February 2013 - Illinois Amvets

AMVETS
Illinois
February 2013
In this issue:
•
Scholarship details
•
Post 235 is in the
spotlight
•
Insurance info for
home-based
businesses
•
Post 161 helps
Operation Warm
Heart
Post 66 & Post 256
participate in
holiday events
•
Knox County
AMVETS get a
special donation
•
All you need to
know about the
February SEC
NoNprofit org.
U.S. poStage
paid
permit No. 174
peoria, iL
•
Call to Action: Volunteer & help our veterans today!
AMVETS continue support of students
with various scholarship opportunities
The Illinois AMVETS Service
Foundation has been offering
scholarship opportunities for
over 40 years. In fact, since 2000,
Illinois AMVETS has awarded
$1.35 million in scholarships.
This year Illinois AMVETS Service Foundation is offering the
following scholarships: Illinois
AMVETS Service Foundation, Illinois AMVETS Junior ROTC and
Illinois AMVETS Trade School.
All Illinois High School Seniors
graduating 2012-2013 school year
are eligible.
Applications were sent
to all high schools in Illinois in
early November. You can also
download an application by visiting: http://www.ilamvets.org/
prog_scholarships.cfm.
Following are sponsored
scholarships and requirements
for each:
Illinois AMVETS Service
Foundation Scholarship
1-Year, $1,000 Non-renewable
Eligibility Requirements:
1.
Applicant must be an
Illinois High School
Senior
2.
Applicant must have
taken the ACT or SAT
Illinois AMVETS JROTC
1-Year, $1,000 Non-renewable
Eligibility Requirements:
1.
Applicant must be an
Illinois High School
Senior
2.
Applicant must have
taken the ACT or SAT
3.
Participate in a Junior
ROTC program
AMVETS State Headquarters
2200 South 6th Street
Springfield, IL 62703
Volume 37 No. 2
Illinois AMVETS Trade School
Scholarship
1-Year, $1,000 Non-renewable
Eligibility Requirements:
1.
Applicant must be an
Illinois High School
Senior who has been
accepted in a
pre-approved trade
school program (A copy
of an acceptance letter
must accompany the
application.)
Subsidiary Organizations
Illinois AMVETS subsidiary organizations are also proud
to offer scholarships.
Illinois AMVETS Sad Sacks
One Year Scholarship, Monetary
Amount To Be Determined
Eligibility Requirements:
1.
Applicant must be an
Illinois High School
Senior who has been
accepted in a
pre-approved nursing
program (A copy of the
acceptance letter must
accompany the
application.)
2.
Prove satisfactory
academic record,
character, interest
and activity record, and
financial need.
AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary
Scholarships
Illinois AMVETS Ladies
Auxiliary Memorial
Scholarship 1-Year, $500
Eligibility Requirements:
1.
Applicant must be an
Illinois High School
Senior
2.
Applicant must be a
child or grandchild of a
Veteran who served
after September 15th,
1940 and who was
Honorably Discharged
or who is presently
serving in the military.
3.
Must have taken the
ACT or SAT
Information continued
on page 2.
www.ilamvets.org
Illinois AMVETS
Contact Information
Headquarters Staff:
Executive Director:
Len Baumgartner
Membership Director:
Keith Wetherell
Programs Director:
Nicole Richards
Public Relations Director:
Ashley Murphy
Executive Assistant:
Britton Czmyr
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: Jason Dulinski
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
Mary Ann White
Hines VA Hospital
708.202.2564
Auburn Greshem Clinic
773.651.7459
Page 2
Commander’s Corner
To All AMVETS and Friends,
Welcome to the new year! As
2013 begins, we must remember
those in need. Sometimes after the
holidays, we forget that people
still need encouragement. Make
sure you are out there checking
on the veterans and their families.
Perhaps when the snow falls, you
can shovel to help out.
I must say my December was interesting. I went to
Arlington, Virginia for the Fall
NEC meeting. Many things were
discussed and new ideas were
brought to the membership in
attendance. The areas of program
reporting and membership were
hot topics. At the next SEC meeting, I will be looking for ideas
from those in attendance on ways
to improve our membership and
reporting of programs. I would
like to see each post reporting
early and often. We completed
with 100% reporting again this
year. YEAH! Thanks you, Nicole
at Headquarters and Chris Studebaker, our Programs Vice Commander.
I was able to attend Post
#18’s Christmas Party. What a fun
afternoon! Thanks to the members
of Post 18. Ladies Auxiliary #115
also invited me to their Christmas
Dinner, so thank you to those
ladies, as well.
I would also like to thank
all my officers for their work dur-
ing 2012. Everyone worked hard,
and I ask that you continue the
good work into 2013.
It is my hope to get to
posts. If you are looking for me to
visit please contact me. I would
also like to start a “Meet the State
Commander” program. This
would entail me attending your
post and possibly helping with
membership drives. I think this
would be a great way to meet
your membership and possibly
having other veterans in the
community come and join your
post. Please let me know if this is
something you would like to do.
