231 Years Old: Honoring the USCG Birthday on August 4th
History and interesting facts about the Coast Guard in honor of the USCG Birthday, 2021
History and interesting facts about the Coast Guard in honor of the USCG Birthday, 2021
There’s more to the VA Home Loan program than just the loan itself. Veterans with service-connected disabilities are often eligible for additional assistance through programs such as Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH).
These Veteran housing grants help severely disabled Veterans pay for modifications and adaptations to their homes which help improve quality of life and increase the possibility for independent living. Recently, changes have been made to laws which govern the SAH grant program, providing the VA with greater ability to fund it.
These VA home improvement grants can provide up to $100,800 in assistance per individual. What’s great is that if the adaptations required cost less than this amount, any funding leftover is available for use at a later date (up to six times).
Housing grants for disabled Veterans can be a game changer. If you or someone you know may qualify, visit the Housing Assistance section of the VA’s website for more information.
Veterans can apply for the SAH Grant online by logging into the VA’s eBenefits website. Alternately, applications are accepted via mail. Simply complete form VA Form 26-4555 and send to the nearest regional loan center. Applications are reviewed upon receipt and a letter informing applicants of the decision will be mailed to the address provided.
Why do we celebrate National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day?
Operation Homefront is a non-profit that provides financial assistance, housing programs, and caregiver support to families in the military. The Back-to-School Brigade® was established over twelve years ago in partnership with Dollar Tree. Since then, the program has been able to collect, organize, and donate $50M in school supplies to nearly 400,000 military families!
Operation Homefront Back-to-School Brigade® 2021 events are now open for registration, meaning military families around the country can register to receive a backpack full of back-to-school goodies. Visit their event page to register for a Back-to-School Brigade® location near you. (Eligibility requirements vary, so be sure to take a peek at them prior to registering.)
The Back-to-School Brigade® and Operation Homefront are always looking for supporters. Here’s how you can help:
If you know where to look, you’ll find a ton of back-to-school benefits specific to military families. Retailers like Old Navy, Kohl’s, and Columbia offer military discounts which are perfect to use on those new school clothes. Dell’s 10% off for military families can make back-to-school technology more affordable. And the DoD even offers an online tutoring program.
There is no shortage of apps on the market which are geared towards helping school aged children with homework and assignments. From apps that create custom flashcards to an interactive periodic table, there’s definitely an app for every need. Check out these ten educational apps that provide the perfect amount of back-to-school support.
12 Great WW2 Movies available to stream online.
Our nation’s Veterans are becoming more tech savvy by the day, as evidenced by the success of programs like the VA’s VetText and the eBenefits portal. But these same Veterans still need a little extra help staying focused on their own self-care.
Enter: Annie. She’s not a person. She’s an app. Annie supports Veteran self-care by sending automated messages that include reminders, health related notifications, and even motivational messages, all the in form of a text. Annie further empowers Vets to play an active role in their own care by helping track important health data like weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol readings.
On the other end of the Annie App is a VA health care team committed to helping Veterans meet their health and wellness goals. Based on each individual’s goal, he or she can subscribe to any of the following protocols available through the Annie program.
Body: Aids veterans in living a more active lifestyle by promoting health and wellness, along with education.
Medication Reminders: Daily medication reminders help establish improved compliance with prescription instructions.
COVID-19 Vaccinations: Provides helpful info regarding the COVID vaccines, including side effects, links to CDC resources, and reminders for second doses (and boosters when the time comes).
Flu Vaccines: Similar to the COVID vaccine protocol, above, but geared towards influenza, instead.
Tobacco Cessation: Sends motivational messages to Vets thinking of quitting, helps create a “quit” plan, and sets a start date.
Weight Management: Provides daily healthy living reminders for tasks such as exercising or logging food as well as educational messages about weight management.
Oncology Symptom Reporting: Allows Veterans with Cancer to rate their symptoms, which Annie tracks. Participants will receive advice based on symptoms.
Stress: Sends encouraging messages and simple strategies to manage stress, as well as shares information about the ways in which stress impacts our bodies and minds.
Additional Protocols: There are plenty of other protocols that focus on specific health conditions.
To learn more about Annie, visit her webpage or contact your local VA Health Center.
Physical activity is a key component of nearly every health and wellness program, and it is especially important to aging seniors. This is why the Gerofit program has become a staple within 21 VA Healthcare Systems throughout the country. From Seattle to Baltimore, Veterans are improving their mental and physical health by taking advantage of this program.
Developed in 1986 by Dr. Harvey Cohen at the VA Medical Center in Durham, Gerofit is an individually programed, group-based exercise solution specifically for aging Veterans. It includes a variety of exercise modalities from tai chi to strength and toning classes and makes use of equipment ranging from treadmills to resistance bands to stability balls.
All Veterans are provided with a personalized program and guidance from trained exercise staff such as physiologists, nurses, and physical therapists.
Gerofit can be found at the following VA Healthcare Systems:
Some programs offer telehealth options for Veterans unable to attend classes on site. You can also connect with the National Outreach Physiologist if you want to participate but do not live close to one of the 21 flagship locations listed above.
The requirements to participate in the Gerofit Veterans exercise program are pretty simple. To be eligible, Veterans must:
Learn more about the history of the VA Gerofit program and check out a few of their home workout videos at the Gerofit resources page.
Managing reverse culture shock starts with understanding it’s causes and knowing what to expect.
Established in 2009, the Virtual Student Federal Service (VSFS) creates internship opportunities and virtual jobs for college students in the U.S. The program leverages students’ digital expertise to help move government work forward.
These are “e” internships, meaning applicants can work from anywhere. And this years’ interns are able to connect with more agencies than ever before.
Mentors and projects come from a variety of governmental agencies such as the National Park Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Transportation, USDA, and State Department. Virtual internship mentors seek skills like videography, writing, research, coding, and web design for their projects.
You can apply for a variety of projects such as creating audio descriptions of National Park locations, researching history of ancestral lands, producing a podcast, editing previously written work, and so much more.
Please note that these U.S. State Department internships along with all other VSFS internships are unpaid and interns do not receive government benefits; however, many who have taken VSFS internships have gone on to secure a full-time job with the government.
To apply, visit www.USAJobs.gov. Mentors review applications in August, conduct interviews, and make their decisions by September. For more information check out the VSFS FAQ page or email VSFS@state.gov.
It has been almost 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks changed the world forever. It was the first major “where were you when?” moment for many of America’s younger adults. It also inspired millions of those young adults to step up and serve our country.
The Mission Continues’ Operation Enduring Service is working to preserve these stories of inspiration for years to come. They want to hear from those who were serving, those who were inspired to serve, and those who continue to be inspired by incredible acts of service over the past 20 years.
This organization is focused on building a movement that empowers veterans to continue their service, and encourages communities to take advantage of veteran talent, skills, and preparedness to create a visible impact. Their programs deploy veteran volunteers to work alongside nonprofit partners and community leaders. These programs serve to improve educational resources, tackle food insecurity, foster neighborhood identity, and more.
Everyone remembers 9/11 in their own way, and The Mission Continues wants to hear your story. If you (or someone you know) is interested in sharing a 9/11 story, simply complete this form and upload a photo or video to showcase what serving others means to you. You’ll be featured in what is slated to be the largest collection of military service stories in the past two decades.
