Carson City Vet Council discusses changes at meeting

Members of the Carson City Veterans Community Council (CCVCC) met Wednesday afternoon to discuss changes within existing member organizations, as well as to welcome new members onto the council.

Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell and City Manager Nick Marano, both veterans, attended Wednesday's meeting and highlighted changes to the city's new, improved web site scheduled to go public by the end of May.

"We're getting ready to roll out an entirely new city web site that looks way more modern and is more user friendly," Marano said. "More important to this group will be a link to the CCVCC web page."

CCVCC Chair Frank Reynolds of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 388 said the link from the city's site to the CCVCC web page has been envisioned to be a launching pad for veterans to gain instant access to information and resources that may be helpful to them.

He said the new city web site also has exciting changes in store for CCVCC.

"The new site is very colorful and very modern," he said.

CCVCC Co-Chair Holly Best, employment coordinator for Work for Warriors employment program through the Nevada National Guard, said a Facebook page has been created for the council to make communication and coordination easier between council members, service organizations and veterans in the community.

She said a link on the CCVCC web page to its Facebook page will also be added in the coming days.

Work For Warriors is currently involved in an effort to secure regular federal funding from the budget, replacing its current earmark funding, said Nevada Army National Guard Cpt. Raquel Acosta.

"The Work for Warriors program is currently at earmark, and we are trying to get that converted to a line item in the federal budget, so we don't have to work within an earmark cap," she said.

"We're really a one stop shop for veterans and veterans services," Acosta said of the Work for Warriors progam. "We have a lot of veterans who are homeless and do not qualify for benefits."

Fellow soldier and Nevada Army National Guardsman, Sgt. Cate Summers, also reminded the council of the annual Suicide Awareness Run/Walk this weekend in Carson City.

The event, organized through the Western Nevada College Veterans Resource Center, is meant to create awareness of the problem of suicide particularly amongst American service veterans, and educate people on how to recognize the warning signs that could prevent a suicide from occurring.

"Please come out and support that event," Summers urged council members.

Ryan Rogers, director of the Veterans Resource Center of America in Carson City, said his organization is working hard to secure more housing for local veterans in need.

He said there is currently one Nevada Housing Division project geared toward veterans on Jeannell Drive. However, this community already has seven units reserved for federal HUD (Housing and Urban Development) applicants.

"All of the (VA) vouchers have been approved for existing housing through the Nevada Division of Housing," he said. "We also want to establish an affordable supportive housing community for veterans."

Rogers said he hopes to do what has been done in Washoe and Clark counties by helping to create a veterans-only affordable housing community in the Carson City area that would be exclusive to veterans and their families.

He said currently there are no such communities outside of the urban counties.

Cathy Steed of the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division encouraged disabled service veterans to take advantage of existing federal Medicaid Waiver programs and the support services they offer to those with medical needs.

She also said the senior rebate program is returning this year, and will provide a one-time rebate to qualified applicants. This rebate can provide property tax relief up to $500, she said.

Ana Gregg, Workforce Development Manager with Carson City Health and Human Services, said the city's employment services program is helping the area's job outlook by providing bi-weekly hiring events in the CCHHS conference rooms.

She said employers are hiring on the spot at these events. Employers who wish to hold a hiring event at the CCHHS building are encouraged to contact Gregg for coordination and details.

The next hiring event is scheduled for May 18 from 10 a.m. to noon, Gregg said.

Johnny Larkins, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAVE Protect Foundation, reported to the council that his organization continues to do charitable work on needy people in the community, including American service veterans and their families in Northern Nevada.

Larkins' organization was new to the council in March, and one initiative focus of SAVE Protect, called "Take Care of Our Own," places an emphasis on food and clothing drives for disabled service veterans, providing for their basic needs.

"Disabled veterans are the focus of most of our food drives," the foundation's web site said. "We provide food, clothing, and basic needs to amazing war heroes, who have sacrificed their health for us and this country. We never want them to be forgotten."

The SAVE Protect Foundation also helps veterans families at Christmas time to helping struggling veterans provide a memorable holiday for their loved ones.

The foundation even has an initiative focused on the needs of children diagnosed with cancer.

One special case Larkins' organization is currently helping is four-year-old Victor, who was diagnosed with metastatic cancer eight months ago.

SAVE Protect is raising money through donations to help Victor's family cover the costs of procedures, travel, bills, and household expenses to help ease their burden.

Larkins told the council that his goal is raise at least $10,000 by May 31.

"We're raising money to help this family out, and are committed to helping them," Larkins said. "There are so many kids who are suffering. Veterans fought wars to protect our children."

Another new member to the council in March was the Nevada Rural Counties RSVP, Inc., which provides direct care service and support attending to the senior and disabled patients, including American service veterans and their family members.

RSVP is sponsoring a veterans clothing distribution drive May 7 from 1-5 p.m. at Mills Park, said Ryan Lia, RSVP Veterans VIP Program Coordinator.

All clothing obtained from the drive will be given away to veterans for free, he said.

Since the council was formed in February, nearly four dozen organizations have become listed members of the CCVCC, and information about their services can be accessed through the CCVCC web page.

"This thing's are working out really great so far, and I couldn't be happier," Reynolds told the council at the close of Wednesday's meeting.

The CCVCC, formed at the grass-roots level in response to the state of Nevada's Green Zone Initiative, is an collaborative network of veterans, veterans service organizations, and other community stakeholders who offer services, support and resources to veterans in and around the Nevada state capital.

The council meets periodically throughout the year to discuss how members can work together to make accessing services easier for veterans in the community.

For more information about the CCVCC and a list of veteran service or resource providers, visit the council's web page here.