Contest at Brad Paisley Concert Nets 900 Pounds of Food to Help Feed Our Vets Provide Meals for Hungry Veterans and their Families

UTICA, New York – Fans of country music superstar Brad Paisley brought more than their tickets, friends and sing-a-long voices with them to Paisley’s recent concert in Saratoga Springs; they also brought food and cash donations for Feed Our Vets (www.feedourvets.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating hunger among U.S. veterans and their families,

It was the second year in a row that award-winning singer/songwriter Paisley invited Feed Our Vets to set up its trailer during his sold-out concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The venue hosted a food collection contest as part of the event, with the winner earning front-row seats to the concert and a meet-and-greet with Paisley. John and Jill Bailey of Albany were the winners, bringing in a hefty 346 pounds of groceries.  The concert netted a total of 900 pounds of food and $400 in donations for Feed Our Vets.

“You can’t get much greater attention than when someone like Brad Paisley puts you in the spotlight,” said Richard Synek, founder and Executive Director of Feed Our Vets. “Brad is a great friend to Feed Our Vets. He cares deeply about helping to ensure that our veterans  have adequate food and shelter for themselves and their families, and we’re grateful to call him a partner in our effort to do that.”

Paisley commended Feed Our Vets for its tireless efforts to help struggling soldiers. “You’re doing wonderful things for our veterans. God bless you,” he told Synek.

Founded specifically to reduce hunger among American heroes, Feed Our Vets operates food pantries in Utica and Watertown, and a mobile pantry that distributes food to veterans in underserved rural communities in upstate New York. The organization also supports veterans nationwide to make sure that they have access to sufficient food for themselves and their families.

Nearly 3 million American soldiers and their families don’t have enough to eat each month. More than 100,000 veterans are homeless and hungry on any given night, and about 1.5 million American heroes are at risk of becoming homeless and hungry. Synek said the food collected at the concert would provide meals to many deserving New York veterans and their families.

Ways to Honor Veterans and Military Families this Memorial Day

Memorial Day is more than just a chance to fire up the grill — it’s a day created to honor men and women who have died in military service. It’s an opportunity for kids and families to take some time, whether it’s a few minutes or a full day, to recognize and thank veterans, troops, and their families. You can go to your town’s Memorial Day parade, send a heartfelt letter of thanks, or volunteer your time in honor of those who’ve served. Here are 10 ways for kids and families to recognize and help veterans, military families, and those who’ve lost loved ones this Memorial Day.

Say Thanks

Write a thank-you letter to a veteran or current member of the armed forces, whether it’s your grandfather or someone you’ve never met. A Million Thanks makes it easy to send a letter to men and women in the military, and making a card is a fun, hands-on activity for kids of all ages.

 Barbecue for the Troops

This year, the USO is encouraging people to host Barbecues for the Troops, backyard fundraising events to support the morale-boosting efforts of the USO. Find out how you can host your own at BBQforthetroops.org.

 Support Injured Service Members and Their Families

In Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, over 48,000 service members have sustained physical injuries, with at least 400,000 more facing post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues. The Wounded Warrior Project provides everything from outdoor rehabilitation retreats to career connections.

Visit a Veteran’s Cemetery

One of the most traditional ways to recognize Memorial Day is to visit one of the VA’s National Cemeteries for Memorial Day Ceremony. (You can find a list here.) Others also honor the dead by placing flags and flowers on veterans’ graves.

For More Ways you can honor our living veterans for Memorial Day, visit Babble.com or make a donation to Feed Our Vets today, and help feed hungry veterans.

Stand Down Events for Homeless Veterans

Stand Downs are just one part of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ efforts to provide services to homeless Veterans. Stand Downs are typically one to three day events providing services to homeless Veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as health care, housing, employment, and substance use treatment. Stand Downs are collaborative events, coordinated between local VAs, other government agencies, and community agencies serving the homeless.

View printable PDF of Upcoming Stand Down events (PDF).

