BE NICE OR BE QUIET!!!

Well, there goes my vacation.  I was planning to take some time off until after the New Year but some people just won't let me rest!!!  This topic was weighing so heavy on my heart that I got the "can't help its" and had to post about it.

You see I belong to several veterans groups on Facebook.  These groups are designed to be a place where veterans can come and get information on claims, learn more about all things related to veterans, as well as a place to find comfort when they are down.  One group has over 300K members and another has over 8K.  While I know that we are all looking at things from our own worldview, at the end of the day, we are all veterans and we are all in need of some type of assistance.  I'm not naive enough to believe that everyone, simply because they are a veteran are going to like other veterans. What I am naive enough to believe is that because we are all veterans, that we would all at least respect one another.

I have been so disappointed by the racist, mean, and just downright ignorant comments that we are putting on someone else's post.  And this is not relegated to one ethnic group either.  I have seen it from all sides.  And the thing is, this is someone else's post and their opinion.  No where in the rulebook of internet etiquette does it give anyone the right to be mean to another person, especially on their own post.  Also, regardless of our political beliefs we are all still human beings and deserving of respect from one another.

I am asking that as we move forward into our new year that we all make a conscious effort to treat one another better.  If there is a post that we don't like then no one is making us comment on it.  Your opinion is not so valuable to the poster that they can't do without it.  Keep Scrolling!!  It's just that simple.  I, nor anyone else should ever have to preface their post by asking someone to not be negative.  It should be understood that because we all felt compelled to serve this great country that we live in that we have at least that one thing in common, and that we should respect one another.

So today, let's do as our parents taught us to do, "If you don't have anything nice to say,then don't say anything"!!

As always, thank you for your support and I wish you a Happy New Year!!

TTYL - Be blessed.

MERRY CHRISTMAS VETERANS & ACTIVE DUTY!!!

Normally, I don't write from Friday - Sunday, but today I just wanted to take a moment to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas.  May you have joy and peace in your lives and may you experience the love of others around you.  For those who are away from your loved ones, or who may feel that you don't have anyone to love you, know that I do.  I love you regardless of the color of your skin, your accent, your size, your wealth, your health, your disability, or anything else someone has told you they hate about you.  I love you even though you may not love me.  You see I love with the Love of God and it knows none of the things that I mentioned above.

For those of you who may be suffering, know that you are not alone.  Know that there are people in this world who truly care about what happens to you.  As I stated in an earlier post I am only an email or comment away.  I will respond to anyone who needs me and be that shoulder you may need to lean on.  With all the negative stuff in our world today I am praying for positivity in your life.

Since I am going to be on break until January 3, 2017, I also want to take a moment to wish you a remarkable New Year, and pray that it is the most fabulous year of your life.

As always, thank you for your support.  I'm looking forward to sharing and growing with you all in 2017!!!

TTYL - Be blessed!!
Sonja M. Baisden

THE CHOICE AIN'T MINE!!! - VA's Choice Program

This is how I feel sometimes when I'm dealing with the VA.  Confused and scratching my head.

I promised myself that I was only going to write positive things because tis the season to be jolly.  Unfortunately, no one told the individuals who work in the VA Choice program, in the Atlanta medical center.

Just as a little back story, I really need to stop telling y’all all of my business, but back in January I sprained my ankle.  I went to emergency and they said it was just a bad sprain, but it still hurts.  I am very cautious with this ankle because back on Christmas Eve 2011, I fractured it in two places.  Even after going to emergency I was still plagued with this excruciating pain in my ankle.  So in July, I went to see podiatry.  He gave me a couple of braces that help when I wear them, but I don’t want to wear braces every day.  I want to wear my 3” heels and make myself believe that my knees aren’t hurting as bad as they are.  Just so you know I had figured out a way to work past the knee pain so that I could still wear my heels but this ankle thing was just a little too much for me.

As always, I do have a tendency to digress but don’t worry I’m back now.  After about 3-weeks of emailing podiatry, and one letter reporting them to the Secretary of the VA I finally got a call back about setting up another appointment.  Because the appointment was in February 2017, I asked if I could have a Choice appointment.  The young lady said of course and told me she had put in the referral and for me to wait at least 8 business days before contacting Choice.  Imagine my surprise when I called after waiting a full two weeks and there was no referral (dripping with sarcasm).  The nice young lady gave me the number to contact the Choice (Non-VA Care) office at the Atlanta VA. 

