Weekly Report 🎖
TVLC | Legacy Memorial | Chiles Baseball Timberwolves Military Appreciation Night
At yesterday’s Legal Clinic at Lk Ella, our volunteer team totaled 19 (including 5 attorneys), assisting 22 Veterans and family members in person plus 8 Veterans in phone responses! Cases again included several county and state jurisdictions outside Leon! Kudos to the food distribution team today including Khalid Shafi, Margaret, new volunteers Keith and Jevon.
The Commanders Coalition met Wednesday for another successful monthly meeting, with new participants and several of our TVLC Board participating again. The Leon Co Veterans Treatment Court is in session 3 pm this next Monday at the Leon County Courthouse downtown, Courtroom 2E and you are again encouraged to come observe when you can. We still need more Veteran Mentors to give one on one contact with Vets trying to recover from substances or other treatment needs.
More Vets called in again this week or responded online from around the state, and we instructed them to come to Thursday Clinics or, if outside Leon or the State, to look for local Veteran services. Thanks to Susie C., Omar and others for helping respond to this week’s phone and website calls for help/info (Veterans in prison, NW Fl, etc.). And thanks to Khalid Shafi, Kathy Glasson, and Margaret Deciano for the consistent volunteer administrative work at the computer/files table with Susie throughout our Clinic sessions.
The Florida Legislature has started holding committee hearings on Veterans legislation every day.. If you want to know more, we can help you track them these next two months. We’ve identified more than forty bills already (and that does not include local funding requests).
Call your friends who work for the federal VA to let them know they’re appreciated and give them your contact info in case they lose their VA cell number amidst the funding cuts, layoffs and firings that are including probationary employees, as well as former military Veterans in a variety of specialties (and the latest projections target some 83,000 VA jobs and programs to be cut!) And be sure to let us know about parttime job opportunities for Veterans on subsistence, as well as any emergency housing, shared rentals, etc. since housing is still scarce and services are delayed via waiting lists.
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative
Special thanks to Craig Benner for the following information
K-9 Veterans Day - March 13
Operation Iraqi Freedom Day - March 19
National Medal of Honor Day - March 25
Vietnam Veterans Day or Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day - March 29
NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR VETERANS DAY – MARCH 29
In 2025, Florida will host The Wall That Heals, a traveling exhibit honoring Vietnam veterans, in Sebring and Kissimmee. The exhibit will also visit other cities across the United States. The Wall That Heals exhibit includes a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center. The 30th season of The Wall That Heals will begin on March 6, 2025. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, choosing every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
National Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29 - VWC PSA on Vimeo
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
This Traveling Memorial stands as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It was made for the purpose of helping heal and rekindle friendships and to allow people the opportunity to visit loved ones in their hometown who otherwise may not be able to make the trip to Washington.
Vietnam Voices - Thursday, April 17th - Monday, April 21st (2025) NEFL Fairgrounds 543378 US 1 Callahan FL
Vietnam Veterans Gathering host the Wall at Crystal Har - Thursday, April 24th - Monday, April 28th (2025) - Crystal Harley 1147 Suncoast Blvd Homosassa FL
Florida's 37th All Veterans Reunion - May 4th - May 11th • Location: Wickham Park 2500 Parkway Dr, Melbourne FL
Emergency care is now available by phone for veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.
https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2025/va-emergency-care-by-phone-goes-national/
VA expands access to Veterans Legacy Memorial, allowing Veterans to chronicle their life story
The new “Your Story, Your Legacy” feature will allow Veterans who have been approved for VA’s pre-need eligibility determination for burial in a VA national cemetery to log in to a secure website where they can privately submit images, autobiographies, military and life milestones, and historical documents.
TALLAHASSEE - Chiles Timberwolves Baseball Military Appreciation Night
On behalf of Mr. Burgess, Principal and Coach Eto, Athletic Director, please find the attached invitation to honor our local military service members and Veterans at next Friday night’s Military Appreciation baseball game. The Chiles Baseball team would be honored if you would attend this game on Friday, March 7th, 2025. Lawton Chiles High School is found at 7200 Lawton Chiles Ln, Tallahassee, FL 32312
The game starts at 6:00 p.m. Please arrive by 5:15 p.m. for a meet and greet before the ceremony at 5:30 p.m.