Current News
Topics this week:
*SVA Events Homeless Veterans: Vethouse, Inc
Leadership Opportunities Coaching Into Care
New to ODU? VA Work-Study program
CCME Scholarships Virginian Pilot interviews
Second Virginia Beach Legal Clinic Wounded Warrior Project
New Virginia Veterans ID Card
SVA Events:
Combat Paper:
This is an ongoing event in the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Gallery on Monarch Way (Across from Mojo Bones and the police station) This exhibition features selected work from The Combat Paper Project. The project utilizes art making workshops to assist veterans in reconciling and sharing their personal experiences as well as broadening the traditional narrative surrounding service and the military culture. Through papermaking workshops veterans use their uniforms worn in combat to create cathartic works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into a pulp and formed into sheets of paper. Veterans use the transformative process of papermaking to reclaim their uniform as art and begin to embrace their experiences in the military.
SVA Kick-Off Event:
The SVA Kick-off event will be on or around Sept 11. This event will be a ceremony to officially kick-off ODU's largest student group and will be a good time to meet other members and University Officials. Details to be sent in a later email, so stay tuned!
9/11 Memorial 5k:
The SVA will be Co-Sponsoring the 2nd annual 9/11 Memorial 5k on September 9th on Kaufmann Mall. We are currently seeking volunteers to help with registration and as course marshals. If you would like to run in the event you can still volunteer with registration! Veterans and all military run for free!
SVA Executive Board Leadership Openings
New Under Secretary
New Advocacy Board Members
Send resumes to: SVA@odu.edu
NEW TO ODU?
Are you new to the area or maybe just new to the school? Well, we'd like to show you around. We are kicking off the pilot Mentor Program during the Summer sessions of 2012 and would love for you to be a part of it. The SVA Mentorship Program is designed to assist incoming student veterans and military-affiliated students acclimate to all things ODU; from the layout of the school, to the red tape of school admin issues to all the hidden extra-curricular gems that ODU has to offer. As new students we all had an unending list of questions with no one around to answer them. As a veteran, you may have questions that most on campus are unable to answer. That's where we would like to help. Let us pair you with a mentor who can help answer all those questions. Someone who has a better understanding of where you are coming from and the issues that are specific to student veterans. You will also have the unique opportunity to help shape this program into the most effective, helpful tool that it is meant to be.
If you would like to join the program or have any questions,please contact our Mentorship Chair at the following: Mentorship Committee Chair: Elise Dubose Edubo001@odu.edu *We look forward to hearing from you!
CCME Scholarships Thanks to the Base Education office at MCBQ QUANTICO and Dave McMillan, we were recently made aware of some EXCELLENT scholarship opportunities for military, spouses and veterans. We have many deserving students who no doubt could benefit from this financial assistance. There's still ample time for folks to submit their applications. The Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) is pleased to offer $1000 scholarships each year to United States Service members (active duty/veterans) and spouses of Service members who are working towards the completion of higher education degrees. All applicants must submit the CCME Scholarship Application, transcripts, and two letters of recommendation for consideration. The application will be available from July 18-October 1, 2012. The application will explain in detail the application process and requirements, so return to the website during the application period to retrieve and complete the application For more information on CCME, please visit their web site: www.ccmeonline.org
Second Virginia Beach Legal Clinic The clinic will be held on September 15th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Old Dominion University Higher Education Center (1881 University Drive, Virginia Beach). The clinic will be structured into tracks: a presentation on the disability compensation claim process will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by individual consultations; and a second presentation will begin at 12:00 PM, followed by individual consultations. Veterans will receive a free breakfast (Krispy Kreme and Starbucks), and a free lunch (sponsored by Kidwell, Kent and Curran). The clinic has also been expanded to include two other areas of law: wills, trusts and estates (a major "need" area as identified by the Virginia Legal Alliance) and starting a small business (as veterans receive special advantages in federal government contracting). The presentations for these begin at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM, respectively, followed by open forums. For more information please visit http://vavetslegalclinic.wordpress.com/
New Virginia Veterans ID Card: Governor Bob McDonnell today launched the new Virginia Veterans ID Card available from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in partnership with the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) during an afternoon event at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond. The card will help thousands of Virginia veterans identify themselves as veterans and obtain retail and restaurant discounts around the state. The DMV 2 Go mobile office was present to process veterans' applications for the cards onsite this afternoon. Governor McDonnell, a U.S. Army veteran who served for a total of 21 years in active duty and reserve roles, visited the mobile office at today's event and was one of the first to apply for the new ID card. Veterans may apply for the cards in person at any DMV customer service center, DMV 2 Go mobile office, or online at www.dmvNOW.com. Each applicant needs to present an unexpired Virginia driver's license or DMV-issued ID card, the veterans ID card application, his or her DD214, DD 256 or WD AGO document, and $10. The card, which does not expire, will be mailed to the veteran and should arrive within a week. In the meantime, the temporary veterans ID card received at the time of the in-person application can be used as proof of veteran status.