After three weeks of leaving daily messages and one letter to the Secretary of the VA, they finally called me back.  The sad part is that they took so long to call me that the people from the actual Choice office had already called and set an appointment for me.  The part about the call that really set me off is that the lady who called never apologized for the delay, and had the nerve to try to justify the time that it took for them to call me.  The kicker though was that she told me that if I had any issues to give them a call.  This was so funny to me that I actually laughed on the phone when she said it.  Just so you know I am not normally a rude person but her telling me to call them back if I had any problems, when they were my problem was hilarious to me.  I’m sure she called me a few “choice” words in her head at this point.

In AA they tell you that before you can solve your problem you have to acknowledge that you have a problem.  I’m not in AA by the way but who knows what may happen after I finish this journey I’m on with the VA.  Back to my point – the fact that she never apologized and tried to make excuses lets me know that things are not going to get better.  I hope that you all are receiving better treatment from the individuals at your VA centers.  I would love to hear about your experiences, positive or negative.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.

VA BURN PIT REGISTRY!!! Enroll Today!!

I don't know how many of you have ever heard of the Burn Pit Registry, but if you haven't I encourage you to enroll TODAY!!.  This can help you in your ability to document the different types of illnesses and issues that you have because of burn pits.  I am copying the article for you to read through.  Please, please, please, if you have had any experience with burn pits register.  Veterans and Servicemembers who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations after August 2, 1990, or in Afghanistan or Djibouti, Africa, after September 11, 2001 are eligible to participate in the registry.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL - Be blessed.

Nearly 100,000 Vets Enrolled in Burn Pit Registry

By Stephanie Green Eber, Health Science Specialist Post Deployment Health Services

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Join VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry

VA launched the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry in June 2014 to better understand the long-term health effects of exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards during deployment. The number of new participants in this registry is climbing steadily, and will soon reach the milestone of 100,000 participants. As of December 9, 2016, the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry includes 95,593 Veterans and Service members.  An estimated 3 million Veterans and Service members are eligible to join the registry.

“The benefit of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry for participants is that they can document their exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards in an online questionnaire and print a copy of their questionnaire to discuss with their health care provider. Also, Veterans can get a free medical evaluation from VA.” said Michael Montopoli, MD, MPH, Director of the Post-9/11 Era Environmental Health Program in VA’s Office of Patient Care Services. 

“The registry will help VA provide the right health care services for Veterans in the future.”

Veterans and Servicemembers who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations after August 2, 1990, or in Afghanistan or Djibouti, Africa, after September 11, 2001 are eligible to participate in the registry.  Participants complete a survey which asks where the Veteran or Servicemember lives, what type of work they do, and their exposures, health care use, and hobbies. The survey takes about 40 minutes to complete.

Many Veterans have reported concerns about their respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic health, along with concerns about cancer. VA would like to learn more about the experiences of those who served.

“The registry informs VA and DoD about the health concerns, exposures, and health outcomes of Veterans and Servicemembers,” said Montopoli.  “The registry will help VA provide the right health care services for Veterans in the future.”

Are you a Veteran or Servicemember who would like to join the growing number of participants in the burn pit registry?  Go to  
https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/.  Additional information about the registry is available at  http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp.

COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT!! Show Me The Money.

So I got this email about 10-minutes ago and I was so happy to find out that I was going to get a raise in my monthly disability payment.  I'm only at 10% so I knew no matter what the amount was it wasn't going to be that big for me.  But imagine my disappointment when I found that it was only going to be .3%.  The letter is below, but I wanted to point out a couple of things that I thought was really funny.

The cost of living adjustment is supposed to help with our "purchasing power".  I'm not sure about you but for me .3% is not going to do anything to help me make any major, or even really small purchases in my life.  Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for all that I receive but I find it hard to believe that COLA has only increased .3%.  I know my bills have increased WAAYYY more than that. :-).

Anyway, I just wanted to share this information with you and I know many of you have already received this.  What do you think about the raise?

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL - Be blessed!!

