Thursday, August 28, 2008

MEDIA RELEASE | Veterans Awareness Day “March” and Rally

MEDIA RELEASE

I CVO Recognizes Ald. Balcer, Comm. Daley and the CTA

Chicago—On behalf of disabled veterans in Chicago and Cook County, CVO is presenting certificates of appreciation to Alderman James Balcer and Commissioner John Daly for their role in passing the Military Service Pass for disabled veterans in Chicago. We are thanking the Chicago Transit Authority with a plaque for their prompt, non-bureaucratic implementation of the pass, by which disabled veterans can travel free on CTA trains and busses.

II Making Citizens Aware of Veterans’ Needs

Chicago—The Mayor and City Council have declared today Veterans Awareness Day. As veterans, our biggest job is to make the public aware that veterans do not receive the healthcare and benefits that they need and were promised. In February 2008, CVO participated in passing the Full Mandatory Funding Referendum carried in 23 Illinois counties. It received over 1 million votes—far more than any single candidate or ballot item anywhere in the state. This told us that the people of Illinois want veterans to have the healthcare and benefits they need. Our organizing for that election also taught us that most of the people of Illinois do not understand what veterans face. They do not understand that many veterans must pay for their healthcare and in many cases veterans do not receive the benefits they have been promised. That is what Veterans Awareness Day is all about: making everyone more aware. There is no better time than now to accomplish this task. There is no other time than now.

The Coalition of Veterans Organizations is an activist group of veterans’ organizations and individuals which fights for seven key points on behalf of veterans. They are:

1. Full Mandatory Funding of VA healthcare for veterans. Federally funded healthcare for all veterans without further pay. We have already paid with our service and in many cases our blood and our lives.

2. Eligibility for VA healthcare and benefits for all honorably discharged veterans—male and female—without co-payments and categories of service delivery. Today, not all veterans are eligible to receive healthcare and many who do must pay for it.

3. Ending veteran homelessness and the realignment of the VA Per Diem grants system. There is no greater disgrace than the fact that thousands of veterans in this country are homeless. Some of those are also sick, but many simply do not have the jobs and support structures they need to be off the streets. This disgrace can be and must be changed!

4. Reform of funding and full accounting for all VA mental health services for veterans. The travesty is that scores of veterans—many returning from Iraq and Afghanistan—do not receive the mental heath care they need, despite front-page stories detailing the horrors these veterans face.

5. Fighting for the inclusion of appropriations in the annual VA budget to fund benefits for World War II Filipino veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. These veterans have been denied benefits for over 60 years. It is time to fund their benefits now!

6. CVO is fighting to end the backlog of veterans’ benefits. We call on the federal government to immediately fund benefits for all veterans applying for VA disability. If they have the medical diagnosis and the military records to show they should get thee benefits, then the benefits should be granted as soon as they apply. The government can figure out whether to award or disallow the benefits. That policy would end the government backlog very quickly and would make sure needy veterans get benefits in a prompt and caring manner.

7. CVO is fighting for full equality of women’s benefits and healthcare. We recognize the special needs of women veterans and the unacceptable gap between services and benefits for women and those for men. That gap must be closed immediately and all services and benefits for women made fully available immediately.

CVO is dedicated to bringing these basic needs of veterans into being. We thank all of you for your support and call on all of you to join us.

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WHO: Military veterans from various organizations; Montford Point Marine

Association Chicago Chapter, American Legion, Veterans Strike Force,

National Women Veterans United (NWVU), Triple Nickel Parachute

Infantry Association, 24th Infantry Regiment, Veterans of Foreign Wars IL

District 2, VetNet, Veterans for Unification, Korean War Veterans

of America, AMVETS Chicago Chapter, Filipino-American Veterans of

Illinois, 173rd Airborne Brigade Elite Forces Chapter VI, Country Club

Hills Veterans Assistance Commission.

WHAT: Veterans Awareness Day “March” and Rally

WHEN: CVO will form at the NW corner of DesPlaines and Washington at 10 AM and walk to Daley Plaza starting at 11 AM.

WHERE: Daley Plaza. Rally will begin about 11:30 AM.

Veterans Awareness Day | August 29

Friday, August 29th
Join CVO for Veterans Awareness Day
Form up at 10 AM at the
NW corner of Des Plaines and Washington!!
Bring family & friends!
Remind Veterans!
See you there!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Free Tuition for Illinois Veterans

Free Tuition for Illinois Veterans

Through its First Responder Program, Benedictine University is offering free tuition for Illinois armed forces veterans, active and Reserve, returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Illinois veterans who participate in this program will be able to pursue an associate of arts in business administration or a Bachelor of Arts in management degree at no tuition cost. For more information, contact Autumn Lynumn at 630-829-6126 or Heena I. Jeelani at 630-829-1385 or visit the Benedictine University website.