Have you been listening
to the news lately? The other day
I heard that the troops in Afghanistan will be home sometime
in 2014. What a wonderful announcement! The happiness those
families will have at the homecoming will be fantastic.
Did you watch the AFC
football game on January 5th?
Before the game, JEEP had a
wonderful commercial. It was a
countdown of sorts as to when
the troops will come home. They
used family members to hold up
signs depicting different activities
and the number of them until the
troops would be home. My favorite was “seven more oil changes”.
I am sure there wasn’t a dry eye
in every household that saw the
commercial; there was not a dry
eye in my home. You can find the
commercial on YouTube if you are
interested.
Remember your fellow
vets!
Yours in AMVETS,
Cheryl Weglewski
Commander
Scholarship information continued
Illinois AMVETS Ladies
Auxiliary Worchid
Scholarship - 1-Year, $500
Eligibility Requirements:
1.
Applicant must be an
Illinois High School
Senior
2.
Applicant must be a
child of a deceased
Veteran who served
after September 15th,
1940 and who was
Honorably Discharged.
They need not be killed
in action or died as a
result of a serviceconnected disability.
Illinois AMVETS
3.
Must have taken the
ACT or SAT.
Please note that all Ladies Auxiliary scholarship applications will
be sent to:
AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary
c/o Penelope Goins
PO Box 372
Groveland, IL 61535
Questions about these scholarhsips may be directed to Nicole
Richards, Programs Director, by
email at Nicole@ilamvets.org. •
February 2013
Membership Department
AMVETS:
It is 2013,
which means
we survived
another year.
I hope everyone had
a wonderful, Merry
Christmas
and a very
Joyous New
Year. Last year, 2012, was a
pretty good year for us. A very
busy one, too. We ended the year
down a little in membership, so
this year we must work a little
harder on new members and getting those that have not renewed
their membership yet to do so.
The easiest way to do that
is to contact those that have not
renewed personally by phone
and talk to them about AMVETS.
Everyone likes a call about
something. It shows the post and
AMVETS cares about them.
Another way to get
veterans interested in the post
and AMVETS is to make sure
they know about the programs
you do. Getting your name out
there is the best way to get them
interested enough to find out
about you, especially if the things
you do are things they might be
interested in. That brings people
around and asking questions.
We have to find ways to bring in
new members. We have to stop
our slow slide downward.
Upcoming
Events
Programs Department
If half of our active members would sign up just one new
member our membership would
increase by 50%. If everyone
could do that our membership
would double. Let us each try
harder this year.
I will try to visit each
district and as many individual
posts as I can the second half of
the AMVET year. I would be
more than happy to visit any
post, all you have do is request
it either call me direct, my cell
phone number is 309-267-8430—
voice only no texts—or send
me an email. Or you could call
headquarters and let them know
when you would like to have me
visit.
It is my honor to serve
you as SVC Membership. I really
enjoy getting out and talking to
everyone that I can. In June, I
will be running for Department
Commander, and I ask for your
support. If we work together,
I’m sure we can stop our membership numbers from going
down.
God Bless each and every
one of you, our troops wherever they may be, AMVETS, our
families, and the Unites States of
America.
Yours in service,
Paul Kerby
S/V of Membership
Feb 10, 2013 at 1 PM
District IV Meeting
Location: VFW Post 886,
531 Lincoln Ave., in Pontiac, IL
Feb 21, 2013 at 7:30 PM
District I Meeting
Location: Hines VA Hospital in
Hines, IL
Contact: Bob Przyblinski
Phone: 773-385-1007
Email: bobskifour@aol.com
Feb 10, 2013 at 1 PM
District V Meeting
Location: Post 4 in Mt.Vernon, IL
Contact: Don Johnson
Phone: 618-586-2006
Email: d.john904@yahoo.com
February 2013
Feb 22-24, 2013
February SEC Meeting
Location: Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Hotel, 701 E. Adams
in Springfield, IL
AMVETS:
Happy New
Year everyone. I hope
you had a
great holiday season.
I would like
to congratulate all of
the posts
for 100%
reporting of your programs for
the period ending December
2012. I would also like to thank
Department Commander Cheryl
Weglewski and Programs Director Nicole Richards for all of their
help in achieving 100% for post
reporting.
We are now two months
into the new reporting period for
your programs that ends June
30. I am sure that we can get
to the 100% again. One of the
programs that will be coming up
soon will be scholarship judging
for the districts. This is a great
way for you post to get some
hours for judging scholarships
and it lets you read about some
amazing kids. The districts are
always looking for AMVETS to
help judge scholarships.
I hope to see everyone
at the SEC February 22-24 in
Springfield at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel.
