VA Announces New Grants To Help End Veteran Homelessness
Initiative Targets 45,000 Homeless and At-Risk Vets and Families in
High Need Communities
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan,Chaplain
American
Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 Pittsfield
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald today announced the
award of nearly $93 million in Supportive Services for Veteran
Families (SSVF) 3-year grants that will help approximately 45,000
homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families. The grants will be
distributed to 24 non-profit agencies in 15 communities, with $30
million in awards being distributed to the Los Angeles area.
“The
Department of Veterans Affairs is committed to using evidence-based
approaches such as SSVF to prevent homelessness and produce
successful outcomes for Veterans and their families,” said Secretary
McDonald. “This is a program that works, because it allows VA staff
and local homeless service providers to work together to effectively
address the unique challenges that make it difficult for some
Veterans and their families to remain stably housed.”
Under
the SSVF program, VA is awarding grants to private, non-profit
organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide services to
very low-income Veteran families living in – or transitioning to –
permanent housing. The grants announced today will provide
additional resources to the fourth year operations of the SSVF
program.
“With
the addition of these crucial resources, communities across the
country continue an historic drive to prevent and end homelessness
among Veterans,” said Matthew Doherty, Acting Executive Director of
the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “The SSVF program
gives Veterans and their families the rapid assistance they need to
remain in permanent housing or get back into permanent housing as
quickly as possible.”
Through
the homeless Veterans initiative, VA committed more than $1 billion
in FY 2014 to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness
among Veterans. VA provides a range of services to homeless
Veterans, including health care, housing, job training and
education.
More
information about VA’s homeless programs is available at
www.va.gov/homeless. Details about the SSVF program are online
at
www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp.
Letter
To The Editor
THANK
YOU to all the Pittsfield residents who voted for my re-election as
Town Clerk/Tax Collector. It is a position I do not take lightly
nor for granted, and I appreciate your vote of confidence.
Erica
B. Anthony
Pittsfield Town Clerk/Tax Collector
VA
Makes Gains In Faster Disability Claims Processing
Backlog
Reduced 67 Percent Under New Automation and Process Improvements
Submitted Via Merrill Vaughan,Chaplain
American Legion Peterson-Cram Post 75 Pittsfield
The
federal initiative to provide timely decisions on disability
payments to Veterans has crossed a major milestone in its final
sprint to eliminate the backlog of Veterans’ benefits claims.
The
major transformation effort to apply new technology and process
solutions has paid off at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
It reduced its inventory of backlogged claims from a high of
611,000 claims in March of 2013 to fewer than 200,000 this week,
while at the same time improving decision quality.
“Make
no mistake, we’re not slowing down short of the finish line,” said
Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey. “Our goal is to
eliminate the claims backlog by the end of 2015 – meaning all
Veterans will receive timely and accurate decisions on their
disability claims.”
Hickey
credited a combination of factors for the 67-percent drop in
backlog: first, the extra hours of work put in by dedicated benefits
claims processors across the nation, who have worked evenings,
Saturdays and Sundays to drive the backlog down; as well as
procedural efficiencies backed by powerful automation tools and
paperless claims processing. In addition, she cited the
transformation of Veterans Benefits Administration’s training and
quality assurance programs resulting in steady increases in the
accuracy of decisions.
Just a
few years ago, claims processors handled 5,000 tons of paper
annually, an amount equivalent to 200 Empire State Buildings. In
less than two years, VA converted claims processing to a 21 st
Century digital environment where claims for VA benefits and
services can be submitted and processed, and benefits delivered,
online.
Veterans increasingly are filing claims electronically from the
start at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov. Veterans can submit their applications online, upload their
supporting documentation, and check the status of their claim
through a multi-channel Web portal boasting nearly 60 self-service
features.
Pittsfield Senior Center News
The
Pittsfield Area Senior Center is hosting a Concord Regional Visiting
Nurses Association program called, “Healthy Eating on a Budget” on
Tuesday, April 14, at 10:00 AM. With the continuing rising prices
of food, it has become more difficult to eat a healthy meal on a
budget. This program is designed to give ideas and hints on how to
continue eating healthy without hurting your finances. Please RSVP
by Friday, April 9, 2015 if planning on attending to prevent the
cancellation of the program. The phone number to call is 435-8482.
The
Pittsfield Senior Center invites you to join us for a live music
performance by Bill Parker on Tuesday, April 21, at 10:30 AM. He
sings a wide variety of music from the Great American songbook while
playing the keyboard and harmonica. Come, enjoy the free concert
and stay for lunch. If planning on staying for lunch please call
435-8482 to RSVP so the meal can be planned accordingly.
The PES
kindness club collected items for “Families in Transitions,” an
agency which supports homeless families. Over two hundred items were
collected! Nice Job! The students are in the process of planning
their next project around Earth Day.” They have also been busy
reading stories of kindness to the younger grades.
Pittsfield Hanging Flower Baskets
Submitted By Donna Keeley
Spring
has finally sprung and I can bet most of you reading this are
rejoicing like I am!
Pretty
soon the bird songs and peepers peeps will circle around us like
whispers of cotton clouds and Winter will become a distant blur...
Trees
will bud and flowers will bloom... Oh and speaking of flowers...
The
Pittsfield Hanging Flower Baskets will once again be gracing our
downtown streets. In late Spring, dedicated volunteers will plant
and hang 40 baskets stuffed full of the finest Pleasantview Gardens
Proven Winners!
This
annual 100% volunteer effort and “labor of Flower Power LOVE” would
not happen without the generosity of you, our friends and neighbors!
We
greatly appreciate and accept donations to help cover the cost of
the flowers, soil, liners, fertilizer and upkeep of the infamous
traveling watering mobile! We welcome volunteers for watering duty
too!
