Illinois Amvets

AMVETS
Illinois
January 2014
Call to Action: Volunteer & help our veterans today!
Volume 39 No. 1
Getting the Word Out
In this issue:
• Illinois AMVETS on
the Radio
• Get Yourself in the
Paper
• Spotlight on Post
#66
• To Heal a Nation
Poem Reading
Inside the WLS studio in downtown Chicago. Left: Local afternoon host Richard Roeper is pictured
here with Illinois AMVETS Executive Director Len Baumgartner. Right: Local morning host Lauren
Cohn with Illinois AMVETS Service Foundation President Cheryl Weglewski.
Ilinois AMVETS has been on the airwaves of WLS
AMVETS State Headquarters
2200 South 6th Street
Springfield, IL 62703
NoNprofit org.
U.S. poStage
paid
permit No. 174
peoria, iL
www.ilamvets.org
AM radio in Chicago since mid-October. The message is simple but the benefits are critical to our
mission. Listeners are reminded multiple times a
week of the important work done by AMVETS and
our dependence on donations. Service Foundation
President Cheryl Weglewski and Executive Director
Len Baumgartner were interviewed by local radio
hosts in October, November and December. The
interviews provided an opportunity to discuss how
AMVETS helps veterans and campaign for new
donation drop off sites.
Generous donations of used clothing and
household goods are the fuel that allows Illinois
AMVETS to continue helping veterans. For many
years, the pick-up service and drop off locations in
the Chicago land area have operated like a welloiled machine, providing a steady supply of inventory to our partner discount outlet stores. Every
week a fleet of trucks run about 100 regular routes
to all the Chicago suburbs doing hundreds of thousands of pickups a year. Eleven donation drop-off
sites are clearly visible and a regular stop for those
that live nearby.
As with many businesses, those for-profit as
well as nonprofit, like AMVETS, recent years have
brought changes and challenges in how business
is done. We are no different. AMVETS donation
drop-off trailers are parked primarily in strip malls
anchored by Kmart stores. Most of these trailers
have been in the same location for years generating
thousands of truckloads of inventory. However,
due to the closure of numerous Kmart stores the
trailers have been put in storage or are sitting in
front of a vacant store. Needless to say, the trailers
need to be located in high traffic area to produce
adequate inventory for our partner stores.
Illinois AMVETS Executive Director, Len
Baumgartner has been working with big box retailers in the Chicago suburbs to establish new donation drop off sites. Establishing a new drop-off site
is a coordinated effort between the store management, real estate owner, city zoning and AMVETS
making it a time consuming process.
Feedback from the pick-up services indicates
our message is on track. We have received many
calls saying they were inspired to give by the radio
ads. At press time a new donation site is in the final
approval stages.
•Questions? Contact Lynn Carter
WLS Technician, Mike, editing the commercials.
www.ilamvets.org
Illinois AMVETS
Contact Information
Headquarters Staff:
Executive Director:
Len Baumgartner
Membership Director:
Keith Wetherell
Programs Director:
Yolanda Bell
Public Relations Director:
Lynn Carter
Illinois AMVETS HQ
2200 South Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62703
217.528.4713
Service Department:
National AMVETS Illinois Office
Located at the Chicago VA
Regional Office, 312.980.4256
Regional Director: Richard Miller
NSO: Jose Garcia
Accredited VSO:
Connie Deleonardis
Illinois Office Locations
Mike Ragusa
Deputy Service Director
309.235.5090
Mark Ross
Danville VAMC
217.554.4838
Harold Dukala
Captain Lovell FHCC
847.688.1900 ext. 84138
Ed Humphrey
VAMC Marion
618.997.5311 ext. 54743
George Sebastian
Bob Michel Peoria CBOC
217.494.1454
Moline Vet Center
309.762.6954
Joel Valera
Hines VA Hospital
708.202.2564
Auburn Greshem Clinic
773.651.7459
Page 2
Commander’s Corner
Fellow AMVETS:
The end of 2013 is upon us. It
has been an interesting year so
far. There have been a few rough
spots since my last report, but
they are being taken care of. Some
are really easy, but some create
unknown problems that need to
be taken care of.
The National Executive
Committee meeting, NEC, will
come and go during this period.
I will go there with our NEC person and his alternate, to sit and
listen to what changes are coming
down the pike.
The end of the first six
months is upon us. If you still
have volunteer hours to report,
get them reported before the end
of the year. Those hours are used
for a variety of things. They give
our national officers proof to
congress that we are doing our
job well. So keep the programs
coming and don’t forget to report
your hours. Thank you.
Remember that the success of our organization depends
on our membership. Keeping
those that we have now and in-
suring that others wish to join our
organization because of the things
we do. If you need membership
materials, contact Keith at headquarters or contact your Sr-Vice
Commander.
Our SEC is in February.
