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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the White House Domestic Policy Council hosted an innovation summit Sept. 23 as part of The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End the National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) task force. The summit brought together more than 100 leading researchers, clinicians, innovators and decision makers to discuss research on public health solutions to end Veteran suicide. The interagency group is charged with implementing a roadmap for Veteran suicide prevention at the national and community levels by March 2020. “Collaboration and research are integral parts of VA’s public health approach to suicide prevention,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The work of the PREVENTS task force, like this summit, move us closer to solving the problems that lead to suicide and ultimately finding an end to Veteran suicide.” Held during Suicide Prevention Month, the summit provided a unique opportunity for public and private sector collaboration —  to research and explore innovative ways to reach Veterans in crisis — and provide them with support in their communities. A request for information that went out in August generated a wealth of ideas and elicited new insights for developing a national research strategy to end Veteran suicide. Those results will be compiled into action items as part of President Donald Trump’s March 5, Executive Order establishing the PREVENTS task force in June. Suicide is a complex national public health issue that affects communities nationwide, with more than 45,000 Americans — including more than 6,000 Veterans — dying by suicide every year.  The summit strengthened public-private partnerships that will identify gaps in the current suicide research environment and implement ideas to fill them. Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. Reporters covering this issue can download VA’s Safe Messaging Best Practices fact sheet or visit www.ReportingOnSuicide.org for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced actions to strengthen the Caregiver Support Program and establish a timeline for expanding the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) in accordance with section 161 of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (MISSION Act).  Under the MISSION Act, VA will expand the PCAFC to eligible Veterans from all eras using a phased approach. Currently, the program is only available to eligible Veterans seriously injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Prior to expanding, VA must upgrade its information technology (IT) system and implement other improvements to strengthen the program. “Caregivers play a critical role in the health and well-being of some of our most vulnerable Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Under the MISSION Act, we are strengthening and expanding our program to positively impact the lives of Veterans and deliver the best customer experience to them and their caregivers.” In December 2018, VA suspended certain discharges from the program due to ongoing concerns about inconsistent application of eligibility requirements at VA medical centers. Since then, VA has held listening sessions with caregivers and other stakeholders, developed or amended 14 standard operating procedures to clarify program requirements for VA staff, increased oversight in each Veterans Integrated Service Network, provided training and education to staff and caregivers and is boosting operational capacity with the hiring of more than 680 staff.    To modernize its caregiver IT system, VA is adopting a three-phased approach and will deploy a new system based on a commercial off the shelf product called Caregiver Record Management Application (CARMA) beginning in October 2019. VA will deploy phase two in January 2020 to centralize and automate stipend payment calculations and expects to deploy phase three in the summer of 2020, which will enable caregivers to apply for benefits online. VA will then perform testing and verify that the system has full functionality before expanding the program as required under the MISSION Act.  The expansion will occur in two phases, beginning in the summer of 2020 or once the Secretary has certified that the new IT system is fully implemented. In the first phase, PCAFC will be expanded to eligible Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975. The final phase of the expansion will begin two years later.  It will expand PCAFC to eligible Veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty after May 7, 1975 through September 10, 2001.  Additionally, VA has gathered input and is developing regulatory changes to streamline the program and provide more clarity for Veterans and their family caregivers. VA will publish a proposed rule for public comment prior to issuing final regulations.  VA is also working across the department to ensure caregivers have a positive experience through program improvements and initiatives to include: Providing home and community-based care alternatives through the Choose Home Initiative at 21 VA medical centers. Establishing the Center for Excellence for Veteran and Caregiver Research named after Senator Elizabeth Dole. Expanding telehealth services to enable Veterans and their caregivers to get care in the comfort of their homes. Delivering valuable programs for caregivers such as peer support mentoring, a Caregiver Support Line, self-care courses and educational programs to help caregivers succeed.  Caregivers play a critical role in enabling Veterans to maintain their highest level of independence and remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible. VA leads the nation in providing unprecedented benefits and services to caregivers. The MISSION Act strengthens VA’s ability to serve as a trusted partner in the care of our nation’s most vulnerable Veterans.  To learn more about the many support services available for caregivers of Veterans, visit www.caregiver.va.gov or call the Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274. 