Don’t forget that there are
many ways to report your programs. You can do it on-line at
the national website, mail it in to
state headquarters, call me and I
will report it, or you can call state
headquarters and report them to
Nicole.
If you have any questions about the many programs
AMVETS have or would like
me to come and visit your post
or attend one of your functions,
please do not hesitate to give me
a call and I will be more than
happy to help you out.
Yours in service,
Christopher Studebaker
S/V of Programs
Mar 17, 2013 at 1:00 PM
District III Meeting
Location: Post 100 in
Jacksonville, IL
Contact: David Hicks
Phone: 217-638-0649
Email: hicksdavid62@yahoo.com
April 18, 2013 at 7:30 PM
District I Meeting
Location: Hines VA Hospital in
Hines, IL
Contact: Cmdr. Bob Przyblinski
Phone: 773-385-1007
Email: bobskifour@aol.com
April 2 -7, 2013
NEC
Location: Hilton Alexandria Mark,
5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, VA
Cost: $119/night
Contact: 800-445-8997 for
reservations / Cut-off March 14
April 21, 2013 at 1 PM
District II Meeting
Location: Freeport, IL
Contact: Cmdr. Angelo DiLiberti
Phone: 847-931-4184
Email: airbornwop@aol.com
Contact: Nicole Richards at 217-528-4713
Illinois AMVETS
Page 3
Spotlight on Pekin Post 235
Pekin AMVETS Post 235 takes the
AMVETS Department of Illinois’
mission of improving the lives
of our nation’s veterans and the
communities in which they live
seriously. For the month of February, Post 235 is in the spotlight for
several community projects.
Post 235 based Tazwell
Area Ceremonial Team, along
with the Pekin High School
JROTC, put flags out at the town
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!
District I
Commander Robert Przybylinski
773-385-1007
1st Vice William Luna
773-551-4750
cemetery before Veteran’s Day.
After Veteran’s Day, the same
group of volunteers and students
collected the flags. This is a
twice-a-year project, also occurring on Memorial Day.
Members and their
families also participated in
the Winter Wonderland Parade.
The team is the Honor Guard that
starts the parade and is followed
by three trucks – red, white and
1st Vice Mike Allen
2nd Vice Glen Hopper
217-243-6216
District IV
Commander Terry Norgaard
815-341-0886
1st Vice Scott Lucas
217-377-7793
2nd Vice Ryan Carruthers
815-573-2361
District V
Commander Don Johnson
618-586-2006
District II
Commander Angelo Diliberti
847-931-4184
1st Vice Ava Carpenter
618-246-4890
2nd Vice Harlow Pues
815-232-8681
Page 4
to over $10,500. The group does
this two to three times per year
with the help of the community,
Honor Guard and other veterans’
service organizations. (Shown
are AMVETS Larry McWheeler,
James Smith and S/V Commander
of Membership Paul Kerby.)•
Continued support of our overseas heroes
District III
Commander David Hicks
217-638-0649
2nd Vice Richard Shea, Jr.
773-646-3406
1st Vice Don Wesner
847-888-0766
blue – carrying the rest of the volunteers along with the branch and
post flags.
Finally, Post 235 and the
Tazwell Area Ceremonial
Team (based out of the post),
recently delivered items to
the Quincy Veteran’s Home.
The items filled up two vehicles,
and included 4,722 items. The total value of the donated clothing,
books and other care items, came
AMVETS Department of Illi-
2nd Vice Brian Winfield
618-616-7748
Visit the Upcoming Events section of
www.ilamvets.org to find out when your
next district meeting is being held!
nois continues to send over 5.11
Tactical Gear shirts to our military men and women stationed
overseas. These shirts contain a
special fabric that is fire retardant
and won’t wash or wear out.
The shirt program began
in 2007, and the Illinois AMVETS
are proud to have continued distributing these life-saving shirts
for five years.
Illinois AMVETS
In addition to the shirts,
each care package mailed contained a 275-minute phone card
for soldiers to keep in contact
with their loved ones while deployed.
Would you like to make
a donation to support programs
like this? Visit www.ilamvets.org
to make a secure PayPal donation
that is also tax-deductible! •
February 2013
Proper Insurance for your Home Based Businesses can be
as easy as a phone call
An estimated 8,000 new home
based businesses start every day!
Why so many, you ask? Technology has made it possible for
people to work from home. Many
companies are downsizing, enabling many “retirees” to become
consultants, or otherwise work on
their own. Whatever the reason
may be, an exposure exists, and,
without the proper coverage endorsements to your homeowner
policy there could be gaps in your
protection.
Let’s now think of the
some of the worst that can happen to your business. Have you
thought what to do in case your
home business gets disrupted due
to a hurricane, tornado, fire or
simply an operating system crash
on your computer? If not, then it
is time to think of it. Disaster can
happen anytime; rather than hitting the panic button you should
have proper coverage to protect
you during these unforeseen circumstances.
