Spirit of the Game: National Vets Wheelchair Games. Today, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games kicked off in Pittsburgh, PA. The Games offer 17 sports to Veterans who suffer from spinal cord injuries, amputations and neurological diseases. Read about one Veteran’s experience at VAntage Point.

 

Prayers and blessings for you and your loved ones and for our dear Troops and their loved ones everywhere.

 

Best.................Wayne

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VA HQ Veterans News for Tuesday, August 2, 2011.  Thanks to Kevin Secor at VA HQ!

 

1.    Retired Veteran Wants to Honor His Debts.  Fox Business  Is there a personal loan program through the US Department of Veterans Affairs that I can apply for so I can pay this off? I am having a hard time trying to make ends meet. Your self-description tells me a number of important things about you. ...

2.    Community Digest.  Chicago Sun-Times  The US Department of Veterans Affairs refers to “presumptive diseases” as certain cancers and other health problems related to exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. The three new presumptive diseases include: Ischemic ... 

3.    State exploring health care shift for veterans.  Bangor Daily News  For example, he said, some veterans would be concerned that some other income-determined benefit they are receiving would be affected if they were getting additional VA benefits. He said it may be that a veteran may only want to get some of the VA ... 

4.    County veterans flag holders found in Tennessee.  Republican & Herald  Replacing the markers is mandated by county code, which states a veteran's grave site must have one. There are about 37000 veterans' graves throughout Schuylkill County. Griffiths-Zechman said the county Veterans Affairs office goes through about 1200 ... 

5.    VA Launches New Prevention Initiative to Serve 22000 Veteran.  Actions for States and Local Governments · Actions for Organizations ... Home · Media Center · News; VA Launches New Prevention Initiative to Serve 22000 Veteran ... The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki ... 

6.    St. Vincent de Paul lands major grant to help homeless veterans.  KMTR NewsSource 16  At the end of July 2011, St. Vinnie's was awarded a nearly 125000 dollar grant from the US Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a new program called “Coming Home,” which will target veterans and their families who are either without a home or on ... 

7.    Grant will help Diocese of Camden serve area veterans.  Vineland Daily Journal  -- The federal government has awarded a grant to the Diocese of Camden to address the needs of low-income veterans in South Jersey. The $744740 grant from the US Department of Veterans Affairs will fund a one-year program called "Ready, Vet, Go. ... 

8.    Helping vets reach home.  Charleston Post Courier  So it is particularly good news that the US Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded $1 million to Crisis Ministries to assist local homeless veterans. The money will pay for more services to help the homeless vets in their program. ... 

9.    First Family Turns To Prime Time. Politico "Coming this fall to a TV near you: Michelle Obama will guest star on ABC's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.'" The episode, which airs in October, "features the first lady working on a greenhouse and children's playhouse as part of a community resource center for homeless female veterans in North Carolina. Sources familiar with the reality show taping said the first lady speaks about her Joining Forces initiative, a campaign aimed at recognizing military families' struggles with issues such as child care, education and employment while their loved ones are deployed overseas." That same message, according to White House aides, will be delivered by the First Lady during an upcoming appearance on Nickelodeon's "iCarly." Politico also points out that Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, has appeared on "Army Wives" to urge community help for military families.

 

10.                       Bodies, Souls Put To Test In Competitions.  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review This week, Pittsburgh will host the 31st annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games, "stands to break" a participation record set last year, when "640 athletes competed in Denver. This year, 675 signed up. Any honorably discharged veteran who uses a wheelchair for sports and is eligible for health care" in the Veterans Affairs "system can compete in as many as five of 17 events."

 

11.                       State Exploring Health Care Shift For Veterans. Bangor (ME) Daily News  State officials in Maine are "exploring ways to encourage veterans on Medicaid to shift some or all of their health care to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, saving the state money and potentially improving benefits for veterans. 'Clearly we should have been exploring this before, but we are looking at it now,' said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew." Peter Ogden, director of the state Bureau of Veterans Services, "said he believes the state could double the 40,000 who now receive some VA health benefits and still not reach all who are eligible."

 

12.                       Local Homeless Talk About Daily Challenges. Florence (AL) Times Daily  "The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports 107,000 homeless veterans in the US on any given night. The number of local veterans without shelter has escalated in recent years, said Lenita Riedel, veterans service officer with the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs in Lauderdale County." She "said the state has made it a top priority to reduce the number of homeless veterans across Alabama."