If you are an officer or a Commander’s appointee, don’t forget
your report which is due two
weeks before. Make sure that you
get them into the headquarters so
it gets included in the SEC Report
Book. Thank you.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year--no
more than 10 pounds per person
will be allowed, (Ha!). I and my
wife wish for you and your families the Merriest of Christmases
and the Happiest of New Years.
May these holidays be everything
you want them to be and bring
you nothing but happiness and
joy. God Bless us everyone.
Yours in service,
Paul Kerby
Commander
Department of Illinois
217-494-8387
commander@ilamvets.org
Membership Department
AMVETS:
The 2013-2014 membership
Paul Kerby
Department Commander
Would you like
The Commander to
visit your post?
Please call me at
217-494-8387
or
send an email to
commander@ilamvets.org
Thank You For Your
Service
February 21-23, 2014
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Hotel
701 East Adams St.
Springfield, IL
217-544-8800
Rate: $75
Spring NEC
March 5-9, 2014
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
5000 Sem­in
­ ary Road
Alexandria, VA
800-445-8997
69th Annual State
Convention
August 9-16, 2014
Mem­phis Mar­i­ott Down­town
200 N. Main St.
Mem­phis, TN
888-557‑8740
$119/night
Parking is $10.00 per night
School of Instruction
September 12-14, 2014
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Hotel
701 East Adams
Springfield, IL
217-544-8800
Rate: $75
June 5-8, 2014
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Hotel
701 East Adams St.
Springfield, IL
217-544-8800
Rate: $75
Illinois AMVETS
I hope everyone had a great
holiday! Fundraising activities can be a great tool to raise
money for projects in your
local community. Recently,
State Headquarters Staff again,
implemented a change donation box drive in the Springfield
area. With permission from
owners of various businesses
such as gas stations, restaurants and retail shops, we were
able to place small countertop
change donation boxes around town. By placing
these boxes throughout the community, we also
were able raise public awareness of our great organization. I am thrilled to report we raised about $500
in just a short 8 week period. If your post is interested in starting this great fundraising opportunity,
please do not hesitate to contact me at 217-528-4713
or Yolanda@ilamvets.org
Honors and Awards are just around the corner! This is a great way to acknowledge a post member or community member for their outstanding
dedication. A list of awards and application is listed
on our website at www.ilamvets.org . All awards
are given out at the State Convention in June.
In addition, all High Schools in Illinois
have been mailed scholarship applications. These
are always available online at www.ilamvets.org,
70th National Convention
January 2014
Yours in service,
Keith Wetherell
Membership Director
Programs Department
AMVETS:
2014 Department and National Meetings
February SEC
year is now in full swing. The
new plastic renewal cards were
sent out this past October, also
renewal notifications were sent
in November, and the prorated
price of $8.66 for national is
now in full effect as well (Department and Post portions
have not changed). Additionally, renewal notifications from National were also
submitted to members that did not renew for 2013
but these dues will be for the regular 2013 price ($13
for National, $3 for Department and Post retains the
remaining). Moreover, if these members pay for
their 2013 cards first then pay their 2014 dues then
they will receive a plastic card. Furthermore, the
membership card process will go as follows, if it is
a renewed member than they will receive a plastic
card, if it is a new member they will receive a cardboard card and a plastic card after their first renewal
cycle. If anyone has any questions on annual members and the process please do not hesitate to call me
at State Headquarters.
There are a lot of great membership awards both Department and National still available. These awards
offer a lot of nice rewards, some even monetary, so
please take advantage. All the qualifications and
details concerning these awards can be found on the
Illinois AMVETS website www.ilamvets.org and the
National AMVETS website www.amvets.org.
Amvets’ membership has a lot of specific
forms and procedures to follow in order to correctly
complete. If your post is in need of any forms or
tools such as a current roster, membership applications, recruiting brochures, membership forms or
just have general Amvets questions please feel free
to call or email me at 1-800-638-8387 or keith@ilamvets.org. As membership director one of my goals is
to make the volunteers’ job as easy as possible and
to provide them the tools they need to accomplish
their Amvets’ mission of “Veterans Helping Veterans”. The Amvets’ organization is second to none
and without the help of the volunteers this organization would fall to the wayside. Thank you for all
your hard work and let us keep moving forward
spreading the Amvets’ message.
.
January 2014
found under the programs tab. The Service Foundation, ROTC, and Trade school are $1,000 one year
non-renewable scholarships. The Sad Sacks Nursing Scholarship, sponsored by the Sad Sacks, varies
yearly and award amounts will not be determined
until a later date.
I hope to see you at our next SEC, February
22th- February 24th, 2013 at the President Abraham
Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center. All AMVETS
are encouraged to attend. For your convenience,
a registration form can be found online or submit
all reservations to Headquarters at 217-528-4713 or
Yolanda@ilamvets.org. I am happy to assist you.
We have now entered a new reporting
period! All AMVETS Posts are required to report
volunteer activities by end of this coming June. I
hope that we can keep the momentum going and
get 100% this period. Thank you for your hard work
and dedication in reporting volunteerism and I am
fully confident that all Illinois posts will once again
prove to be a leader in programs reporting. I challenge each of you to go online, fill out a paper form,
or just call me. I am glad to take any information
over the phone. Reporting your volunteering activities helps with legislation benefiting veterans.