Below are the events currently planned for the rest of 2013:

From the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Feed Our Vets Receives Two Tons of Donated Food After Local Teams Compete in “Canstruction” Competition at Sangertown Square

Winner Best Use of Labels…Sodexo

UTICA, New York – Feed Our Vets (www.feedourvets.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating hunger among U.S. veterans and their families, received 4,250 pounds of donated food from the first Canstruction project ever held in Central New York. Canstruction is an international hunger campaign that holds building competitions around the globe as a way to restock community food banks.

The cans were donated by the community and fashioned into elaborate structures – such as a canal boat and a house

with a front porch – by teams from GPO Federal Credit Union, MetLife, Sodexo and Zion Lutheran Church. Each team had to use at least 500 cans, and each project had to be at least eight feet tall. The food was then given to Feed Our Vets for its food pantries, and also to the Greater Utica Community Food Resource, Inc.

Zion Lutheran Church’s Youth Group assist building the Erie Canal Packet Boat.

“We were honored to be a recipient of this exciting charity event,” said Richard Synek, founder and Executive Director of Feed Our Vets. “Canstruction is a very successful campaign calling attention to the hunger needs in our country and meeting those needs in a very fun and creative way. We are grateful to the organizers and the teams that competed on our behalf, and for the platform Canstruction provided us to share the specific needs of U.S. veterans with the public.”

Nearly three million American soldiers and their families don’t have enough to eat each month. More than 100,000 veterans are homeless and hungry on any given night, and nearly 1.5 million are at risk of becoming homeless and hungry. Synek said the 4,250 pounds of food generated by the Canstruction competition would provide 3,000 meals to veterans and their families.

Winner People’s Choice, Best Meal, and Juror’s Favorite..Zion Lutheran Church.

Founded specifically to reduce hunger among American heroes, Feed Our Vets operates food pantries in Utica and Watertown, and a mobile pantry that distributes food to veterans in underserved rural communities in upstate New York. The organization also partners with food pantries nationwide to make sure that veterans have access to sufficient food for themselves and their families, including offering pickup times designated just for veterans.

VA Launches Hotline to Answer Questions on VA Health Care and Benefits for Women Veterans

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new hotline — 1-855-VA-WOMEN — to receive and respond to questions from Veterans, their families and caregivers about the many VA services and resources available to women Veterans. The service began accepting calls on April 23, 2013.

1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636) 

“Some women Veterans may not know about high-quality VA care and services available to them,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The hotline will allow us to field their questions and provide critical information about the latest enhancements in VA services.”

The hotline is staffed by knowledgeable VA employees who can provide information about benefits including health care services for women. Callers can be linked to information on claims, education or health care appointments as well as information about VA cemeteries and memorial benefits. Staff can answer urgent questions and provide referrals to homeless and mental health services as well as provide Vet Center information.

Women make up nearly 15 percent of today’s active duty military and 18 percent of National Guard and Reserve forces. The population of women Veterans using VA benefits including health care is growing rapidly. Since 2000, the number of women using VA health care more than doubled, from nearly 160,000 in 2000 to more than 354,000 in 2012. Based on the upward trend of women in all branches of service, the number of women Veterans—and female VA users—will keep climbing.

VA is committed to making improvements for the growing population of women Veterans, including the way it communicates with them. In 2010, VA established an outbound call center to contact women Veterans and encourage them to enroll in VA health care.

“In VA health care alone, women constitute only 6 percent of VA patients, but those Veterans have a high perception of the quality care they are receiving,” said Irene Trowell-Harris, director of VA’s Center for Women Veterans.

“Many women who served don’t self-identify as Veterans and therefore don’t think they qualify for VA benefits. We need to correct existing misinformation and misperceptions so we can serve more women Veterans with the benefits they’ve earned.”

Women Veterans are entitled to apply for the same benefits as their male counterparts, which include health care and pharmacy benefits as well as education benefits, disability compensation, home loans, employment assistance and more.

The hotline (1-855-VA-WOMEN) joins numerous other VA hotlines that provide critical information and assistance to Veterans, such as those for Veterans in crisis and in danger of becoming homeless. Veterans can also receive information and apply for benefits online at VA’s www.eBenefits.va.gov and manage their health care at MyHealtheVet.va.gov.