 

13.                       VA Helps Those Who Help Vets. Arizona Daily Star  US Department of Veterans Affairs is "throwing...a lifeline" to Danielle Fochs, whose husband is a disabled veteran. Danielle is "one of the first in Tucson to get help from a new VA program that gives qualified family caregivers stipends of up to $1,900 a month and mental health counseling to prevent burnout. The program, which targets families of disabled veterans who served after 9/11, also provides health insurance if needed, and greater access to in-home respite care to allow caregivers some time off."

 

14.                       Federal Contract Awards For The Week Of Aug. 1.  Washington Post  "Data Networks of Reston won a $2.2 million contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs for information technology services, including telecommunications services."

 

15.                       Living High On The VA's Money.  Charleston (SC) Post & Courier  Nancy Cook made personal use of a "taxpayer-funded account used to pay bills for homeless veterans at the North Charleston shelter." Cook used to be the executive director of the shelter. Officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the "primary source of the grant money that bankrolled Cook's lifestyle, did nothing to stop her spending." Now, though, auditors "said this year that the shelter owes the government more than $122,000 in grant funds that were spent inappropriately."

 

16.                       Effort Being Made To Get Montford Point Marines Monument Placed At Camp Lejeune. CNN Saturday Morning  The "nation's first black Marines," who were not allowed to "train with white Marines at San Diego or Parris Island, South Carolina. Instead, they were shipped off to Montford Point, North Carolina." CNN spoke to Montford Point President James Averhart, an active duty Marine who is trying to spread the word about the Montford Point Marines and their exploits in combat. Averhart said his organization is trying to get a monument built at Camp Lejeune in honor of the Montford Point Marines.

 

17.                       Veterans Battle Stress With River Rafting. WBIR-TV  "Some war veterans fought personal stress Saturday afternoon by tackling the rapids of the Pigeon River." The "Asheville, N.C. chapter" of Team River Runner "traveled to Tennessee Saturday" for the whitewater trip. The "group...consists of veterans" from the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

 

18.                       110 Years After His Death, A Forgotten Union Soldier Honored At Camp Nelson.  Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader  "When Pvt. Houston Clouse died at Eastern State Hospital on July 29, 1901," the Civil War vet was "placed in an unmarked grave." On Sunday, his "descendants gathered to honor Clouse with a monument at the National Cemetery at Camp Nelson in Jessamine County."

 

19.                       Poff Building In Roanoke: $51 Million Put To Good Use? Roanoke Times

 

20.                       Veterans Get Helping Hand At Ventura County Stand Down.  Ventura County (CA) Star  "About 140 veterans...took part in Ventura County's 19th annual Stand Down, which went on all weekend at the National Guard Armory in Ventura." In "addition to food, clothing and shelter, veterans had access to medical care from volunteer doctors and dentists and legal advice from volunteer attorneys. There also was a courtroom where veterans could take care of pending legal issues by doing community service on the armory grounds."

 

21.                       Gulf War Vets Honor Soldiers With Memorial. Waterloo And Cedar Falls (IA) Courier

 

22.                       General Motors Salutes US Troops With Patriotic Chevrolet Camaro, Donation.  Bay City (MI) Times  "As General Motors Co. opened contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers union this week, the Detroit automaker paid tribute to active US troops and veterans. During a ceremony to open labor talks Wednesday at the automaker's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant, GM and the UAW presented a joint donation of $25,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life." The Times adds, "GM also announced a commitment to increase the number of veterans in the work force as the company prepares for hiring new employees."

 

23.                       New Hampshire's Longest Rail Trail Taking Shape.  AP  "Paying homage to the past, organizers of New Hampshire's longest rail trail are celebrating the efforts of two counties and the route that spans them with their own 'golden spike.'" The Danbury section of the trail was "used recently by a group of disabled veterans as part of a summer sports clinic. ... Ralph Marche from the Boston VA Healthcare System, one of the sponsors, said the trail was chosen because of its beauty, bike-friendly surface, wide expanse and flat surface."

 

24.                       Remains Of POW Return Home After 60 Years.  UPI

 

25.                       Defense: Harrell. CQ Weekly  "When the White House launched its Joining Forces initiative in April to bolster employment, educational and health care opportunities for military veterans and families, it enlisted the Center for a New American Security to help with research and analysis. The national security think tank" hired "military personnel and family expert Margaret Harrell earlier this month as a senior fellow and director of the Joining Forces initiative." The Veterans of Foreign Wars, meanwhile, which has been pushing legislation that aims to help veterans find employment, "hired Ryan M. Gallucci in June as deputy legislative director and lead lobbyist for employment transition issues, and Daniel Elkins earlier this month as a legislative associate to lead the organization's work on servicemember readiness and wellness."

 

26.                       Navy Veteran Ted Holly Writes His Own Story.  Ocala (FL) Star-Banner