Upcoming
Events
District V Meeting
Sunday, Feb 9, 2014
at 1 pm
Location: Post # 51
5100 Lakeview Dr.
Granite City
Contact: Don Johnson
Phone: 618-586-2006
Email:
d.john904@yahoo.com
District IV Meeting
Sunday, Feb 16, 2014
1 PM
Location: 532 Gould Street
Beecher
Contact: Rich Prete
Phone: (708) 946-2976
Email:
prete626@comcast.net
District III Meeting
Sunday, Mar 23, 2014
1 PM
Location: Post 100
210 E. Court St.
Jacksonville
Contact: Commander
Teresa Pickle
Phone: 217-257-7953
District III Meeting
Sunday, May 18, 2014
1 PM
Location: Post 100
210 E. Court St.
Jacksonville
Contact: Commander
Teresa Pickle
Phone: 217-257-7953
Yours in service,
Yolanda Bell
Programs Director
Illinois AMVETS
Page 3
Important
AMVETS notices
News You Can Use
Not getting the newspaper?
Contact the State headquarters
at 217-528-4713 to get added to
the mailing list.
Need to update your address?
Let us know 8 weeks before
you go!
Want to access the monthly
mailer, membership/programs/PR
manual?
Visit www.ilamvets.org in the
membership section!
Directories and CBLs can be
emailed to you! Request your
copy by calling Headquarters
at 217-528-4713.
Are you getting our email notices?
Add your email to our mailing list at www.ilamvets.org
to be regularly notified of our
upcoming events, latest newspaper issues, membership
updates and much more!
District and Post Meetings
Visits from the Commander
Post your meetings online!
Notify your membership of the
latest post and district meetings by submitting meeting
times to the upcoming events
section of www.ilamvets.org.
Send Us Your Pictures!
In the spirit of a new year, we
would like to see some new faces
in our publication. Remember,
if your post does something
within your community, we want
to capture it in our newspaper!
All you have to do is email us
your pictures or mail them to the
Headquarters and we will do our
best to incorporate them within
the paper.
Recently you’ve seen lots
of pictures of Posts that have hosted Golf Outings, BBQ’s, walked
in parades. We’ve seen folks at
Veterans Day events, raffling
turkeys and hosting Thanksgiving
Dinners. A lot of these activities
don’t get photographed because
our Vets don’t do these things for
recognition or public praise. They
do them from the goodness of
their hearts and when they see a
need, they try and meet it. However, we want to capture these
special moments. It’s important
that our statewide organization
be able to bounce ideas back and
forth with one another, from Chicago to Cairo and our newspaper
helps accomplish that!
Not only does submitting
photos give members of your
own post something to reflect
back on and keep as a memento,
it also serves a great purpose to
other posts within the State. Many
members are seeking fresh ideas
to incorporate into their activities
and fundraising and this will aid
in that endeavor. Please remember to include us in your activities!
When sending in photos, please include the name and
purpose of your event. If you
raised funds, tell us how! Also,
please include the names of post
members and guests included in
the picture. Remember to let the
person(s) being photographed
know that you intend to send
them to us at Headquarters so
they can be on the lookout for
their publication. Thank you for
helping make the paper even
more interesting and fun to read!
• Questions? Conact Nicole Edwards or Lynn Carter
Join Us In Roasting
Department Commander Kerby
Pictures & Article
Requests Details
• Deadline for submission is
the 5th of the month prior to
publication. As an example,
the deadline for the Feburary issue is January 5th.
A Fundraiser will be held
March 16, 2014
Pekin Moose Lodge
2605 Broadway, Pekin, IL 62554
Social Hour: 3p.m., Dinner to follow
• Email pictures to Lynn@ilamvets.org or mail to headquarters.
Choice of Entree: Fried Chicken, Fried Fish or Prime Rib with Salad, Baked
Potato, Roll Coffee or Tea and Dessert
• If the pages are filled, submissions are kept to roll
over to the next issue.
$30.00 per person, Cash Bar
Attire: Business Casual (no jeans)
• Feedback is welcome. Send
us any ideas or suggesstions
you have to make the publication better!
Need assistance?
Page 4
309-347-5533
Econo Lodge
309-353-4947
Super 8
309-347-8888
Holiday Inn Express 800-589-2769
Want the Department
Commander to visit your post?
Contact State Headquarters at
217-528-4713.
AMVETS Department of Illinois is ready to help you and
your post succeed! Please let us
know if you need any assistance with advertising events
or contacting the media. We’re
here to help!