Information about your VA benefits

Dear VA Beneficiary:

If you or someone you know is in receipt of benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you may see an increase in benefits in 2017. A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has been made to these benefits to ensure the purchasing power is not eroded by inflation. The COLA to VA’s disability rates is the same percentage as for Social Security as required by Public Law 114-197.

For 2016, it was determined there was a 0.3% increase in the inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index. Therefore, the COLA for 2017 is 0.3%. The adjustment to your benefits will occur in December and will be distributed on Friday, December 30, 2016. You may view your VA payments on eBenefits.

We encourage you to share this email with a friend. We have provided additional information on the adjustment below:

VA Compensation Benefit Rate Tables – rate for the following benefit types:

•     Veterans Compensation Benefits
•     Special Monthly Compensation
•     Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
•     Parents DIC
•     Automobile Allowance, Clothing Allowance and Medal of Honor
•     Birth Defects

VA Veterans Pension Rate Table

VA Survivors Pension Rate Table

Sincerely,

Veterans Benefits Administration

DON'T GET CAUGHT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE VA COOKIE JAR!!

I was so angry when I read the story shown below.  As hard as we veterans work to get our benefits, whether it be disability, medical, or educational, it really burns me when I see someone taking advantage of this.  I pray that none of you reading this was a victim of this scam.  The sad part is she stole over $4.5 million in funds and the max she can do is 5-years.  I’m curious as to whether or not the veterans affected by this will be able to get additional benefits.  If you, or someone you know was a part of this scam I would love to hear feedback from you on how the VA handled it and whether you’ll receive additional benefits.

Also, this is a lesson for us to always check a school out thoroughly before giving them our funds.  In the industry I work in now I see this all the time and I always tell participants to check out their schools.  Don’t be afraid to visit the school, shadow a couple of classes, and talk with other students.  I’m a lifelong learner so it’s important to me that I get the most bang for my bucks.   Please, please, please do your homework before signing up for any schools.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.

Owner of Chesapeake Barber College Pleads Guilty to $4.5 Million GI Bill Fraud

NORFOLK, Va. – Katherine Grobes, 45, of Chesapeake, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Grobes owns the College of Beauty and Barber Culture (CBBC), located in Chesapeake. CBBC was purportedly a barber and cosmetology school approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide education and training to military veterans, including veterans who received tuition assistance under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Grobes represented to the VA that CBBC provided full-time schooling to hundreds of veteran students beginning in October 2011. In reality, the school was a sham. Most veterans enrolled in CBBC courses received few, if any, hours of instruction from CBBC employees, and there were no tests, exams, or practical exercises given. Rather, students were directed to simply sign in and out of the school each day so that Grobes could report to the VA that they were enrolled and attending.  In exchange, CBBC received Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments for each veteran from the VA.  Based on Grobes’ provision of false information to the VA concerning the number of hours of instruction and the manner and quality of the instruction provided to veteran students, CBBC received over $4.5 million in Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments between October 2011 and September 2016. Grobes owns CBBC along with her husband, William Grobes, who pleaded guilty on November 30, to charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

Grobes was charged by criminal information on December 2, and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison when sentenced on March 10, 2017. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael J. Missal, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Andrew L. Traver, Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); and Thomas Holloman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty is prosecuting the case.

VA DISABILITY & SSDI - It's Possible to Have the Best of Both Worlds!!!

I have had many veterans who are unaware that they can collect VA disability benefits, as well as their SSDI benefits.  I did a bit of research and here is what I found.  I am also attaching a link to their website so that you can get further info on your own, as well as access to any forms that you will need.  If you have any questions or comments please post them.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/the-va-and-disability.html#

“Disabled veterans can collect Social Security disability benefits and veterans disability benefits at the same time, so disabled vets will usually find themselves dealing with the Social Security Administration (SSA) at one point or another. Many vets may end up very surprised when they learn how different the two systems are. In this article, we'll discuss the principal aspects of the Social Security system as well as the differences that exist between the two systems. 

How Does Social Security Disability Work?

A person applies for disability benefits at a Social Security office or online, and receives an initial decision within three to four months. (Veterans with service-connected disabilities can have their cases expedited by asking Social Security to file a form called I-2-1-95. Exhibit – Critical Request Evaluation Sheet.) 