CONSUMERS FIRST can
help with a simple endorsement
added to a homeowner policy
which is tailored to meet the
needs of your small businesses.
We can help you avoid those gaps
and provide the coverage needed
for your home-based business
exposures.
Some of the coverage features that can be provided:
•
$10,000 to $50,000 of
Business Personal
•
•
•
•
Property coverage
Business Income and
Extra Expenses
coverage for up
to 12 months, should
you have to relocate
your business while
repairs are being
completed
Business Property of
Others up to $2,500.
Additional limits are
available up to $10,000.
$5,000 for Valuable
Papers, Accounts
Receivable and
Business data. This
includes coverage to
replace or restore your
business data.
Liability coverage for
Bodily Injury and
Property Damage
Liability. Personal
Injury and Advertising
Injury are also included
for certain classes of
business. Even Products
and Completed
Operations coverage can
even be added for eligible
types of business!
Call a personal lines specialist at
CONSUMERS FIRST today if you
have any questions.
###
Please contact us for more details on how
you can support the AMVETS, Dept. of
Illinois by getting your insurance needs
quoted. Please also note, this program
extends to any member, family or supporter of AMVETS.
ABOUT US: CONSUMERS FIRST
continually shops top-rated companies
to find clients the best products for the
best value. Also, when you, your family
or friends purchase insurance through
the CONSUMERS FIRST AMVETS
Insurance program, AMVETS receives
funding when the policy is purchased
and EVERY time it renews!
PLEASE REMEMBER: Of every dollar
donated to AMVETS Department of Illinois through the CONSUMERS FIRST
AMVETS Insurance Program, 50% goes
back directly to the Posts!
Please contact the AMVETS Insurance
program to learn more. Call 1-888-2150613 or go to www.SupportAMVETS.
org. Insurance services are provided by
CONSUMERS FIRST. Offering may
vary by state. •
So, the next time
you are reviewing your
coverage, ask yourself if
you have a home-based
business exposure that you
need to have properly covered. Check out our Home
Based Business program.
AMVETS Post 256 helps to make a merry holiday season
AMVETS Post #256, Springfield,
helped to make the holiday season a little brighter for residents
at a local nursing home.
Volunteers from Post
#256 helped set up for the East
Gate Nursing Home’s Christmas
dinner by setting up 50 tables
and chairs for residents. Post and
auxiliary members also played
Santa and Mrs. Claus.
In addition, the post donated a box of canned goods to a
local food pantry. •
February 2013
Mascoutah Post 161
participates in Operation
Warm Heart
Illinois AMVETS
Pictured are members of the
Mascoutah AMVETS Post
161 presenting food baskets
and hams to Master Sergeant
(MSgt) Kevin Swieda. MSgt
Swieda is a First Sergeant at
Scott Air Force Base who distributed the food baskets and
hams as part of the program he
heads: Operation Warm Heart.
The AMVETS donation
is aimed at families of airmen
deployed overseas during
the holidays. AMVETS Post
161 has been active this year
in “giving back;” in addition
to the food baskets, the Post
hosted a barbecue at Jefferson
Barracks this Fall for wounded/
injured veterans and medical
staff of the Spinal Recovery
Unit.
The post also held
fundraisers and contributed to
the founding of the National
US Army Museum scheduled
to open in 2015 at Fort Belvoir,
Virginia. Post 161 meets at the
Mascoutah American Legion
on the first Saturday of each
month at noon.
Article submitted by Lt
Col (Ret) Victor Manges. •
Page 5
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 emailing Ashley Murphy at ashley@ilamvets.org.
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.
Want the Department
Commander to visit your post?
Contact State Headquarters at
217.528.4713.
Need assistance?
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!
Page 6
AMVETS, U of Phoenix, Provide $350,000 in Scholarships
On November 11, 2012, in honor
of Veteran’s Day, University
of Phoenix® and AMVETS announced the names of 50 service
members, veterans and military
family members nationwide who
will receive $7,000 scholarships to
pursue degrees at the University
of Phoenix. These scholarships,
totaling $350,000, are in addition
to the more than 225 scholarships University of Phoenix and
AMVETS have provided to the
military and veteran community
since 2007 in order to help veterans and their families pursue their
educational goals and more easily
transition from the military to the
civilian sector.
AMVETS National Commander
Cleve Geer praised the University
of Phoenix AMVETS Scholarship
program, and the opportunities it
provides to active duty and transitioning service members and
their families.
“Now more than ever, we must
do all we can to enable our veterans to pursue their educational
goals and prepare themselves for
the careers of tomorrow,” said
Geer. “Together with our exclusive education partner, University
of Phoenix, AMVETS is honoring
AMVETS Posts
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
our veterans’ service and sacrifice by providing scholarships
that will help to enrich the lives of
these great Americans and their
families.”