District V
Post 4-Mt. Vernon; Post 11 - Cairo; Post
31 - Marion; Post 33 - Palestine; Post 40
- Effingham; Post 51-Granite City; Post
101-Centralia; Post 132-Metropolis;
Post 140-Greenville; Post 148-Waltonville; Post 149 - West Frankfprt; Post
156 - Waterloo; Post 161-Belleville; Post
204-Madison; Post 267-Jerseyville
R.S.V.P. by March 1, 2014
Lodging
Concorde
District III
Post 8-Knoxville; Post 16 - Litchfield;
Post 29 - Taylorville; Post 44 - Pana;
Post 55-Mount Olive; Post 61- Chatham; Post 64- Peoria; Post 76- Ursa;
Post 77- Chillicothe; Post 94-Springfield; Post 100-Jacksonville; Post
104-Quincy; Post 169-North Pekin;
Post 179-Greenview; Post 235- Pekin;
Post 256-Springfield; Post 257-Springfield
District IV
Post 3- Champaign; Post 14-Clinton;
Post 30-Ottawa; Post 41-Marshall;
Post 52-Fisher; Post 53 - Morris; Post
67- Beecher; Post 75 - Danville; Post
84 - Crete; Post 107-Manteno; Post
113-Bradley; Post 115 - Pontiac; Post
120-Streator; Post 270-Bloomington;
Post 276 - Elliott; Post 278-Colfax; Post
312-Streator
50/50 Fundraiser
To Benefit the Commander’s
Charity of Choice
Wounded Warrior Games
Post 161 Give Back with Christmas Baskets
District I
Post 7, 13, 17, 18, 34, 37, 243, 247 & 326
-Chicago; Post 5-Skokie; Post 43- Burnham; Post 66-Wheeling; Post 97-Oak
Park; Post 99- Brookfield; Post 192Bridgeview; Post 268-Glenwood; Post
277- Streamwood; Post 326 - Chicago
District II
Post 26-Depue; Post 32- Freeport; Post
35-Waukegan; Post 90-Dekalb; Post
91-Hampshire; Post 103- Aurora; Post
123-Dixon; Post 145-East Moline; Post
180 - Princeton; Post 202- Elgin; Post
245- Cary Grove; Post 269-Woodstock;
Post 503 - St. Charles
At
• For submissions recieved
by the deadline, every effort will be made to include
your request in the next
issue.
AMVETS Posts
Return To:
Name: Phone Number: Number of Dinners iwth remittance AMVETS Post 161 of Mascoutah, IL donated ten Christmas baskets of food and gift certificates to
First Sergeants of Scott Air Force Base who will deliver them to families of Airman in need, generally
to those with a spouse deployed overseas for the holidays. The AMVETS donation dovetails nicely
into the First Sergeants’ program of similar intent: Operation Warm Heart. Post 161 works several
fundraisers throughout the year to support such activities--their focus is “giving back.” The Post
meets at the Mascoutah American Legion on the first Saturday of each month at noon.
Illinois AMVETS
January 2014
Chicken @ $30.00 ea
$ Fish @ $30.00 ea
$ Prime Rib @ $30.00 ea
$ Total $ January 2014
Mary Kerby
1104 Court Street
Pekin, IL 61554
or
Headquarters
Illinois AMVETS
Page 5
Illinois AMVETS Diabetes Education
Research Program
Spotlight on Post 66 November
Events
AMVETS Post 66 in Wheeling held a Veterans Day Ceremony with
VFW Post 981.
Upper Left: Rifle Squad, Center; Center Left: Commanders of
Post 66 and VFW Post 981
58 sailors from Great Lakes Naval Base enjoyed Thankgiving
Day with Post 66. The sailors played pool, contacted family and
friends, and ate a Thanksgiving meal. With 32 volunteers to help
a great time was had by all.
On November 15th Post 66 held a turkey party. The party included a raffle that generates funds for the Childrens Christmas Party.
There were 150 winners!
Lower Left: Participants waiting as winning numbers are announced; Below: The Senior Vice Commander with a plate full of
turkey sandwiches.
Page 6
Illinois AMVETS
January 2014
January 2014
When we think of the liver, we
tend to think of alcohol. But,
your liver does so much more
than just handle the alcohol you
drink! Your liver handles much
of the “factory work” that your
body needs. This means that
much of the storage, distribution,
and manufacturing of immune or
clotting factors or protein carriers are done in the liver. The
liver does more than 500 things!
These often involve carbohydrates, proteins, and fats as well
as other nutrients and biological
compounds. The liver also breaks
down harmful substances so they
are not so toxic.
The liver can keep working even after losing threefourths of its cells. It can also
regenerate itself. That means it
can grow itself back!
However, the liver can
become damaged or sick. Liver
disease is more common in those
with diabetes. The most severe
type of liver disease is called cirrhosis. With cirrhosis, the liver
has fibrous, hard parts that don’t
work and scars from damage.
Cirrhosis is not reversible and
the liver can’t regenerate once
the damage has gone this far.
Although cirrhosis can be caused
by too much alcohol over many
years, cirrhosis can have other
causes as well. If you develop
cirrhosis, you may need to limit
dietary protein, sodium, and fluids. Your doctor or dietitian will
talk to you about what your liver
is able to handle.