The claimant's file is then assigned to a disability examiner, a specialist who will gather the claimant's medical records and, then, in consultation with a physician and/or a psychologist who is assigned to the examiner's unit, make an approval decision or denial decision. Unfortunately, the decision that is made is often a denial. If the claim is approved, the claimant is considered 100% disabled, and will be paid either SSDI benefits based on their prior wages or SSI benefits based on the amount of income they have (only those with low income and low assets qualify for SSI).

If the claim is denied, the claimant may follow the disability appeal process and get a reconsideration review. Then, after a very long wait, the claimant can get a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ). It can take an extremely long time to have a hearing date set. Depending on which part of the country the claimant resides in, and how backlogged the local hearing office is, it may take a year or longer to have a hearing date set. Asking Social Security to expedite your case for a service-connected disability can help.

How Is the Social Security Disability System Different From the VA System?

Primarily, the SSA system is different from the VA system in that there are no percentages of disability. While the veterans disability system allows the VA to conclude that a vet is 10% or 40% or 100% disabled and then receive benefits based on that determination, in the Social Security system, it is all or nothing. In addition, the definition of disability used by the Social Security system stipulates that your condition must last or be expected to last for at least one year or to result in death. For more information, see Attorney Joel Ban's article on the differences between Social Security and Veterans disability benefits.

Medical Records and Social Security 

If your primary source of treatment is a VA medical center, don't assume that the Social Security disability examiner who is assigned to your case will be successful in obtaining your VA medical records. The VA is notorious in some areas for not supplying needed medical records to the Social Security Administration (SSA). For this reason, it's never a bad idea for vets to personally obtain their medical records themselves so they may turn these records in to the SSA when they apply for disability or file an appeal. One word of caution, though: never submit anything to Social Security without making a copy first, since the SSA is fairly notorious for losing things that have been submitted. Learn more about the medical evidence required by Social Security.

What About the Role of Attorneys?

In the Social Security system, an attorney works off a contingency-fee basis from the moment they represent a claimant. In other words, if they win the case, they get paid up to 25% of whatever backpay that SSA decides it owes the claimant. The corollary of this, of course, is that the attorney receives nothing if the case is not won. 

Is an attorney always needed in a Social Security disability case? No, there are some outstanding disability representatives who are not attorneys and are referred to as "non-attorney representatives" (some of these non-attorney reps are former Social Security employees who put their experience to use representing disabled individuals). (Read our article on disability attorneys vs. representatives.)

The rule of thumb for getting an attorney (or non-attorney rep) is usually this. If you get denied on your initial claim, you should probably get an attorney, because you can appeal for a hearing in front of a judge, and it will help to have an experienced representative at your side during the hearing. Find out more about how legal representation works in Social Security cases, or use our attorney locator to find a local disability attorney.”

VA WATCHDOG!! America's Leading Resource For Military Veterans News & Benefits Information

If you are anything like me you are constantly looking for anything veteran related.  For me, even though I am working on my claims, I also want to know about the other things that affect me as a veteran.  Sometimes there are laws that are changed or there are changes in leadership that affect the way the Veterans Administration office works. 

In order to stay abreast of the news I do a lot of searching on the internet.  The other day I was searching for an independent doctor, in the Atlanta area, to do an exam for me and fillout my DBQ.  I haven't located one so if any of you know of one please let me know.  So anywhoo, I came across this really great site.  Not only did it have excellent information on the importance of getting an outside opinion, but there is also information on just about everything you can think of that has to do with a veteran.

Because I don't like to use any information without permission, I reached out to Jim Strickland, the owner of the site and he gave me a brief history of the site:

"The VAWatchdog site was originally designed, built and published by Larry Scott some eleven years ago. I began working with Larry as an advocate in 2008. Larry passed away about 4 years ago and I inherited the site. 

So for over a decade, we've provided credible information to help America's military veterans navigate the onerous VA benefits system. We offer headline aggregation for all things VA as well as being a source of referral to veterans law attorneys, physicians and psychologists who are in tune with the needs of today's vet.

There is no fee for anything available on the site. There is no membership and no registration necessary. We don't ever ask for donations. In fact, you can't find a way to give us money. When I travel to speak, I pay my own way. We're independent like that."

https://www.vawatchdog.org

I urge anyone who has any questions regarding the benefits system to visit this site.  You can use the above link. As you can see, Jim does everything from the kindness of his heart.  As he says, "You can't find a way to give us money".  He also provides great information on national news that affects veterans as well.  As we go forward I am going to share more from his site but I encourage each of you to visit it for yourselves.  Jim is very responsive to your emails and questions, and in fact, he answered me right back when I reached out to him.