“As service members return from
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
we want them to be better prepared for career opportunities in
the military and civilian sector,”
said Associate Regional Vice President for University of Phoenix’s
Military Division retired Army
Col. Garland Williams. “The 2012
University of Phoenix AMVETS
Scholarships provide America’s
active duty service members, their
families and veterans access to
increase their professional skill
sets through education in order to
help them secure future employment opportunities.”
The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that the unemployment rate
for veterans who served on active
duty in the U.S. Armed Forces
from September 2001 through
March 2012, a group referred to
as the Gulf War-era II Veterans
, was 12.1 percent.* The University and AMVETS understand the
critical need for America’s active
duty service members, veterans and their families to market
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
Illinois AMVETS
themselves among job seekers in
today’s competitive employment
landscape. Therefore, the 2012
University of Phoenix AMVETS
Scholarships provide these individuals with access to educational
opportunities.
The University is proud of the
military members, veterans and
their families who earned their
degrees from University of Phoenix while balancing frequent
moves, rigorous training schedules and deployments. Currently,
more than 50,000 active-duty
service members, veterans and
their families graduated from
University of Phoenix associate,
bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral
degree programs worldwide.
To learn more about local degree
offerings and special discounts offered to active duty service members, veterans and their families,
please visit http://www.phoenix.
edu/military.
To learn more about the University of Phoenix AMVETS Scholarship and other programs and
services AMVETS provides to the
veterans community, please visit
http://www.amvets.org. •
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
Scan the QR code below to go
directly to our membership
application!
February 2013
AMVETS VAVS program at
the Illinois Veterans Home Manteno
The Manteno Veterans’ Home
opened in 1986, located east of
the city of Manteno in Kankakee
County. The home is located on a
122 acre campus and comprised
of five major nursing care units
and two ancillary service and
support buildings. With a total
capacity of 340 beds, the Manteno Home offers skilled care and
Alzheimers Unit programs and
services to eligible veterans.
AMVETS has two official
VAVS coordinators at Manteno:
Representative Ryan Carruthers
and Deputy (and Department
Commander) Cheryl Weglewski.
Post 107 (District IV) is actually
housed at the IVH Manteno loca-
tion.
This fiscal year, the VAVS
program has put on two different
programs at the facility. The first
is a bingo, which was concluded
by a special snack of White Castle. The second special event was
held on November 16th, when
all members celebrated the 100th
birthday of a veteran who resides
at Manteno. The AMVETS VAVS
program helped to supply the
food for the birthday celebration.
In addition, the VAVS program
has purchased CDs and DVDs
for the residents, and provided
woodworking materials for the
woodworking class offered at the
facility. •
Knox County AMVETS receive
donation from Hardee’s
Knox County Post #8 was a
participant in the “Helping Local
Heroes” event in their community this past November.
Hardee’s in Knoxville and
Monmouth sold post card-sized
flags to customers as a fundraiser. The customers who purchased
the flags wrote encouraging notes
on the back of the post card, and
those notes were forwarded onto
troops currently overseas. The
fundraiser allowed Hardee’s to
make donations to local veterans
organizations.
The Hardee’s in Knoxville and Monmouth is owned by
Westar Foods. In addition to the
$1 cost of the flag, the donations
also came with a free small drink.
The fundraiser, which
ended on November 30, 2012,
brought in enough money for
Hardee’s to donate $2,500 to
Knox County AMVETS Post #8.
Other monies were donated to
other local veterans groups.
Shown above is Hardee’s
District Manager Chris Hampton
and Knoxville General Manager
Kim McDaneld presenting the
check to Post #8 Commander
Rich VanNatta. •
Wheeling Post 66 hosts Thanksgiving for Sailors, Christmas for the Kids
As is tradition, Wheeling Post
66 once again hosted sailors for
their yearly Thanksgiving at the
post. Ninety sailor recruits and
30 volunteers were in attendance.
A full meal was served. There
were 30 telephone booths set
up, as well as computers, a pool
table, juke box and games for all
to use. The Warrior Watch riders escorted the bus from base to
post where more riders met the
buses.
In December, Wheeling
Post 66 hosted a Christmas Party
for families in their local community.
Forty children and their
parents attended the party,
February 2013
where Santa and Mrs. Claus were
present. Each child that attended
received a Walmart gift card.
Refreshments were also
provided. •
Illinois AMVETS
Page 7
Veterans Issues
DBQs can help speed the processing
of compensation and pension claims
This month’s column comes from
Veteran’s Service Officer George Sebastian. Mr. Sebastian can be found
at Bob Michel Peoria CBOC and the
Moline Vet Center.
Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs) are downloadable
forms for Veterans to use in the
disability evaluation process.
DBQs can help speed the processing of compensation and pension
claims.
DBQs allow Veterans
and Service members to have
more control over their disability claims process by giving
them the option of completing
an examination with their own
healthcare provider instead of at
a Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) facility.