Find military friendly schools with Military.com's School Finder.

FREE Valet Parking Jesse Brown VA Medical Ctr

Please help us to spread the word amongst our vets and their families that we are now providing FREE Valet Parking in the front of our new Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Inpatient Pavilion (enter circle drive from Ogden Avenue).

I can tell you the valet staff are very friendly and helpful.

This is a great added service for our patients and we would like to see it get more use. Please help spread the word.

Monday, August 18, 2008

UIC Moving Wall

The Veterans Student Association at UIC, are asking for your support in bringing the Moving Vietnam Memorial Wall to Chicago. This memorial is a ½ scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. It will be on display from Sept. 4th through Sept. 8th at Harrison Field located at 700 S. Halsted St. The opening ceremony is at 2pm on Thursday Sept. 4th. The entire location will be handicap accessible. There will be a tribute from the Emerald Society with bagpipes and drums.
The VA will be providing shuttle busses to and from the VA hospitals of Chicago. The Moving Vietnam Memorial Wall consists of exactly 74 panels. We are asking for sponsorship to each panel for $100 to help cover costs for placement and construction. Our fundraiser will be held at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame located at 1431 W. Taylor St. in Chicago. The owner, George Randazzo, donated the entire four floor building and started the sponsorship with the first panel of his choice- 3E. He was a Vietnam Veteran and strongly supports our entire event!!! Each sponsor will be given special recognition in the brochure that will be handed out at the event.
We would like to cordially invite you and any other supporting patron to this fundraiser on Aug. 21st from 6pm-9pm. There will be a raffle for prizes and refreshments will be served. There will also be a special slideshow of Vietnam and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Raffle tickets will be on sale from now until the time of the event. Prizes include sports memorabilia, tickets to sporting events, gift certificates and much more. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $10 each or 5 for $40.
The Veterans Student Association represents over 622 veterans at UIC. We have big plans for our future and the future of veterans returning to Chicago. The Moving Vietnam Memorial Wall is just the beginning. We want veterans to be interactive with the UIC community and businesses. Events like these will help build strong relationships between service members and civilians. We hope that in your heart you can help the Veterans Student Association move forward into the future.

Donations can be made payable to: Veterans Student Association
UIC Campus Programs
Room 340, Student Center East, MC-118
750 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60607-7012

All donations go directly to the Veterans Student Association. Half the proceeds go to bringing the wall to Chicago with a matched donation by the University of Illinois at Chicago. The VSA will utilize the funds to ensure that returning veterans will have the essential guidance necessary for their educational and professional futures. We sincerely appreciate all of your support to the Veterans Student Association

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Press Conference with Congressman / Monday August 18

Veterans,

We just received this invite from the Congressmanʼs office. (Details below!) They would like for you all to attend and get the word out, so please feel free to forward on. If possible, they would also like everyone to wear their uniforms or any military referenced shirts, hats, etc.

If you are available to attend, please let me know.

Thank you!

Secretary, Veterans' Advocacy Group

Shannon Stone-Winding
DePaul University, School for New Learning
25 East Jackson Boulevard
Frank J. Lewis Center, Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60604-2305
T: (312) 362-6367
F: (312) 362-8809
sstone@depaul.edu

Below is basic information about the event on Monday, August 18, 2008. Start time for press is 11:00, but it would be great if you and OEF/OIF vets could arrive by around 10:45.
What: GI Bill-Higher Education event

When: August 18, 11:00
Where: Blue Room, State of Illinois Building, 15th Floor
100 W. Randolph Street

Who: Rahm, leaders from DePaul, Northwestern, University of Chicago , City Colleges , University of Illinois Chicago
Why: To announce expedited admissions processes and other services to facilitate veteransʼ entry to higher education with the new G.I. Bill
I know Rahm will be privileged to meet you, and to personally thank the veterans for their service. Letʼs check in on Thursday to see who is able to attend.
Take care,
Jane
Jane Markham
District Representative
U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel
3742 W. Irving Park
Chicago , IL 60618

Thursday, August 14, 2008

NWVU Gala / 4 FREE TICKETS

Tickets to the National Women Veterans United gala will be given to 4 lucky attendees at the CVO meeting this Saturday! You have to show up to win!! No fees or anything. Just show up. A flyer for the NWVU dinner can be found here.

CVO Meeting / August 16

Just a reminder that CVO will hold its monthly meeting on this Saturday, August 16th from 10 AM to 12:30 PM at Montford Point Marine Association, 7011 S Vincennes.
CVO buttons are in!! Get your CVO button!
Prep for the Veterans Awareness March on August 29th.
We will have a limited number of CVO shirts, ranging from $22 to $25 depending on size. First come, first served!
Please arrive early (9:45 AM) so we can get started on time!