Tag Archives: sea of goodwill

Families of Fallen Heroes are Honored and Celebrated at Miss America 2012

Posted on by Mike

Warrior Gateway is a proud sponsor of the 19 wives, daughters, and mothers of fallen service members to be recognized as Honorary Miss America’s at the 2012 Miss America Crown Celebration and who will be VIP guests at the Saturday night Miss America Finals.

Las Vegas, NV January 13, 2012

For the third year in a row, Project Gratitude brings 19 families of fallen service members to Las Vegas to be recognized as “Honorary Miss Americas” at the 2012 Miss America Crown Celebration on Friday, January 13. For the grand finale, the families will watch the Miss America pageant (live on ABC 6 PM PST) Saturday night from their VIP seats.

“Warrior Gateway is honored to be a sponsor of Project Gratitude in supporting the wives, daughters and mothers of our fallen military members. Initiatives such as Project Gratitude show how communities across the nation can step up to work together and support the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. As the Project Gratitude sponsor for the Miss America Crown Celebration Gala, we are proud to join these families of our fallen in Las Vegas for the Miss America pageant,” said Devin B. Holmes, CEO of Warrior Gateway. “Warrior Gateway remains committed to supporting all members of the military community as they return home and seek out their new normal life.”

“Got Your Back Network is pleased to partner with the Miss America Organization to provide a very unique and “once in a lifetime” experience for surviving wives and their daughters. Shared experiences are the highlight of memories and we are happy to be able to plan, organize and implement the Project Gratitude event.” said Kathleen Gagg, Executive Director of Got Your Back Network. “We thank all volunteers, contributors and organizations that have made Project Gratitude possible.”

“We started Project Gratitude out of a deep, heartfelt sense of gratitude and highest respect for the ultimate sacrifice that was made by our nation’s fallen heroes and their families,” explains Sharlene Hawkes, former Miss America and President of Remember My Service Productions. “By recognizing each of the women and their daughters as honorary Miss Americas–and giving them the VIP experience that Miss Americas have received over the years–it is just our way of doing what we can to pay tribute to these great Americans.”

See press release on PR Web at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/1/prweb9107694.htm

For more information about the event, please visit the Warrior Gateway Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/warriorgateway

For real-time event updates and photos, please follow Warrior Gateway on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/warriorgateway

 

Admiral Mullen goes to Boise, ID

Posted on by Devin

Admiral Mullen at Boise State UniversityAs part of his continuing Conversation with the Country, Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went to Boise, ID last week.

In talking about the Sea of Goodwill, he talked about how Warrior Gateway can help connect the military community of Idaho with all those government program and benevolent organizations that are there to support them.  A quick search reveals that currently Warrior Gateway has 81 organizations within 100 miles of Boise ID.  We’re looking forward to working with the community there to grow our presence and become the premier resource in Idaho to connect individuals to organizations.

Read more about his visit here or watch the video from KTVB.com below.

 

Sea of Goodwill Series: Navigating the Sea of Goodwill

Posted on by Devin

This week’s guest blogger is Bill Salesky, a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and an enlisted member of the Air Force Reserve. In this blog, Bill shares his thoughts on the resources needed for the transition home.

Like many other Americans, I know those who have been deployed overseas – they are friends; they are classmates; they are colleagues.  One needs only turn on the television or read a newspaper to see the stories about service men and women on their second or third tour of duty.  Some are active duty, some are reservists like me, and some are National Guard.  What they all have in common is that they left their families and “normal lives” for months at a time to answer America’s call to duty.

Upon their return, veterans and their families have a variety of needs as they work to re-integrate into each local community.  The navigation of the 400,000 nationwide organizations supporting and providing resources to the veteran community is no simple task.  An example of how overwhelming it can be to find a specific resource across the extensive amount of resources can be illustrated through a veteran’s search of the phrase “post traumatic stress disorder.”  This disorder is one of the more common afflictions after military service abroad.  This key phrase yields over 5 million results and does not quickly get the veteran to the answers or resources he/she needs.