DBQs enable private healthcare
providers to capture important
information needed by VA to accurately evaluate and promptly
decide Veterans’ claims for benefits.
More than 70 DBQs are
available that use check boxes
and standardized language to
streamline the process. DBQs average about five pages in length.
Veterans are responsible for any
fees their private provider may
charge for completing a DBQ.
DBQs are an important example
of the initiatives the Veterans
Page 8
Benefits Administration (VBA) is
implementing under its Transformation Plan. The goals of VBA’s
Transformation are:
•
eliminate the backlog in
disability claims;
•
increase access to services
and benefits; and
•
end Veteran homelessness
VBA is committed to providing
world-class service by transforming the way it does business.
People, process, and technology
changes will help VBA reach its
goal of increasing efficiency and
engaging Veterans, Service members, their families, and survivors
– when, where, and how they
desire.
A list of forms that are
printable can be found at the
below website:
http://benefits.va.gov/TRANSFORMATION/dbqs/ListByDBQFormName.asp
DBQs are available for:
Cardiovascular, Ear, Nose, and
Throat, Endocrinology, Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, Gynecological, Hematologic and
Lymphatic, Infectious Diseases,
Musculoskeletal, Neurological,
Ophthalmological, Psychological, Respiratory, Rheumatologic
Diseases, and General Surgical.
Yours in service,
Resources available for Illinois veterans
dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
SPRINGFIELD – The National
Institute of Medicine estimates
that 20 percent of the 2.6 million
U.S. service members who fought
in Iraq and Afghanistan have
symptoms of Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Now and throughout
the year, the Illinois Warrior
Assistance Program (IWAP) is
a free resource that is available
for veterans and their families.
Veterans or loved ones can call
to ask questions, be screened for
PTSD or traumatic brain injury
(TBI), and receive free follow-on
counseling when needed.
“It is important for veterans to understand that seeking
help for symptoms of PTSD is
not a sign of weakness, but a sign
of strength,” said IDVA Director
Erica Borggren. “The good news
for Illinois veterans and their
families is that there are confidential treatment options available so they can access the help
they need and deserve.”
Day or night, IWAP is
available for veterans and their
families dealing with PTSD or
other challenges associated with
returning from combat. Signs
and symptoms of PTSD vary and
may include trouble sleeping,
concentrating or remembering;
anger, irritability or anxiousness; or, frightening thoughts or
nightmares. Diagnosis of PTSD
occurs through initial screenings
and testing, which are available
through IWAP and other IDVA
programs. IWAP also provides
coverage for outpatient services
that treat PTSD, specifically for
Illinois veterans who do not have
insurance and/or immediate access to VA-covered services.
IWAP is part of Governor
For updates,
visit the following
websites:
Pat Quinn’s mission and commitment to support the men and
women of the armed forces and
ensure that veterans and current service members receive the
benefits and services they have
earned.
As a free and confidential
resource provided by the State of
Illinois, IWAP is a separate entity
and bears no connection to the
U.S. Armed Forces or the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans can access the program’s benefits 24 hours a day,
7 days a week via an online chat
option at www.illinoiswarrior.
com or through IWAP’s toll-free
helpline at 1-866-554-4927. •
www.va.gov
www.veterans.
illinois.gov
George Sebastian
Illinois AMVETS
February 2013
Veterans Issues
Report Reveals Further Reduction in Veterans Homelessness
VA Also Announces $300 Million to Expand Homeless Prevention Program
WASHINGTON – The Departments of Veterans Affairs and
Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) today announced that a
new national report shows that
homelessness among Veterans has
been reduced by approximately 7
percent between January 2011 and
January 2012. The decline keeps
the Obama Administration on
track to meet the goal of ending
Veteran homelessness in 2015.
“This report continues a
trend that clearly indicates we are
on the right track in the fight to
end homelessness among Veterans. While this is encouraging
news, we have more work to do
and will not be satisfied until no
Veteran has to sleep on the street,”
said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki. “The success we
have achieved is directly attributable to the hard work by all of
our staff, and the federal, state,
and community partners who
are committed to ending Veteran
homelessness.”
HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan added, “This decline
tells us that the Obama Administration is on the right path, working together across agencies to
target Federal resources to produce a measurable reduction in
Veteran homelessness. Key to this
success has been VA and HUD’s
implementation of the Housing
First approach endorsed by the
Administration’s strategic plan to
prevent and end homelessness. As
our nation’s economic recovery
takes hold, we will make certain
that our homeless veterans find
stable housing so they can get on
their path to recovery.”
The 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR)
to Congress, prepared by HUD,
estimates there were 62,619 homeless Veterans on a single night in
January in the United States, a 7.2
percent decline since 2011 and a
17.2 percent decline since 2009.
The AHAR reports on the extent
and nature of homelessness in
America. Included in the report
is the annual Point-in-Time (PIT)
count, which measures the number of homeless persons in the
U.S. on a single night in January
2012, including the number of
homeless Veterans.