Homeless Veterans: Vethouse, Inc.
Volunteering and Donations:
There are over 2,500 homeless veterans in the Hampton Roads area. The Vethouse Inc is a nonprofit organization that provides housing, food, clothing, counseling and other assistance to homeless veterans of the US Armed Forces in order to facilitate their return to gainful, independent, responsible and productive lifestyles. Currently there are twenty-two veterans at the Vethouse; however, thanks to this organization they have graduated over 550 veterans from the program. How you as a fellow SVA member can help our veterans, by donating the following:
Clothes
Donating any forms of transportation (bicycles, cars, etc.)
Non-perishables
Gift Cards (K-mart, Wal-Mart, etc.) in order to buy meat bread, milk for newly arrived veterans
Time for events such as Game Nights and Cookouts
Volunteering and Donations:
For more information visit:
www.vetshouseinc.org Or contact SVA Secretary, Ashlee Babb at
ababb003@odu.edu
Coaching Into Care:
This a service for family members of Veterans operated by VA, Coaching Into Care. It is a free service that coaches family members how to talk to a Veteran about deciding to seek care for mental health and other health issues. A public service announcement can be seen at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSqZfH3BLoE and a fact sheet can be downloaded at: http://www.mirecc.va.gov/coaching/wordout.asp For more information:
www.mirecc.va.gov/coaching/
VA Work-Study Program: The VA Work-Study program is available for all veterans attending ODU! The current duties at ODU will include helping with the VA Certifying Officials in the Office of the Registrar. By working with this program you can help ensure that the processing of GI Bill certifications is going as quickly as possible for yourself and all of our other GI Bill Students. Interested student veterans can contact Kris West at KWest@odu.edu. More information can be found at:
Virginian Pilot:
The Virginian Pilot is looking for veterans to share their story with our community. We are looking for a few veterans that have been facing hardship with the transition from the military back into the civilian world, have been working towards making themselves and their community a better place through volunteering, or just have a compelling story to share about overcoming adversity since separating from the military. Please contact our president, Mike Leydet, mleyd001@odu.edu, if you would like to share your story!
Wounded Warrior Project:
Benefits Out Reach Program:
Wounded Warrior Project will come to our veterans and help them file a claim with the VA and educate them on every possible benefit that they rate and how to utilize it for the maximum benefit. The Warriors to Work Program helps vets with their resumes by looking at not just their MOS or OCC field but also their responsibilities while in and translate them into the civilian sector. The program also has an enormous job search site with lots of job opportunities. More information at woundedwarriorproject.org
http://www.gibill.va.gov/resources/education_resources/programs/work_study_program
Stay up to date with all SVA information:
Facebook- Like our Facebook page
Twitter - Follow us on Twitter
Google+- Search for ODU SVA and add us to your circles to join our meeting hangouts
YouTube - Catch any meetings that you missed Co-curricular Transcript - Send this link to potential members so they can join too!
Email - sva@odu.edu