We were
awarded a 2015 Sanderson Grant and just received this year’s first
donation! Every cent matters...
Your
Donation can be sent to:
Pittsfield Hanging Flower Basket Fund
C/O
Donna Keeley
256
True Road
Pittsfield, NH 03263
Thank
you and Happy SPRING!
Rise
Again Outreach 7th Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser
Rise
Again Outreach, a local non-profit, faith-based charitable
organization serving Central New Hampshire, will hold its 7th Annual
Silent Auction Fundraiser from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, April
11, 2015, at New Beginnings Church of the Nazarene on 33 Staniels
Road in Loudon. More than 100 items donated from businesses all over
New Hampshire and beyond will be up for auction.
Some of
the great items include airline tickets, Disney World tickets,
theater shows, date nights and getaways, golf outings, family
camping, white water rafting trips, automotive care packages,
autographed sports memorabilia, sports venues, museums, family
entertainment, fine dining and so much more! You won’t want to miss
out on some great deals while supporting a worthwhile local charity.
Rise
Again Outreach, with its three mobile clothing pantry buses and many
programs, helps meet the needs of low income families, homeless,
refugees and others in crisis situations throughout central New
Hampshire. With its many volunteers, the organization has assisted
thousands of New Hampshire families and individuals who need a
helping hand in today’s tough economic climate.
We need
your help to continue this vital outreach. Contact Bob Pease via
email at [email protected] for
information about donating auction items. More importantly, support
Rise Again Outreach by coming to the event and placing your bid on
some great items. There are always some great deals and it’s all for
a great cause – supporting our neighbors in the community and
helping to make New Hampshire a better place for everyone!
There
is no cost for attending the auction. Only cash and personal checks
can be accepted for auction items. Come join us for a great time for
an even greater cause!
About
Rise Again Outreach
Rise
Again Outreach was created in July 2007 by several individuals in
the Greater Concord community. Our mission is to share God’s love
with people who are in poverty or crisis by helping to meet their
temporal and spiritual needs. Programs of Rise Again Outreach are
available to all who are in need, regardless of race, ethnicity,
gender, sexual orientation or religious affiliation. For more
information, please visit our website at
www.riseagainoutreach.org.
Globe
Introduces Evolution Of Most Advanced Turnout Gear And Supports
Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund At FDIC International 2015
Manufacturer Invites You to “Get Your Game On” and Will Make
Donation in Your Name
Globe
Manufacturing Company will introduce the evolution of Athletic Gear
for Firefighters at the Fire Department Instructors Conference
(FDIC) this month. The new G-XTREME® 3.0 is completely retailored
from collar to cuff to provide unrestricted mobility for even the
most athletic firefighter. With all the features that made the
original breakthrough design America’s most popular gear, including
Globe’s exclusive AXTION® Back, Sleeve, Seat, and Knee, firefighters
will instantly feel how these improvements let them make all the
right moves. And like the original, G-XTREME® 3.0 comes in SHAPES to
fit the body better.
The
nation’s largest training conference and exhibition is being held
April 20-25 at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in
Indianapolis. Globe’s booth (#2208) is located in Hall D at the
Indiana Convention Center.
At
FDIC, Globe will demonstrate GORE® PARALLON™, a new liner system
that reduces heat stress in a wide range of environments and
improves thermal protection when wet, as well as the PBI®
Lightweight Gold™ System, which is lighter and more flexible without
compromising protection and durability. The new G-XTREME® 3.0 will
be unveiled with both of these component systems.
Globe
will continue its partnership with the Terry Farrell Firefighters
Fund at the Globe booth. Firefighters can try the new gear for
themselves on the Virtual Firefighter Athletic Circuit and Globe
will make a donation to the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund in their
name.
Terry
Farrell was a father, a husband, a brother, and a dedicated
firefighter who lost his life on September 11, 2001, during the
World Trade Center attack. Among the 343 heroes who died that day,
he was in Tower Two when it collapsed. A decorated member of Rescue
4/FDNY and chief of the Dix Hills Volunteer Fire Department, Terry
was a devoted firefighter who embodied the spirit of courage and
giving. The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund was established in his
memory to assist firefighters and families across the nation with
financial, educational and medical support, and to provide equipment
donations for fire departments in need.
“At
Globe, our passion is not just firefighter protection and safety,
but also innovation and research to help reduce serious injury and
line of duty deaths,” said Rob Freese, senior vice president of
marketing at Globe Manufacturing Company. “Our approach to evolving
the world’s most advanced and most popular gear was to ask
firefighters what they liked about it, what they didn’t like about
it, and what they would change. Not only do we design our gear with
this ‘Voice of the Customer’ approach, but we also partner with
suppliers who innovate with these same principles in mind.”
Also at
FDIC, Globe will sponsor the International Networking Event and
International Lounge and invites all of its partners who keep first
responders safe all over the world to take advantage of these new
resources this year.
About
Globe
Firefighters need to be prepared to perform at the maximum of their
ability, on every call. That’s why Globe delivers the most advanced,
best-fitting, and longest lasting protection by listening to our
customers, creating breakthrough designs, and applying the
engineering skills of the nation’s most trusted turnout gear
manufacturer. Globe turnout gear is designed to protect you, move
with you, and improve your performance. It’s athletic gear for
firefighters. Learn more at
www.globeturnoutgear.com.
About
the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund
The
Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund is made of up firefighters and
family members who volunteer their time and energy to help fellow
brothers, sisters and departments in need. The fund operates
annually on a budget of 1-3% and sustains itself through fundraising
and the donations of individuals, fire departments and corporate
sponsors. Contributions to the fund are tax deductible. National
chapters are in Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
Texas. Learn more at www.terryfund.org.
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