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) this week announced the appointment of Kshemendra Paul, executive director for Data Governance and Analytics and the department’s Chief Data Officer. VA designated a Chief Data Officer under Public Law 115-435, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, which was signed by President Trump on January 14. The Act requires federal agencies to develop statistical evidence to support policymaking, maintain a comprehensive data inventory available to the public and implement protections to ensure security of confidential information “President Trump is delivering on his promises to improve care for our Veterans and make government work better for the American people,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “We will continue to build on this progress by leveraging data as an asset to better deliver the care and services Veterans expect and deserve.” The President’s Management Agenda calls for the development of a federal data strategy to improve government operations and evidence-based policymaking. VA’s Chief Data Officer will support this effort through improved data governance, transparency and innovation.  Paul brings extensive experience in enterprise data management including data architecture, data sharing, safeguarding and digital transformation to VA. His appointment will strengthen VA’s established Data Governance Council during this unprecedented period of transformation for the agency. VA maintains comprehensive data on America’s Veterans through the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics including Veteran population projections and statistics on their utilization of VA benefits and health care services. 

The ALL HANDS ON DECK! Show was born out of gratitude and patriotism. Jody Madaras has been described as a home town Ohio farm boy who went to New York and ‘made good’. In a family of great Americans lives patriotism, reverence, gratitude, honor, and integrity. In 2007, Madaras decided to feature these values by writing a show that would not only say “Thank You” to the greatest generation; the men and women who served our country during WWII and the Korean Conflict; but also, would remind Americans of a time when our country was truly united. Madaras has masterfully crafted together those values into a production that takes us all on a sentimental, and truly inspirational, journey—The ALL HANDS ON DECK! Show. In a recent interview, Madaras explained, “Our 1942 Roadshow & Radio Broadcast is very special to me; I spent nearly four years writing it. Saying something important with these songs was my intention. We are reminded every day that our country has challenges. Our songs and deportment all focus on patriotic unity, our “Can Do!” spirit, and what’s right about our country. For younger generations, this show offers a glimpse of what was and what can be. For the senior generations, it offers a trip down memory lane to the ‘best of times’. Ultimately, I simply want everyone to leave the theatre feeling a little bit better and happier about our country.” Madaras’ strong patriotism is credited in large part to his family. His grandmother June was extremely active in the American Legion Auxiliary. “Growing up with Grandma, we always listened to these songs.She was very proud of the United States and believed we are at our best when we are united. Her handwriting is in this show.” His grandfather, Adolph “Duff” immigrated through Ellis Island from Hungary in 1911, and proudly served as an officer in the US Navy in WWII. Madaras continued, “I chose the Hollywood Victory Caravan, a group of famous Hollywood film stars who toured America by train in early 1942 selling war bonds, as the setting for the show. My research uncovered that no one had ever written a show based on the Caravan. Their road shows raised millions of dollars for the war effort, and no one had ever fully honored them. 1942 was one of the most pivotal years in world history; paving the way for much of the prosperity we enjoy in our great country today. That’s our theme: feeling united, then and now.” The ALL HANDS ON DECK! Show tours the U.S.A. annually, and is also featured in Branson, Missouri in the fall. For schedule and information, please visit: AllHandsOnDeckShow.com