One of the reasons that I started this blog was because as I found out things I wanted to share with others.  I believe if we all work together and assist one another that we can make a difference in the lives of other veterans who don't have the same access to information that we do.

As always, thank you for your support.  If there is anything that you would like for me to find out more information on please leave me a comment.

TTYL - Be blessed!!

WAYPOINT GRIFFIN - A Sanctuary for Veterans

Hello, hello, hello.  Welcome back.  I pray that you all had a great and productive weekend.  Today, I want to share information with you about an organization that is near and dear to my heart.  This organization is headed by someone who truly knows what it is to have to work hard to get the things that you deserve as a veteran.  She works tirelessly helping other veterans, not just with their claims, but also with housing and job placement. 

In her own words:

“CEO of Waypoint Griffin, Sandra Brownlee (MSG- Retired), ‘What we know is that the difficulties many veterans face upon returning home from war do not stem entirely from the trauma they’ve suffered, but also from the individualist societies they must reintegrate into. Through Waypoint – Griffin, we are facilitating community for our warriors’ who have returned home’.”

I had the pleasure of meeting with her on Friday, and believe me I was not disappointed.  Her passion for helping veterans came through every word she spoke.  This passion was not only in her, but in her entire staff as well.  They all do what they do without receiving one dime for themselves.  All monies raised are used to help veterans.

And instead of resting on her laurels, Ms. Brownlee and her staff are already looking to the future and how they can be of even greater assistance.  She envisions a “one-stop” shop where veterans can live, receive career advisement, and job placement services all under one roof.  In their current facility they offer one-on-one claims and benefit filing assistance.  They go through your paperwork with a fine-tooth comb, ensuring that you have all the information needed to file a successful claim.  And again, these services are free to all veterans who are in need.  If you are just a bit “computer illiterate” they will help you with that as well.

Currently located in Griffin, GA, the goal of Waypoint is to expand their services throughout the State of Georgia.  And even though you may not be in the state or close to Griffin they are still willing to assist you.  Below is a card with Ms. Brownlee’s information and a link to their Facebook site.  I encourage any of you who will be transitioning soon or have already transitioned and are in need of assistance to reach out to them.  I promise you won’t be disappointed in the level of service that you receive from any member of the Waypoint staff.

https://www.facebook.com/veteransanctuarycity/

I want to personally thank Ms. Brownlee for adding actions to her vision and providing a much needed service to veterans.  Ms. Brownlee, I salute you!!

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.

HIREPATRIOTS!! Solving Veteran Unemployment Nationwide

As promised, this week I will be sharing information to help those of you who are need of assistance in various areas of your lives.  I found this particular organization on LinkedIn and after reading about their mission I couldn’t help but reach out to them.  I am urging you, if you are in need of their services or know of someone who might be that you share their information.  I truly believe that Mark, and his beautiful wife Tori do what they do because they really care about you and want to make a difference.

I thought of what I could say to tell you just what it is they do but who better to tell the story than those who are living it everyday.  Below is a newsletter that Mark recently published highlighting just who and what HirePatriots is about.

Enjoy and I pray that it does you some good.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL- Be blessed.

Hello HirePatriots Friends:

Many people wonder what exactly we do every day at HirePatriots. They also ask what their donations provide? These are very important questions for me to answer. Here is my comprehensive reply: Please send me your comments.

Please give us your feedback on our new HirePatriots.com web design. Do you see any changes or improvements that your would like us to make? Let us know: https://hirepatriots.com /

Assisting US Veterans: This is our primary job. Every day we are in contact for many hours with US veterans and their spouses that need counseling, advice, jobs, encouragement; or, who want to start or build a business (my specialty.)

Creating Veteran Owned Businesses: In order to further duplicate our efforts to employ US veterans, we created a business-in-a-box for veteran entrepreneurs 2 years ago. It has had sensational results! It is called US Military Maintenance. (I have four decades of experience in building residential and commercial maintenance businesses.) Our USMM owners who have reached their 18^th month mark are earning in excess of $500,000 a year. But more importantly, they are employing dozens of US veterans, and paying them a good and livable wage. We have 27 USMM businesses up and running so far. Our goal is to create 1000 USMM businesses and to collectively employ 100,000 US veterans. See our locations across America by going to http://usmilitarymaintenanc e.com/.