VA has made ending Veteran homelessness by the end of
2015 a top priority, undertaking
an unprecedented campaign to
dramatically increase awareness
of VA services available for homeless Veterans and Veterans at risk
of becoming homeless. While the
number of homeless people in the
U.S. dropped by less than 1 percent, according to the 2012 AHAR,
Veteran homelessness has shown
a more robust decline.
VA also announced the
availability of $300 million in
grants for community organizations, estimated to serve approximately 70,000 Veterans and their
family members facing homelessness. The deadline for applying
to the Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) program,
a homelessness prevention and
rapid re-housing program, is Feb.
1, 2013.
“Homeless prevention
grants provide community partners with the opportunity to help
prevent and end homelessness
on the local level,” said Secretary
Shinseki. “This is a crucial tool in
getting at-risk Veterans and their
families on the road to stable,
secure lives. ”
SSVF grants promote
housing stability among home-
less and at-risk Veterans and their
families. The grants can have an
immediate impact, helping lift
Veterans out of homelessness or
providing aid in emergency situations that put Veterans and their
families at risk of homelessness.
Through September 2012,
SSVF has aided approximately
21,500 Veterans and over 35,000
individuals. Since SSVF is able to
help the Veteran’s family, 8,826
children were also assisted, helping Veterans keep their families
housed and together. Grantees
provide a range of supportive
services to very low-income Veteran families living in or transitioning to permanent housing,
including case management, legal
assistance, financial counseling,
transportation, child care, rent,
utilities and other services aimed
at preventing homelessness.
The availability of SSVF
funds was announced in a Notice
of Funding Availability (NOFA)
posted in the Federal Register and
on VA’s SSVF website at www.
va.gov/homeless/ssvf.asp. •
VA, SSA and IRS Cut Red Tape for Veterans and Survivors
New Policy Eliminates Paperwork, Allows More VA Staff to Focus on Eliminating Claims Backlog
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it is cutting red
tape for Veterans by eliminating
the need for them to complete
an annual Eligibility Verification
Report (EVR). VA will implement
a new process for confirming eligibility for benefits, and staff that
had been responsible for processing the old form will instead focus
on eliminating the compensation
claims backlog.
Historically, beneficiaries
have been required to complete an
EVR each year to ensure their pension benefits continued. Under the
new initiative, VA will work with
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
February 2013
and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify continued
eligibility for pension benefits.
“By working together, we
have cut red tape for Veterans and
will help ensure these brave men
and women get the benefits they
have earned and deserve,” said
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric
K. Shinseki.
VA estimates it would
have sent nearly 150,000 EVRs
to beneficiaries in January 2013.
Eliminating these annual reports
reduces the burden on Veterans,
their families, and survivors because they will not have to return
these routine reports to VA each
year in order to avoid suspension
of benefits. It also allows VA to
redirect more than 100 employees
that usually process EVRs to work
on eliminating the claims backlog.
“Having already instituted
an expedited process that enables
wounded warriors to quickly
access Social Security disability
benefits, we are proud to work
with our federal partners on an
automated process that will make
it much easier for qualified Veterans to maintain their VA benefits
from year to year,” said Michael
J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social
Security.
“The IRS is taking new
steps to provide critical data to
help speed the benefits process for
Illinois AMVETS
the nation’s Veterans and Veterans
Affairs,” said Beth Tucker, IRS
Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support. “The IRS is pleased
to be part of a partnership with
VA and SSA that will provide
needed data quickly and effectively to move this effort forward.”
All beneficiaries currently
receiving VA pension benefits will
receive a letter from VA explaining these changes and providing
instructions on how to continue to
submit their unreimbursed medical expenses.•
Page 9
Register for the February SEC online
today!
The February SEC Meeting will
be held February 22-24, 2013! All
AMVETS members are welcome
to attend and are eligible for discounted rate of $70 per night plus
sales and tax. The SEC is held at
the President Abraham Lincoln
Hotel, 701 E Adams St., Springfield, Illinois.
Please register online for
this meeting by completing the
form at: http://www.ilamvets.
org/events_secreg.cfm. If you are
unable to access the website, you
may also contact State Headquar-
Page 10
ters at 217-528-4713. To ensure
proper accommodations, please
complete the following form no
later than February 18, 2013.
All elected and appointed
officials must turn in a written
report to state Headquarters
no later than February 11, 2013.
Please submit your SEC report
here: http://www.ilamvets.org/
sec_form.cfm. Typed reports
may also be emailed to nicole@
ilamvets.org.
Illinois AMVETS
February 2013
AMVETS Department of Illinois Ladies Auxiliary
Ladies Auxiliary #4 participates in the community
President Kelly Speaks
Dear Ladies Auxiliary members,
I hope all of you have had a safe
and happy Christmas and New
Year. The year always starts off
with new beginnings and resolutions. Our standard resolutions
seem to be about weight loss or
to quit smoking. Both resolves
are admirable.