Hepatitis is another form
of liver disease. Hepatitis is
usually caused by viruses. The
type of hepatitis is important to
know if the disease will go away
and the liver will recover or not.
If you have fever or weight loss
with hepatitis, you may need additional calories.
Fatty liver is another type
of liver disease. Fatty liver is just
what it sounds like. Too much fat
has been stored in the liver. This
occurs more often in those who
are overweight. Losing weight
will help reduce the fat in the
liver. Fatty liver has no symptoms and is difficult to diagnose.
However, it does increase the
Illinois AMVETS
Dr. Karen Chapman-Novakofski
chance of additional damage to
the liver, including the development of cirrhosis.
Practice guidelines recommend weight loss for those
with fatty liver. Sometimes
advertisements will include
recommendations for vitamin E
or omega 3 fatty acids for those
with fatty liver and/or diabetes. However, medical practice
guidelines do not recommend
vitamin E or omega 3 fatty acids
for those with diabetes.
Choose a healthy diet that
includes
• A balance between the calories you eat and the physical
activity you do
• More fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, fat-free and
low fat dairy products and
seafood
• Fewer foods with salt, saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, added sugars, and
refined grains.
Nutrition tips at USDA’s
Choose MyPlate.gov website can
help you plan a meal, find a new
recipe, balance your calories with
physical activity, or learn the
many foods within each of the
food groups. If you have been
counseled to follow certain meal
plans or diets, talk with your
dietitian or health care provider
before making big dietary changes.
Page 7
Scholarships
2014
Submission Due Date
is
March 1st, 2014
Applications are
available at
www.ilamvets.org
Selected recipients will
be notified by early April
Honors & Awards
2014
Submission Due Date
is
April 1st, 2014
• No entries will be accepted
at the Department Convention.
• Statement of facts must
accompany each entry as
specified on the form.
• All entries must be verified
and signed by the Commander and Adjutant of
the post.
• Entry forms can be obtained from our website,
ilamvets.org or the state
headquarters.
• Winner will not be notified
until sometime during the
State ConventionMail all
entries to the State Headquarters.
Contact Programs Director
Yolanda Bell if you have additional questions. Yolanda can
be reached at headquarters,
217-528-4713 or
Yolanda@ilamvets.org.
Page 8
Veterans Issues
Veterans Interest
Poem Reading at Veterans Day Program Presented
by the Fisher Grade School
Surviving Spouse and Relatives Benefits
Inquiries from a veteran’s surviv-
ing spouse and relatives regarding
benefits that extend beyond the
veterans death are very common
to the Veteran Service Officer
(VSO). Much like the veterans
benefits, the surviving spouse’s
benefits are contingent upon the
status of the veteran.
• had a child with the veteran,
AND
• cohabited with the veteran
continuously until the veteran’s death or, if separated, was
not at fault for the separation,
AND
• is not currently remarried.
• Military service member who
died while on active duty, OR
Death / Widow’s Pension
is a benefit paid to eligible dependents of deceased wartime veterans. You may be eligible if: The
deceased veteran was discharged
from service under other than
dishonorable conditions, AND
• Veteran whose death resulted
from a service-related injury
or disease, OR
• Served 90 days or more of
active duty with at least 1 day
during a period of war time.
• Veteran whose death resulted
from a non- service related
injury or disease, and who
was receiving, or was entitled
to receive, VA Compensation
for service-connected disability that was rated as totally
disabling for at least 10 years
immediately before death,
• However, 38 CFR 3.12a requires anyone enlisting after
9/7/80 generally has to serve
at least 24 months or the full
period for which a person was
called to active duty in order
to receive any benefits based
on that period of service. With
the advent of the Gulf War on
8/2/90 (and still not ended by
Congress to this day), veterans can now serve after 9/7/80
during a period of wartime.
When they do, they generally
now must serve 24 months to
be eligible for pension or any
other benefits, AND
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a
monthly benefit paid to eligible
survivors of the following:
• OR since the veteran’s release
from active duty and for at
least five years immediately
preceding death, OR for at
least one year before death
if the veteran was a former
prisoner of war who died after
September 30, 1999.
The surviving spouse is
eligible if he or she:
• validly married the veteran
before January 1, 1957, OR
• was married to a service member who died on active duty,
OR
• married the veteran within 15
years of discharge from the
period of military service in
which the disease or injury
that caused the veteran’s death
began or was aggravated, OR
• was married to the veteran for
at least one year, OR
who may qualify contact a Veterans Service Officer for assistance.
Yours in AMVETS,
Mark Ross
Veterans Service Officer
Danville VAMC
Bldg. 104, Room 127
Danville 61832
Office: 217-554-4838
Cell: 217-725-5197
• you are the surviving spouse
or unmarried child of the deceased veteran, AND
A veterans surviving
spouse receiving DIC or the Death
Pension, may also be eligible for
extended benefit known as Aid
and Attendance and Housebound
status. An eligible individual may
qualify if he/she requires regular
aid from another person to perform personal functions. If you
are, or know of a veteran’s widow
Illinois AMVETS
I love my country more than life itself, And not in search of any fame
or material wealth. The Vietnam war was so secret, it got out of
hand, For our world was in crisis in that Asian land.