Tuesday, Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone announced a number of actions VA is taking in response to recent events at the Atlanta VA Medical Center’s Eagles’ Nest Community Living Center and ongoing issues at other VA facilities in that region. These actions include:  Placing the Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 director on immediate administrative leave Effective immediately, Charleston, S.C., VAMC director Scott Isaacks will take over as Acting VISN 7 director Detailing the VISN 7 Chief Medical Officer to other administrative duties outside the VISN, pending a review of the quality and safety of care issues in the network Detailing seven Atlanta VAMC staff members into non-patient care positions while an Administrative Investigation Board composed of subject matter experts from outside VISN 7 investigates the handling of this issue Realigning VA’s Office of Network Support, a VA Central Office-based organization that had been responsible for collecting and disseminating reports regarding incidents at medical centers across the nation to VHA leadership This move will streamline VA’s adverse action reporting processes by ensuring issues are quickly reported from local and regional officials to VHA leaders Retraining all VA personnel involved in reporting urgent issues throughout the chain of command The VHA Chief of Staff and VHA Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management were in Atlanta this week working with Atlanta VA Health Care System’s new Director Ann Brown to conduct an onsite review of Eagles’ Nest CLC’s operations to ensure it has the right leaders and staff in place to provide the highest quality health care and services possible. “What happened at Eagles’ Nest was unacceptable, and we want to ensure that Veterans and families know we are determined to restore their trust in the facility,” said VHA Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone.  “Transparency and accountability are key principles at VA, and they will guide our efforts in this regard.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) initiative recently received the highest overall customer service satisfaction score in the nation for its mail order pharmacies. The score is based upon the 2019 U.S. Pharmacy Satisfaction Study released Aug. 20 by J.D. Power, an independent national consumer group. “J.D. Power has scored VA’s CMOP as highest in overall customer service satisfaction nine out of the past 10 years,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “These results demonstrate VA’s commitment to ensuring that our nation’s Veterans are receiving the best possible service for prescriptions delivered directly to their homes.”   VA’s CMOP system includes seven highly automated pharmacies. The study is based on responses from 12,059 pharmacy customers who filled a prescription three months prior to the survey period of May-June. J.D. Power compared large-scale mail order pharmacies and scored VA 906, out of scale of 1000. The VA CMOP dispensed more than 122 million outpatient prescriptions in 2018 to Veterans, representing approximately 80% of all outpatient prescriptions dispensed to Veterans via the mail order program. The entire J.D. Power consumer study is available at J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Pharmacy Satisfaction Study.

'...redirecting military quality of life program funding impacts morale – and in the military, morale means everything' September 12, 2019   WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense announced plans last week to divert $3.6 billion in military construction funds to build or replace 175 miles of southern border fencing. The reprogramming of funds will significantly delay the start or completion of 127 military construction projects, half of which are overseas. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is monitoring the issue closely, as its senior leaders are well attuned to the housing and associated quality of life construction project needs of the military community, to include the impact that the decision may have on some 3,000 active-duty military personnel and 2,000 National Guardsmen currently deployed to the southern border in support of Department of Homeland Security officials. While the VFW understands and supports the need to maintain secure borders, the organization is also charged with advocating for a military that is not only combat ready, but combat effective and lethal. This includes advocating for quality of life programs that preserve the all-volunteer force, that increase our ability to counter global threats, and that support America’s allies. The delay or deferment of projects such as maintenance and training facilities, as well as schools, child care centers and medical clinics, could impact military and family readiness at home and abroad. Additionally, the decision to defer funding to expand projects such as the European Deterrence Initiative at various locations in Eastern Europe, and the Ground Based Interceptor program at Fort Greely, Alaska, could significantly weaken America’s ability to defend herself and our allies from near-peer competitors. Said VFW National Commander William J. “Doc” Schmitz, “the VFW is concerned by the administration’s decision to target projects that directly impact the quality of life of our servicemen and women. We understand that hard decisions must be made to protect our citizens, but redirecting military quality of life program funding impacts morale – and in the military, morale means everything. We look forward to a serious discussion in Washington about how best to support two federal departments who share the ultimate mission of protecting the sovereignty of our nation and her citizens.”

