Carmelita Jones
2017-2018 National Legislative Ambassador
Call to Action: Expand Caregiver Benefits!
Throughout history, there has been a need to care for veterans who have injuries which prevent them from living independently, without the assistance of others. Caregivers, the overwhelming majority of whom are family members, put their lives and careers on hold, often accepting great emotional and financial burdens to ensure their veterans have a meaningful quality of life and stay in their homes instead of having to receive institutional nursing home care. The family caregivers of Post-9/11 veterans are eligible for comprehensive support to include a living stipend to alleviate the financial burden of being a full-time caregiver. Unfortunately, veterans of previous eras including World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War are unjustifiably denied eligibility simply based on the era in which they served. The Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 would correct this inequity by expanding eligibility for the Caregivers Program to veterans of all generations.
Please participate in the VFW’s Action Alert to contact your members of Congress and tell them to pass the “The Military and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017.” Let them know that caregivers of previous era veterans currently receive virtually nothing, leading to desperate hardships for them and their families. The fact that caregivers of veterans of many conflicts are excluded from the full complement of program benefits implies that their service and sacrifices are not as significant, and we believe this must change immediately.
The link for the VFW’s Action Alert is http://capwiz.com/vfw/issues/alert/?alertid=78102641
Please ensure that this important legislative call to action is disseminated to all VFW Auxiliary members, friends, relatives, colleagues, acquaintances and other contacts to reach as large an audience as possible. I also encourage all Auxiliary members to include this info in your social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc). In addition, you can also contact your local newspapers to print it as a Press Release.
I can’t thank you enough for all your continued dedication and support of our veterans and their families.
My best wishes to you in 2018 for a very successful year!