Early our war became a nuclear weapons recovery mission, And we
answered the call with the greatest precision, Two short-range atomic
missiles were recovered one noon, Just before the coming Vietnamese
monsoon.
WASHINGTON (Dec. 4, 2013) –
Veterans, their families and survivors receiving disability compensation and pension benefits
from the Department of Veterans
Affairs will receive a 1.5 percent
cost-of-living increase in their
monthly payments beginning
Jan. 1, 2014.
“We’re pleased there will
be another cost-of-living increase
for Veterans, their families and
their survivors,” said Secretary
of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The increase expresses in a
tangible way our Nation’s gratitude for the sacrifices made by
our service-disabled and wartime
Veterans.”
For the first time, payments will not be rounded down
to the nearest dollar. Until this
year, that was required by law.
Veterans and survivors will see
additional cents included in their
monthly compensation benefit
payment.
For Veterans without
dependents, the new compensation rates will range from $130.94
monthly for a disability rated at
10 percent to $2,858.24 monthly
for 100 percent. The full rates are
available on the Internet at www.
benefits.va.gov/compensation/
rates-index.asp.
The COLA increase also
applies to disability and death
pension recipients, survivors
receiving dependency and indemnity compensation, disabled
Veterans receiving automobile
and clothing allowances, and
other benefits.
Under federal law, costof-living adjustments for VA’s
compensation and pension must
match those for Social Security
benefits. The last adjustment was
in January 2013 when the Social
Security benefits rate increased
1.7 percent.
In fiscal year 2013, VA
provided over $59 billion in
compensation benefits to nearly
4 million Veterans and survivors,
and over $5 billion in pension
benefits to more than 515,000
Veterans and survivors.
For Veterans and separating Servicemembers who plan to
file an electronic disability claim,
VA urges them to use the joint
DoD/VA online portal, eBenefits.
Registered eBenefits users with
a premium account can file a
claim online, track the status, and
access a variety of other benefits,
including pension, education,
health care, home loan eligibility,
and vocational rehabilitation and
employment programs.
Shuttle Transport Now Available at Marion VA
The victory completed a three-year Asian missile chase, After a third
world power entered the nuclear age race. I risk my life and face
treason to speak of this story, And realize our fighting me willingly
gave up their glory.
• your countable income is below a yearly limit set by law
For updates,
visit the following
websites:
To Heal a Nation
1900 East Main St.
Veterans to Receive 1.5 Percent Cost-of-Living
Increase
Mr. ancestor, Patrick Henry, before Congress did say, “If this be
treason, make the most of it” to England betray. “Semper Fi.” I’m a
Marine and we are a rare breed; We have no fear wherever our destinies may lead.
We vets have been spat upon, our honor dragged through the gutter;
And some vets may regain pride from the words that I utter. Our involvement was honorable and we saved the world, While war protestors burnt our flag After she was unfurled.
I’m a schizophrenic crazy person but listen to what I have to say;
To stand before Congress, my testimony would be hearsay. I pray
this story will bind and heal our nation once more And support our
brothers and sisters in peace and in war!
www.va.gov
www.veterans.
illinois.gov
By James Grandy
January 2014
January 2014
Two shuttle buses provided by the VA are in operation, just as winter hits. They circle the parking lots and transport veterans back
and forth between the buildings and parking lots
Illinois AMVETS
Page 9
AMVETS Department of Illinois Ladies Auxiliary
Learning from Our Past to Move Forward to a
Better Future
Prayers from the Chaplin
Dear Heavenly Father,
Greetings AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Members,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The new year brings changes
for the Auxiliary. Membership
dues increased by three dollars
and will take effect on January
1st 2014. I hope everyone has
sent in their dues and remittances
for the 2014 year. If anyone still
has questions, please call Department Membership Chairman /
1st Vice Laurie Shea or Department Secretary Penny Goins. I
have been in contact with her
and there were some Auxiliaries
that have not sent in memberships. Hopefully by the time this
comes out, every Auxiliary will
have sent them in.
I have been visiting local auxiliaries around the state and will
continue to do so. This is a very
special treat for me. I must say,
we have the best Auxiliaries in
the country. To listen and learn
from you is an honor and I know
you will continue to do the wonderful things you do.
Your
volunteer hours really count so
remember to report your hours.
Thank you for all you do.
I attended several Local Auxiliary meetings around the state.
Thank you to Auxiliaries # 33 Palestine, #43 Burnham,#204 Madison for your gracious hospitality.
It is an honor to have visited with
you. I will continue to visit as
many Auxiliaries as I can. If there
is an event your having , I would
love to be included.