By Henry Howard   Sarah Lee awoke from a particularly dark night for her. The pain pills she’d laid out on her kitchen table were still there. But her thoughts of suicide had been replaced by a vision. Lee, who had not ridden a bike since high school, decided it was time to pursue something she’d been thinking about recently: bicycling across the United States. It would help her raise awareness about veteran suicide, and be a way to vanquish the demons of post-traumatic stress disorder she’d fought since deploying to Iraq with the 216th Combat Engineers of the Ohio Army National Guard in 2004. Lee started by purchasing a bicycle. After three visits to a local bike shop in Nashville, Tenn., she bought one. That led to her first pedal, which eventually led to her cross-country journey of thousands of miles, discovery of The American Legion, and a return to the cheerful, energetic personality that had been obscured by PTSD. Isolation After leaving the Army, Lee started working as a photographer and relocated from Ohio to Nashville. The transition was challenging. “I missed the military, the camaraderie mainly,” she says. “It’s hard to find that in the civilian sector. As soon as you meet another veteran, you know that you were both trained to take a bullet for each other. You can start in a place that it might take a civilian friendship years to get to.” Still, Lee wrestled with guilt about losing friends in the war. She lacked motivation to embrace healthy habits. She battled chronic neck pain. Soon she was in a downward spiral. She gained 100 pounds and faced the prospect of a stroke or heart attack by 30. Lee rebounded. She started working out five days a week. She cut out carbs and sugar, and drank a lot of water.  “After I lost that weight, I was in a good place,” she says, adding that she helped others become more fit, too. “I felt like I was really giving back again. Vets are very hard on themselves. A lot of us gain weight when we get out. When I took control, I felt a lot better.” That feeling lasted until a routine medical exam revealed a cyst on one of her ovaries. Lee slid back toward depression.  “I really got into a dark place right up until my surgery, and I didn’t go anywhere anymore,” she says. “I was already isolating myself quite a bit. If I didn’t go to a workout or a photo shoot, I didn’t leave the house.” The cyst was benign, but the damage to her psyche was done. “I had it removed, and I’m supposed to feel like a new lease on life, and it wasn’t there. To be completely honest, I was almost hoping something might go wrong and that I could be done. I hate saying that stuff because I know people care.” After surgery on Thanksgiving Day in 2016, Lee hit rock bottom. She further distanced herself from loved ones. Her mind filled with thoughts of those she lost. Then, the following spring, one night changed everything.  ‘Letters to no one’ Samuel Bowen was one of the close friends Lee lost in Iraq. “He went out on a mission I feel I was supposed to have been on,” she says. “He was killed, and several people were injured. He took the impact of the RPG. Many have said to me, ‘It’s not your fault.’ Maybe I would have noticed something or it could have gone differently.” The more Lee thought about those who died, the darkness deepened. “The further down you get, you just lose sight of everything that’s real,” she says. “You lose sight of everyone who loves you, the things that are good about you, the things you have done and will do ... you’re focusing on the ending, the final chapter. I’d do a lot of writing for no reason, just letters to no one. I really was not honoring the sacrifices made by my friends.” Lee shunned medicine, even ibuprofen, for pain. Post-surgery, she didn’t take anything she’d been given for relief. In her darkest hour, she counted the pills and lined them up, desperate to end her misery. But she passed out from drinking instead. She woke up and realized she would not survive another night like that. “I don’t know why I didn’t (take my life),” she says, recognizing that she had lost sight of her many reasons to live. “People love me. I’m not done. Those things kind of disappear sometimes, and it’s like this tunnel vision with no light. When I woke up, I knew I had to follow through with my cycling journey.” Lee immediately began planning and training for A Vicious Cycle, her five-month, 4,010-mile bicycle trip from coastal Virginia to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. ‘I had to do it for myself’ After her long hiatus from cycling, Lee found it easy to get back on the bike. “It felt so amazing. Honestly, I got a little tear in my eye on that first ride because I just knew right then that I could totally do this.” Her Kona Sutra bicycle was a perfect fit. “Some people might laugh at this, and that’s totally fine because it is kind of goofy, but I’m comparing it to the bond you had with your M16. We view it like an extension of our arm. You take care of it, it takes care of you, you keep it crazy clean. I kind of missed having that bond with something.” Lee grew up playing sports, including softball, enjoying the friendships and fellowship she found there. That led her to join the Guard, where she thrived as a leader and a teammate. On her bicycle trip, though, Lee was largely on her own, pedaling through the Appalachians, the Ozarks, the Plains, the Rockies, the desert, the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevadas.  “I had to do it for myself,” she says, recalling how she raised money by making and selling hundreds of paracord bracelets. “I had to wake myself back up.” Even so, she never felt alone while on the road. “It was a way to honor friends we lost during my deployment,” she says. “I continue to lose them to suicide. I’ve lost three close friends now. I tried to honor them on the trip as much as I could. And you meet so many people along the way that you don’t feel alone, really, except during the cycling portion. That’s the best part, when you’re away from everybody and in a totally different world.” Before the journey, Lee told her parents, Brian and Betsy Kniffin, what she hoped to accomplish. She spread out all her gear, maps and supplies on the floor. “I remember when you were a little girl, and you were sitting the same way with your toys scattered in front of you,” Betsy told Lee. The Kniffins kept close tabs on her during her travels. “It wouldn’t have been our first choice to have our daughter do such an extensive trek,” Betsy adds. “But we understood. Her goal was healing, and she wanted to bring awareness to issues like PTSD and the veteran suicide rate. We supported her in doing that.” Every day, they prayed. They followed her blog. Occasionally they would call or text. The Kniffins, who live in Ohio, surprised her by showing up on Lee’s route in Sonora, Ky., on her birthday.  “I turned the corner in this little town, and there they are, just leaning out from these pillars, waving,” Lee says. “I knew for sure I was doing the right thing when my parents were there, totally rooting me on.” New beginnings Lee’s bicycle trip began May 4, 2017, in Yorktown, Va., against the jet stream. Even then, she knew where she wanted to end up.  “I really wanted to finish by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge,” she says. “I thought that would be symbolic – crossing bridges, new beginnings.”   Initially, Lee didn’t feel she was in good enough shape. That improved, as did her road savvy. She got better at detecting noises and staying alert for vehicles, potholes and creatures.  “If you’re going down a hill, a chipmunk could end you,” she says. “But I felt right at home with the situational intensity. I felt normal again, which is bittersweet. Does it take something like this?”  Soon, local American Legion members heard about Lee’s ride and came out to support her. Dean Tuttle, adjutant for the Department of Tennessee, connected Lee to other veterans along her route and promoted her ride on social media.  “It’s just an inspiration to see a fine young lady like Sarah helping our veterans, and making them aware of the dangers and of the depression that can happen when you come back from the battlefield,” he says. Lee was grateful for encouragement from the American Legion Family.  “They made a huge impact,” she says. “Cycling across America is equal parts physical and mental. Just knowing people were watching me and believing in me, so much so that they were sharing my words statewide, nationwide – there was no way I was ever giving up, knowing I had those people behind me.” Tuttle sees Lee’s generation as essential to keeping the Legion strong.  “This is what we have to look forward to: young veterans, like Sarah, who are willing to put their lives on the line to show that veterans can do other things than tell war stories,” he says. “Their stories also promote trying to battle depression and things that have happened on the battlefield. We never see their hidden injuries, but we’ve got to take care of them.” Sudden stop In Pueblo, Colo., Lee met a group of post-9/11 veterans who were volunteering with Team Rubicon to clean up debris from a string of fires, landslides and flooding. That evening they bonded, and they wished her luck as she prepared to cross the Rocky Mountains. On Aug. 20, Lee started her morning with a liter of water, oatmeal and a fresh surge of confidence.  On her first incline, however, Lee was run off the road by a pickup truck hauling a trailer. She maneuvered off the road to avoid being struck, but her tires got stuck in the sand, flipping her onto the right lane of the highway. “Thankfully, he didn’t slow down or stop, because I might have hit the trailer,” she says. “There was a car tailgating him, and they didn’t see me. I threw my arm up real quick, and they swerved around me.  “The tire screech ... I’ll never forget that sound. It was right behind my head.” A half-mile away, Team Rubicon members heard the commotion and paused their work. Another truck driver brought Lee back to the group, which had a paramedic check her out. She’d torn a knee ligament and would need recovery time.  