This year I’m going to ask
you to add a couple of possibilities to your resolutions. They are
not elaborate things. Could you
read a book to a kindergartner,
send a card to a vet, start saving can tabs, offer help where it
might be needed? Make a resolution to introduce a lady to the
AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary so
that she might extend “A Helping Hand to All”. Don’t forget to
add, helping our Wounded Warriors Project. These are just a few
suggestions.
Our February SEC will
take place on February 22-24,
2013, at the Abraham Lincoln
Hotel in Springfield, Illinois.
Please make a special effort to
attend. There will be a question
and answer session on reporting
and there will be some focus on
honors and awards. I want to
insure that all of our auxiliaries
who submit entries will not be
disqualified for any reason. The
key is to report all of the hard
work that you do!
February is scholarship
month. Our scholarship officer
will be hosting a silent auction
to raise money for scholarships.
All local presidents, please bring
a donation to the scholarship
auction. When you arrive, please
turn your items over to Martha
Bean. Note to all local scholarship officers: make sure your
local high schools have applications and let them know when
the deadlines are and who may
apply for them.
I look forward to seeing you at the SEC meeting and
thank you for all your hard work.
Yours in service,
Claudia Kelly
Ladies Auxiliary President
2012-2013
Scholarship news
As we start the month of February, we are reminded that this
is scholarship month. This is
when the locals should be having
fundraisers and making sure that
the local schools have all the right
forms for the students to fill out
in time to meet our cut off dates.
These dates are clearly spelled out
on the applications.
Can you remember when
you were inj high school and starting to take your SAT test, in hopes
of doing well enough to qualify
for a scholarship and knowing
you couldn’t go to college without
February 2013
one? Money was tight back then,
and it still is today. Just one of our
scholarships could change the life
of a student. The students that we
help, one or five, will remember
that we hade confidence in them
to do us proud.
We have to all remember
taht the youth in this county are
our future. If we can make it just a
little easier, they might be able to
find a way to help many.
Yours in Auxiliary Service,
Martha Bean
Scholarship Chairman
AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary #4 in
Mt. Vernon continued their support of families in need in their
local community.
Shown on the top are
members of the auxiliary with
toys purchased to donate to need
children for Christmas.
The second photo shows
PDP Elsie Flerlage (right) with
Auxiliary #4 President Donna
Bryant presenting a check to John
Hick for the Angel Assignments
for the food pantry. •
Prayers from the Chaplain
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 aid. Help us in our resolve to
make this a better world in which
to live. Amen.
Yours in Auxiliary Service,
Janet Van Deusen
Department Chaplain
Silent Auction at the February SEC
Anyone who would like to donate items, please bring them to the SEC.
All funds raised will be used to increase the number of scholarships the
Ladies Auxiliary can give!
Illinois AMVETS
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 Chicagoarea 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 708388-7800. 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.
Or, make a cash donation:
Donate
to our
AMVETS
today!
Support
troops today!
We
accept
Donate to AMVETS
makes it easy!
www.ilamvets.org
www.ilamvets.org
Site
Name
Location
Host
Site
Bridegview
7325 W. 79th St.
Kmart Lot
Bridgeview
10260 S. Harlem Walmart
Ave. (Site is open Parking Lot
everyday from
10-4)
Darien
1 blk. west of
75th & Fairview
Walmart
Parking Lot
Des
Plaines
Oakton/Lee Rd.
West side of
parking lot
in front of
KMart
Forest
Park**
DesPlaines &
Roosevelt Rd.
Walmart
Closed temporarily
Joliet
1401 Illinois Rte.
59 (Theodore &
Rte 59)
Walmart
Lombard
345 W. Roosevelt Kmart lot
Rd.
(M-Sa. 8-5, Su
9-5)
Minooka
855 S. Ridge Rd. Ace Hard(Site open every- ware
day 10-4)
Naperville
776 S. Rte. 59
Walmart
Oak
Lawn
111th/Cicero
Ave.
Kmart (By
Garden
Center)
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
Willowbrook
Plainfield Rd./
Rte 83
(M-Sa. 8-5, Su.
9-5)
Kmart
[Membership Application]
Mail to: AMVETS Department of Illinois
2200 South Sixth Street, Springfield, Illinois 62703
www.ilamvets.org
AMVETS
Join
Today!
Date:
Membership: 0Annual 0Life
Would you like more info about Riders? 0Yes
Name:
Date of Birth:
Street:
City:
Phone Number:
E-mail:
Branch of Service:
Month/Year Entered:
/
/
Sex: 0Male
0Female
State & Zip:
Month/Year Discharged:
I verify that I am serving, or have served, honorably in the US Armed Forces (Active, Guard or Reserves) after September 15, 1940. DD-214 is required.
Your Signature:
Sponsor/Post Officer:
0No