I attended a Pearl Harbor Memorial service at Post/ Auxiliary #
169 N. Pekin as well as attended
their Auxiliary Christmas party. I
was also invited to Auxiliary # 43
Burnham Christmas Party. Thank
you for the invitations.
Just a reminder that the February
S E C is coming up. The dates for
this is February 21-22, 2014. Madame National President Linda is
planning her official visit at the S
E C. This is very exciting. She is a
great lady and we look forward
to her visit.
Help us O God, to go forth into this
New Year with renewed strength. Make
us ever mindful that there are those who need our aide. Help us in
our resolve to make this a better world in which to live.
Amen.
Yours In Auxiliary Service,
Janet VanDeusen
Dept. Chaplain
Membership
Hi Ladies,
say that with all the tornado
ravaged towns that are scattered
around the state of Illinois, that
my heart goes out to everyone
who was affected by them. I
have lived through numerous tornadoes myself and as a
trained spotter, it is something
you will never forget. Reach out
to anyone who needs it .Please
keep them in your prayers. They
will need them all.
Because
We Care.
Yours In AMVETS Ladies
Auxiliary Service,
Cindy Callaghan
AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary
Department President
2013-2014
815-844-3015 home
815-382-1095 cell
mccc92@mchsi.com
Don’t forget that your dues are coming to a close for this year.
Get your renewals and new membership in to Penny as soon as
possible. Also remember starting in January dues will be going
up let your member’s know about the price change. Along with
the new year let’s see if we can get new members too join our
auxiliaries the more the merrier.
Happy Holidays and see you next year.
Laurie Shea
District Officers
Below you will find a list of your
District Officers. These officers are
there to help you out on post
matters, and keep you informed
about AMVETS information. If
you have a question or would like to
know when your next district meeting is, give them a call!
1st Vice Mike Allen
2nd Vice Andrew Massey
217-370-7406
District IV
Commander Richard Prete
708-946-2976
District I
Commander Richard Shea, Jr.
773-646-3406
1st Vice Darrel Tucker
217-519-3432
1st Vice Wayne Grzybowski
2nd Vice Ryan Carruthers
815-573-2361
2nd Vice William Luna
773-551-4750
District II
Commander Don Wesner
847-888-0766
1st Vice Vacant
2nd Vice Jim Mosby
847-608-1855
To finish off this article, I want to
Page 10
District III
Commander Teresa Pickle
217-257-7953
Illinois AMVETS
District V
Commander Don Johnson
618-586-2006
1st Vice Brian Winfield
618-616-7748
2nd Vice Loren Ramsey, Sr.
618-562-7641
Visit the Upcoming Events section of
www.ilamvets.org to find out when your
next district meeting is being held!
January 2014
For this month’s edition we decided to reach out
to some of our Board members to hear what their
proudest moments as an AMVET were and to hear
just what they would like to see our organization
focus on in the future…especially if money was not a
factor. We were pleased with the responses and have
decided we want to hear more, from you, our membership!
The core makeup of the Department of Illinois is the post membership. The posts provide an
AMVETS presence, services and comrades throughout the State. Leadership and commitment are
recognized by this peer group through those elected
to the Board. That was the overwhelming response
from those that answered our questions. Of those
surveyed, these are our responses:
“My proudest moment was when I
received the Silver Helmet Award,
naming me as Amvet of the Year.”
–Tony Altieri
“My proudest moment so far
would be bing the Department
Senior Vice Commander for
Membership and being able to
help the posts out with recruiting new members and keeping the
one’s they currently have.” – Chris
Studebaker
“My proudest moment was being elected Post
Commander and Department Officer by my peers.
That they put their faith and trust in me to lead.”Richard Vannatta
“Being elected as our State Commander was my
proudest moment.”-Norman Bess
We also noticed a theme with our participants that they truly want to continue to help veterans through projects and services. That is why it is
so important to continue to fundraise on a local level
with our posts and on a larger scale, as our article on
page one of this edition discusses. In order to continue to provide vital services and large scale projects, we must continue to fundraise. Here are some
of our goal oriented quotes from participants:
“As my time as Service Foundation President has
been short, I would have to say the dedication of
the Marion VA facility is the most wonderful thing
I have been involved with. Getting to meet veterans who will benefit and employees who will help
achieve the actions set down by the Service Foundation and VA was an experience of a lifetime. In
the early 2000s I was there for the dedication of the
Hines VA AMVET Facility which was also wonderful.
January 2014
“My goals and wants for the future would be to
bring more clinics like that of Marion to other parts
of the state. To open more programs to help veterans and their families. To bring more career centers
online for the vets. Lastly, I would like to work in
conjunction with the Illinois Highway Department
to honor our veterans at all rest areas throughout the
state.”-Cheryl Weglewski
“I want to continue to to help vets by helping file
claims and thru VA hospitals. I find it to be very
rewarding work.” Tony Altieri
“If money were not an option, I would like to see
every veteran with a good paying job and no more
homeless veterans on the streets. To be able to ensure
every veteran had a home.” –Chris Studebaker
“That every veteran had a roof over
their head, food to eat and job.”Richard Vannatta
Another continuing theme
with our little survey was the
need to grow membership. When
growing our membership, we
aren’t just looking for bodies. We
are looking for leaders and people
that bring new ideas to the posts. As
seen below, there is a need for it!