A Vicious Cycle was put on hold. Healing and bonding Lee returned to Nashville to heal. As she recuperated, she found a new home and a new family: American Legion Post 88 in Nashville. She met with the commander, Vietnam War Navy veteran Len Chappell, and left with a newfound appreciation for the organization. “I was a stranger to them, and they really felt what I was feeling,” she says. “There was an instant bond.” Chappell didn’t hesitate to welcome Lee when she arrived at Post 88.  “It’s called veteran helping veteran,” he says. “That’s what The American Legion is all about: to support the young vet, the old vet, and where we need to go in the future.” After Lee concluded her bicycle trip, Post 88 was ready to get behind her next project. She’s working on launching a nonprofit organization called Waypoint Vets that would sponsor outdoor activities for veterans, such as hiking, fishing and biking trips.  “Activities ultimately help The American Legion because they see what you’re doing,” Chappell says. “This new adventure will contribute to creating better awareness of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder. We’re fighting so hard for those things on a daily basis. It’s important we have someone out there, a young vet helping to contribute to the whole organization.” Post 88 has provided financial support and more for Lee and her message. She officially joined the post as a member while recovering from her cycling accident.  Meanwhile, Lee’s healing took time. By the time she could resume physical activities, winter had come to Colorado. She had to wait until June 2 to continue her journey from Pueblo, where she had been run off the road. Dozens of cyclists, veterans and others gathered to surprise Lee with a send-off.  “I didn’t know if I could do it, but I was going to give it all I could,” she says. “Everyone was waiting at the top (of the incline), cheering. For a first day back, I felt so empowered. I felt like maybe I was ready for the Rockies.” Lee pushed through the mountains and into the desert, taking a detour to see the Grand Canyon for the first time. It was more than a tourist attraction for her, as Eric Ward, a post-9/11 veteran friend of Lee’s, had never seen the Grand Canyon either. He died by suicide. She took a commemorative rock she had brought along and climbed to one of the area’s highest points. “I got a running start and chucked that rock as hard and as far as I could into the Grand Canyon,” she says. “Then I sat there and thought about everyone who’s given their life for this country or taken their life because of wounds no one else sees. I felt connected to them, and I wanted to honor their memories.” A golden ending Unbeknownst to Lee as she neared her Golden Gate goal on Sept. 3, 2018, a group of American Legion Riders planned to welcome her to San Francisco.  “This is something we definitely wanted to support, even without really knowing anything about what Sarah had gone through herself,” says Cory Waddingham, past president of American Legion Riders Chapter 82 in California. “The determination she’s shown over the past several years to complete this mission is incredible. We wanted to come out and meet her.” Starting at North Vista Point, the Legion Riders escorted Lee across the Golden Gate Bridge, through the streets of San Francisco and to the ocean. There, she dipped her tires in the waters of the Pacific, marking the end of her ride. The Riders then carried her bike from the water, through the beach, back to solid ground. “It was our honor to carry that burden for you for a little while,” Cory told Lee.   She’s grateful to the Riders for that moment. “It was breathtaking that so many people showed up to support me on last-minute notice,” Lee says. “When I arrived at the north end of the bridge, there was a crowd. It was just hug after hug after hug, with heartfelt and important conversations. They made me feel like instant family. They made it easy for me to complete my mission. I was sad it was coming to an end, but they made it feel like a new beginning.” That connection has only gotten stronger.  “I’m so thankful to The American Legion and the Legion Riders for stepping up at the last second to really let me know, ‘You’re not alone, you never were, and you never will be. We’ve been here for a long time, and we’ll be here for a long time. You always have us to fall back on. Just keep going. We’re here to push you, pull you, whatever.’” On that final leg of her journey, crossing the Golden Gate, Lee was buoyed by well wishes and encouragement from friends, family and hundreds of American Legion supporters. “I would get a dozen messages from vets almost daily, saying I was inspiring them,” she says. “They were starting their journeys. They’re saying these things to me. It was fuel for me. I would never have gotten here if it wasn’t for all the support. People are nothing without each other, really.”   Henry Howard is deputy director of media and communications for The American Legion.

