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.
1 comment:
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
820 S Damen Ave
Chicago, IL. 60612
312-569-8387
Dear Veterans,
As a public service we here at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center would like to inform you of the medical benefits you have earned for serving our country and offer you our services. To find out more about Jesse Brown VA we have attached our website for you to browse thru. If you should have any questions or comments please feel free to respond on this e-mail or call us at 312-569-8837 and ask for Leo Flores. To determine eligibility
requirements for VA Healthcare open website and click on the “Priority 8 Calculator Are you eligible?” button.
To register and receive a medical exam call for an appointment at 1-888-569-JBVA (5282).
Please forward this message to any veteran you think may benefit from our services. Thank you for your service to our country.
http://www.chicago.va.gov/
H1N1 VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR VETERANS
FOR RELEASE AS NEEDED
CONTACT: RAY LEBER, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER, (312) 569-6402
For Armed Forces veterans who wish to receive the H1N1 vaccine to protect against Swine Flu, there is no reason to pay for the flu shot or wait in long lines to receive it. An ample supply of the vaccine is available to veterans at no charge from Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, located at 820 S. Damen Avenue in Chicago, through March 2010. All veterans are eligible, even if they have not previously used VA services.
The Department of Veterans Affairs strongly endorses the use of the H1N1 vaccine as well as the seasonal flu vaccine. Both have been proven effective in reducing the spread of flu viruses. Veterans can even receive both vaccines simultaneously – one in each arm.
Flu shots are offered at the medical center Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 1412, located on the first floor of the Damen Pavilion in the Admissions area. No appointment is needed and veterans will receive their choice of either free self-parking or free valet parking at the medical center’s garage entrance on Ogden Avenue.
Veterans are asked to bring their VA identification card, DD Form 214 or other proof of military service to receive their flu shot.
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