“I want to see our membership grow. I feel like
that is our biggest problem and I want to see that
change.” –Norman Bess
“We need to get more involvement from our membership at the post and State level. Without membership participation, the posts will have a hard time recruiting new members and helping veterans in their
community. We need to try to get the toung veterans
into our posts and let them have some responsibility
and help mold the posts for the posts to survive to
help vetereans out.” –Chris Studebaker
We had a lot of fun putting this together
for our readers this month. Thank you to all who
responded and please, tell us what your proudest
moments as an AMVET are…and where you want
to go in the future. Respond to this month’s Board
Members and build on their ideas. Tell us what you
want to see our organization take a more active role
in or provide an idea to help membership grow or
build on an idea you see here. We will feature you in
next month’s publication.
Questions? Contact Lynn or Nicole
Illinois AMVETS
VA to Expand Benefits for Traumatic
Brain Injury
WASHINGTON Dec. 16, 2013
– Some Veterans with traumatic
brain injury (TBI) who are diagnosed with any of five other
ailments will have an easier path
to receive additional disability pay under new regulations
developed by the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
The new regulation,
which takes effect 30 days from
today, impacts some Veterans
living with TBI who also have
Parkinson’s disease, certain
types of dementia, depression,
unprovoked seizures or certain
diseases of the hypothalamus
and pituitary glands.
“We decide Veterans’
disability claims based on the
best science available,” said
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric
K. Shinseki. “As scientific knowledge advances, VA will expand
its programs to ensure Veterans
receive the care and benefits
they’ve earned and deserve.”
This regulation stems
from a report of the National
Academy of Sciences, Institute
of Medicine (IOM) regarding
the association between TBI and
the five diagnosable illnesses.
The IOM report, Gulf War and
Health, Volume 7: Long-Term
Consequences of Traumatic
Brain Injury, found “sufficient
evidence” to link moderate or
severe levels of TBI with the five
ailments.
The new regulations,
printed in the Federal Register,
say that if certain Veterans with
service-connected TBI also have
one of the five illnesses, then the
second illness will also be considered as service connected for
the calculation of VA disability
compensation.
Eligibility for expanded
benefits will depend upon the
severity of the TBI and the time
between the injury causing the
TBI and the onset of the second
illness. However, Veterans
can still file a claim to establish
direct service-connection for
these ailments even if they do
not meet the time and severity
standards in the new regulation.
Page 11
Donate today to support our
veterans and their families
Illinois AMVETS Service
Foundation offers a great opportunity for you to help support our
nation’s servicemen and women.
Within the Chicago-area AMVETS
offers specific locations to drop
off donations of household goods
and clothing. Attendants will assist you with your donations at
each location, so please see the list
below for the drop-off site near
you. Each site location is open everyday 9-5, unless noted. You can
also go to www.amvetspickup.
com to email your pickup requests directly from home or call
708-388-7800. The pickup service
operates on a routing system
allowing for pickups every few
days or weeks depending upon
your location. We greatly appreciate your generous donations and
continued support of AMVETS.
All donations are tax-deductible.
Site
Name
Location
small
donations
Host
Site
Bridegview
7325 W. 79th
St.
Kmart Lot
Bridgeview
10260 S.
Harlem Ave.
(Site is open
everyday from
10-4)
Walmart
Parking Lot
Darien
1 blk. west of
75th & Fairview
Walmart
Parking Lot
Des Plaines
Oakton/Lee
Rd.
West side of
parking lot
in front of
KMart
North Joliet
1401 Illinois
Rte. 59 (Theodore & Rte 59)
Walmart
Lombard
345 W.
Roosevelt Rd.
(M-Sa. 8-5, Su
9-5)
Kmart lot
Minooka
855 S. Ridge
Ace HardRd. (Site open ware
everyday 10-4)
West Naper- 776 S. Rte. 59
ville
Walmart
Plainfield
127th St. &
Rte. 59 (Site
open everyday
10-4)
Walmart
(Southside
of Lot)
Tinley Park
159th St. (Just
east of Harlem
Ave.)
Burlington
Coat Factory
Wheeling
700 Mc. Henry AMVETS
Rd. - Drop box Post 66
in the back of
the parking lot
- No attendant
for receipts
from your home, make
•
huge
differences
when they return
home...
Support
our troops today!
today!
Donate
to AMVETS
We
accept
Donate to AMVETS
makes it easy!
www.ilamvets.org
www.ilamvets.org
[Membership Application]
Mail to: AMVETS Department of Illinois
2200 South Sixth Street, Springfield, Illinois 62703
www.ilamvets.org
AMVETS
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Today!
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