To better support our veterans and their families, it is imperative to have a platform dedicated to nothing more than navigating the vast array of resources and services available to their needs.  There needs to be one additional resource which is the connection and portal to link the other 400,000 resources while addressing the needs of the veteran community.

Bill Salesky

Sr. Airman, U.S. Air Force Reserve


Facebook Twitter

Sea of Goodwill Series: The inTransition Program: Maintaining Continuity of Care through Transitions

Posted on by Devin

The transition to civilian life for service members can be complicated, and if they are also receiving mental health treatment, the challenges multiply. They can find themselves wondering, “How do I continue with my treatment? What support services are available as I transition? Who can I turn to in an emergency?”  The inTransition Program can help answer these and many other questions.

inTransition is a collaboration between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to bridge the potential gaps in behavioral health support during transitional periods—gaps that can lead to service members’ disengagement from treatment or deterioration of their health status. The program provides a personal coach who will support the service member through the transitional period and help identify community resources.

Enrollment into the program can be initiated by the service member or through referral from a servicemember’s current provider or case manager. All it takes is one phone call to 1-800-424-7277.

Once servicemembers confirm their participation in the inTransition program, they are connected with a transition support coach, who provides one-on-one support by phone. Coaches help service members connect with their new provider and locate local community resources, support groups, crisis intervention services and other assistance in the servicemember’s new location. Coaches do not replace the functions of case managers, but rather facilitate the access to and utilization of health services.

Our goal is ensure servicemembers continue their care without interruption. Join us Aug. 19, 2010 from 2:30 – 3:00 p.m. (CDT) for free, web-based training on inTransition. To learn more about inTransition, or register for our August webinar, please visit www.health.mil/intransition.


This post was authored by Dr. Lolita O’Donnell.  Dr. Lolita O’Donnell is the Acting Director of the Clearinghouse, Outreach and Advocacy Directorate at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (dcoe.health.mil).

Sea of Goodwill Series: National Resource Directory: Trusted Support for Wounded Warriors and Veterans

Posted on by Devin

As the United States continues to fight the longest war in our nation’s history, thousands of wounded warriors, Veterans and their families are dealing with a myriad of physical, emotional and financial issues as they transition back to life at home.  The private and public sectors have responded with overwhelming support and action.  Hundreds of new non-governmental organizations have sprung up in response to the unique needs of wounded warriors and Veterans.  How does a wounded warrior or Veteran navigate this “Sea of Goodwill?”

One option available is the National Resource Directory. A collaboration of the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, the National Resource Directory, or NRD, is a free online tool designed to empower wounded warriors, Veterans, their families and others who support them with access to more than 11,000 resources at the national, state and local levels.

The National Resource Directory leverages the tremendous local support alive in our communities today by featuring resources from organizations in both government and non-government sectors.  However, to be listed on the National Resource Directory, non-governmental organizations must follow a participation policy based on relevance and appropriateness.  Submissions are reviewed by a team of Veterans and subject matter experts to ensure quality resources are available to our wounded warriors and Veterans.  Reintegration back to civilian life is complex and sometimes challenging – our goal with the NRD is to reduce time spent looking for answers about key aspects of transition like education, employment, healthcare, mentorship, housing, and family support.

We encourage you to get involved, speak up and welcome wounded warriors and Veterans home with high quality support services.

Here are some great ways to stay informed about new resources in your community:

1)    Sign up to receive weekly e-mail updates from the NRD.

2)    Become a Facebook fan to read our latest news and share resources or feedback.

3)    Check out information by state or territory – if you know of resources to add, let us know.


Visit today: www.NationalResourceDirectory.gov


This post was authored by Dr. Karen Guice.  Dr. Karen Guice is the Executive Director of the Veterans Affairs Federal Recovery Coordination Program.