One Day Jobs: Our One Day job board is healthy and well. We have seen an increase in the recent months in job postings. But we still need many times more job postings. Every day myriads of active duty military and transitioned veterans come to HirePatriots.com’s One Day Job Board looking for extra income. Here is a link to PEOPLE Magazine’s feature about this unique job board: Click HERE. And read comments made by our job board users HERE.

One way that you can help is to print and pass-out some of our posters at your church, club, business, etc. Click HERE to see a selection of HirePatriots posters. 

Marketing for Military Friendly Businesses:  If you own a business, we will build a customized HirePatriots job board for your company so that you can spread the word and have people come to your website to post and find jobs for veterans. Over 200 businesses in 37 states have done so thus far.  All of our posters can be customize to promote your business' support of our program. Plus, we will even build you your own HirePatriots.com website and job board for your business. 

Our Careers Job Board: HirePatriots also leases the very best job board software available to serve the companies that post on our job board. Fantastic new updates have just been installed. For instance, for each full-time job posted, companies receive a minimum of 5 matching resumes from our vast database. Post on the HirePatriots Careers Job Board HERE.

Blogging: The most popular part of the HirePatriots.com website are the articles that I post concerning veteran and national issues. Over 300,000 people a year read those blog posts. The national media picks a few each year and publishes them, or has us in for a live interview. These opportunities give us a chance to advocate for US veterans and their families. It also drives thousands of veterans to contact us each year and ask for assistance.

Job Fairs: HirePatriots has been holding job fairs on US military bases for over a dozen years. We are able to turn these into "Hiring Events" especially for your company too. Our most recent job fair was held at Camp Pendleton Marine Base in San Diego (This base has 75,000 personnel, and  transitions 900 US Marines every month back into our civilian world.) Companies received an 8ft. table, table clothes, chairs, a catered lunch, soft drinks, coffee, and a blog post and banner on the HirePatriots.com homepage. We paid for the base to advertise our event: We promoted our job fair on their electronic signage, and posted 300 color posters around the base. – It costs a lot to put on this event. And it takes hundreds of hours of work to pull together. But so many veterans have contacted us over the years to tell us how important our events are in getting them started in life that our military base job fairs are worth every cent we spend!  Our US military are very grateful for HirePatriots bringing together veteran friendly businesses for them to meet and with which to begin a career. 

Marriage Retreats: Unfortunately, the military life is tough on marriages and families. There are long deployments away from home, and frequent moves to other parts of the country. And until you make Master Sergeant or its equivalent, there is not much money either. Most of our enlisted families suffer a lot of deprivation. Many receive gov’t subsidized bread and cheese to keep their families fed. These hardships and more make it very difficult for young marriages and families to survive.

HirePatriots rents suites at hotels with romantic views for our 3-day military marriage retreats. These are small peer groups of less than 12 couples. We get a lot of volunteers to help us with these and they are always fantastic events that our couples will always cherish. -- We are able to put on these extremely critical 3-day retreats with great meals, gifts, counseling and workbooks only with donations received from you. 

Extra Stuff: To make more veterans and companies aware of our outstanding recruiting and marketing services, we employ and work with an SEO company on a full-time basis. We must employ a full-time webmaster too. We have many websites all-across the nation that are serving local communities. Stephen Geronimo, our webmaster, has spent many months rebuilding HirePatriots.com and its 2500 pages. He has transferred everything over to a template on WordPress that is more compatible with mobile phones. To secure and to keep so many websites running we also lease our own Cloud server.

How Does HirePatriots Keep Going?

Last year, by helping companies to hire the right veterans for their needs; and by writing blogs; and by marketing and social networking for businesses, Patriotic Hearts was able to raise $80,000 for Patriotic Hearts, (our 501c3 NPO). Another $10,000 was received through donations made by citizens like you. Our budget for 2017 is $100,000. Please continue to help us provide our vital services to our deserving US military, veterans, and their families. 

LET ME LOVE YOU!!!

