family members and is a non-partisan event. The purpose is to offer resources and services accessible through state agencies, local organizations, and businesses that would be of interest to Veterans and their families. DVVC member organizations are invited to participate.
The event runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; doors open at 9:30 a.m. and tables must be set up by 10:45 a.m. Contact Nikki Whitlock, Community Outreach Director, nicola.whitlock@pasenate.com or 610-792-2137, to get a registration form; forms are due by Friday, October 22nd.
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
Vet Center Offering Wills for Veterans
In partnership with Legal Aid of Southeaster PA, the Norristown Vet Center will offer free wills for Veterans and their dependents in November.
RSVP by calling Chanel Santiago at 215-823-5245. Time-reserved slots will fill quickly.
Services will be conducted at the Norristown Vet Center, 320 E. Johnson Hwy, Suite 201.
Career Support Available from Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group
Career education and networking events are available from Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group. Any meeting with a $5 fee is free for unemployed Veterans by arranging with Lynne in advance that you want to attend – director@greatcareersphl.org. See the list, and registration links, at https://greatcareersphl.org/events.
See the complete list, and registration links, at https://greatcareersphl.org/events.
Drexel Doctoral Candidate Seeks Women Veterans for Focus Group & Interviews
Army Veteran Saundra King-Lee, a Doctoral Candidate at Drexel University, is seeking participants for her research project, “The Transition of Women Warriors from the Military to Civilian Life: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study.”
The project aims to explore the lived experiences of women warriors since departing from the military, from both active and reserve components. The research is voluntary and only for women who have transitioned in the past five years. A focus group and an individual interviews will be conducted via Zoom. Women Veterans can sign up here.
Contact Saundra at 571-243-2453 or slk336@drexel.edu to learn more.
VA UPDATE
VA Encourages Veterans to Submit Photos for America250
Preparing to mark 250 years of independence on July 4, 2026, America250 is seeking additional photographs as part of the November Salute to combine with more than 700 photos collected as part of the 2020 November Salute. They will use all photos to create a photo mosaic installation for Veterans Day 2021. In addition to the art installation, the photo mosaic will also be available for viewing through an interactive online gallery, where people can explore and find out more about the people and stories represented.
Veterans, active duty service members, Reservists, and Guard members can submit photos until October 20 at https://america250.org/november-salute
Upcoming Virtual VA Events Highlight Manufacturing, Contracting, and More
Heroes MAKE America – Heroes Connect: Military to Manufacturing featuring Johnson & Johnson, Presented by the Manufacturing Institute – Wednesday, Oct 13, 3-4 p.m. Participants engage directly with company leaders about their operations, locations, Veteran-friendly culture, and current career opportunities.
Master Class: Find Defense Contractor Jobs – Thursday, Oct 28, 4-5 p.m. In this master class, Veterans learn what the big and small defense contractors are looking for and how to prepare a LinkedIn profile and resume to help.
See the entire list of upcoming events – including job fairs and an hours with the Small Business Administration at https://www.va.gov/outreach-and-events/events/ And please share with the Veterans, Service Members, and Family Members you serve!
This newsletter serves DVVC member organizations by providing information to share with Veterans. Member organizations can also use our LinkedIn group, https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12177627/ and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/dvvcorg, to get the word out!
Let us know how we can help!
Do you have news to share or upcoming events? Send an email to the editor, Mo Gillen, at mo_gillen@yahoo.com by the 25th of the month. Send DVVC questions to dvvcinfo@gmail.com
News from the Executive Committee October 2021
Dear Friends,
Last month DVVC presented The Fallout from Afghanistan: How To Help Yourself and How To Help Others in a town hall format. This was our fourth town hall on a timely topic of interest to our constituency. We were delighted to have an outstanding panel of experts share their insights with us during the meeting. Resource documents on places where Veterans and families may receive counseling by therapists trained in military culture and other resource documents on how to help with resettlement are available on our website, www.dvvc.org/whatwedo.
This program on Afghanistan was suggested by a DVVC member. We welcome suggestions by others on the critical issues of our times related to Veterans and their families. Please contact us at dvvcinfo@gmail.com.
My work on this program gave me the opportunity to contribute to ameliorating the fallout from our Afghanistan exit and revealed other ways that I could help. And my work for DVVC complements my work for Council for Relationships’ Operation Home and Healing (OHH) program. As DVVC vice chair and as the Director of OHH, I have had the opportunity to create and provide services to the Veteran community around mental health, education, and training. (www.councilforrelationships.org/OHH)
On October 15th, we will have our fall quarterly meeting, Wellness Warriors 2021: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Veterans, which will be a Zoom meeting. It is an exciting and dynamic program offering a viewing of a video clip from The Journey Back to Normal – A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD followed by a discussion with the producer/director. In addition, professionals offering Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies to Veterans will speak to attendees about their experiences working with Veterans and complementary and alternative therapies. To RSVP click here.
As I complete six years on the DVVC executive board, I am proud and enthusiastic about the growth of DVVC. Our new website is up and functioning although we are still developing the member portal. We switched seamlessly to Zoom programs during the pandemic and extended the reach of our audience to others outside the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Two elections will have been held during the pandemic with new people joining the leadership of DVVC.
The committees have been very active during this time as well. Through the dedication of the membership committee DVVC has grown to over 140 member organizations. The social media/marketing committee publishes this newsletter every month, monitors our social media sites, and has kept our new website up to date with resources and information for Veterans, their families and all of us who work with Veterans. They are also working on a new brochure to reflect the growth and changes in DVVC. Finally, as mentioned earlier, the programming committee quickly pivoted to online programming and has, in conjunction with other organizations, produced six programs and four town halls during the pandemic.
I am eager to explore new ventures and to strengthen and promote our previous accomplishments in the upcoming year. With or without the pandemic, I feel that DVVC will continue to progress and grow in positive ways that help our Delaware Valley Veterans and their families.
If you want to become more involved in the committees, please email us at dvvcinfo@gmail.com. The committees are a vital component of DVVC. Connect, Collaborate, and Communicate with our membership and our leadership in the upcoming months. We welcome your participation.
Nancy
Director of Operation Home and Healing
Council for Relationships
nisserman@councilforrelationships.org, (610) 331-4734