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie this week encouraged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass bipartisan legislation to help VA build partnerships with community groups who can offer direct help to Veterans who are at risk of harming themselves. The IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act, from Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) would allow VA to direct grant funding to these groups across the country. These community-based groups would be able to use that funding to identify Veterans who pose a suicide risk. “H.R. 3495 is one-way Members of Congress from both parties can support Veterans and their local communities, and I believe it can be the beginning this year of a longer-term collaboration with the VA to get at the root causes of the suicide crisis in the nation,” Wilkie wrote to Pelosi in a letter last week. “I hope your caucus can support this bipartisan effort.” VA has had success partnering with community groups to prevent Veteran homelessness — and those efforts have been highly successful — three states and 77 communities have effectively ended this problem. VA is optimistic that strengthening these partnerships through new grant funding would lead to similar success in preventing Veteran suicide. Secretary Wilkie also extended an invitation to meet with Speaker Pelosi about the bill.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Together with longtime supporter Sport Clips Haircuts, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is proud to announce its “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program has surpassed awarding $6.4 million in scholarships to more than 1,450 military and student veterans. The latest fall semester award of nearly $762,000 will help to ensure 165 student veterans attending colleges across the country are one step closer to achieving their educational goals.  “Veterans transitioning from military to civilian life face a host of challenges, but together with our friends at Sport Clips we’re able to ensure that struggling to finance their last semesters of college isn’t one,” said VFW National Commander Doc Schmitz. Established in 2014, the Help A Hero Scholarship program awards service members and veterans with post-secondary scholarships of up to $5,000 to help them achieve their educational goals without the burden of student loan debt.  “My final semester is the only semester that is not covered by my GI Bill benefits and the only semester I will be financially responsible for,” said Victoria Phelps, an Air Force student veteran at Temple University. “This scholarship will be a bridge to help facilitate a less financially stressful final semester. This scholarship will also help achieve my personal goal of being the first person in my family to graduate college.” “As of February 2019, all educational assistance from my Post 9/11 GI Bill will be depleted,” said Corey Phillips, an Army student veteran at Grand Canyon University. “This scholarship will help me and mine withstand the blow of the financial burden that waits around the corner.” Help A Hero scholarships are awarded twice a year to help cover the cost of tuition and fees of service members and veterans in the rank of E-5 and below. Scholarship applications are currently being accepted for the 2019 fall semester. Apply for a Help A Hero scholarship today.   About Sport Clips Haircuts: Sport Clips Haircuts is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas. It was established in 1993 and began franchising in 1995. The sports-themed haircutting franchise, which specializes in haircuts for men and boys, offers online check in for clients, and is ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the “Fastest-Growing Franchises’ and #17 in its “Franchise 500.” There are more than 1,800 Sport Clips stores open in the U.S. and Canada. Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises, and was named a “2018 Best for Vets: Franchises” by Military Times. Sport Clips provides “Haircuts with Heart” through its annual Help A Hero fundraiser that has contributed $6.5 million to the VFW; national partnership with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants; and other national and local philanthropic outreach. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR drivers Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin, Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Indy Car driver Sebastien Bourdais, and partners with numerous NCAA and professional sports teams. To learn more about Sport Clips, visit sportclips.com.