Say, go through the darkest of days
Heaven's a heartbreak away
Never let you go, never let me down
Oh, it's been a hell of a ride
Driving the edge of a knife
Never let you go, never let me down

Don't you give up, nah-nah-nah
I won't give up, nah-nah-nah
Let me love you
Let me love you

The lyrics above come from a Justin Beiber song, titled “Let Me Love You”.  During this season of Joy and love this is exactly what I’m asking you to let me and others do.  So many are going through such turmoil and they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from, let alone where they are going to lay their heads.

As I read some of the posts in a couple of the Facebook Veterans groups that I belong to I cry inside every time I read those that seem to come from a place of hopelessness.  During this season of giving I want to do as much as I can to ensure that my blog posts help those who are most in need.  So this week I am looking to share different local resources for veterans who find themselves without. 

Because I live in the Atlanta area I will share those first.  If any of you know of an organization in your area that is doing great things to help vets please let me know and I will reach out to them.  I am actually calling and doing interviews with the Directors of these organizations to see exactly what it is they are doing and how it can be of benefit to you.

The first organization I would like to share information with you about is the Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency.  Their contact information is:

           

100 Edgewood Avenue

Suite 700

Atlanta, GA 30303

info@atlantacss.org

www.atlantacss.org

404.874.8001

They offer workforce development through partnerships with employers and colleges, if you require additional training services.  They also offer emergency housing and assistance with eventually purchasing your own home.   There are a lot more services that are available.  I advise you to visit their website.

As a disclaimer, just as the lyrics say “let me love you”, you have to take advantage of the services that are offered.  I cannot make you do anything.  All I can do is provide the information. So today, “Let Someone Love You”.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.

VETERANS' AID & ATTENDANCE PROGRAM

Today, I want to continue to share information on benefits that are not as well known as others.  The Aid & Attendance and Housebound benefits allow for extra pay, in addition to your normal pension payouts.  Today’s post is for those who are 65 or older and meet the eligibility requirements listed below.  If you know of anyone who meets the eligibility criteria please share this post with them or their caregiver.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.

Eligibility

Generally, a Veteran must have at least 90 days of active duty service, with at least one day during a wartime period to qualify for a VA Pension. If you entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally you must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least one day during a wartime period.

In addition to meeting minimum service requirements, the Veteran must be:

·         Age 65 or older, OR

·         Totally and permanently disabled, OR

·         A patient in a nursing home receiving skilled nursing care, OR

·         Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, OR

·         Receiving Supplemental Security Income

Your yearly family income must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify for the Veterans Pension benefit. Learn more about income and net worth limitation (http://www.benefits.va.gov/PENSION/pencalc.asp), and see an example of how VA calculates the VA Pension benefit.

Aid & Attendance and Housebound

Veterans and survivors who are eligible for a VA pension and require the aid and attendance of another person, or are housebound, may be eligible for additional monetary payment. These benefits are paid in addition to monthly pension, and they are not paid without eligibility to Pension.

Since Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowances increase the pension amount, people who are not eligible for a basic pension due to excessive income may be eligible for pension at these increased rates. A Veteran or surviving spouse may not receive Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits at the same time.

 Aid & Attendance (A&A)

The Aid & Attendance (A&A) increased monthly pension amount may be added to your monthly pension amount if you meet one of the following conditions:

·         You require the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting yourself from the hazards of your daily environment

·         You are bedridden, in that your disability or disabilities requires that you remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment

·         You are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity

·         Your eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less

Housebound

This increased monthly pension amount may be added to your monthly pension amount when you are substantially confined to your immediate premises because of permanent disability.

How to Apply

You may apply for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits by writing to the Pension Management Center (PMC) that serves your state (http://www.benefits.va.gov/PENSION/resources-contact.asp). You may also visit your local regional benefit office to file your request.

You should include copies of any evidence, preferably a report from an attending physician validating the need for Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.

·         The report should be in sufficient detail to determine whether there is disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment, loss of coordination, or conditions affecting the ability to dress and undress, to feed oneself, to attend to sanitary needs, and to keep oneself ordinarily clean and presentable.

·         Whether the claim is for Aid and Attendance or Housebound, the report should indicate how well the applicant gets around, where the applicant goes, and what he or she is able to do during a typical day. In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the claimant is confined to the home or immediate premises.