| Resources Below are a collection of resources we have put together as we have discovered them. Resource section headings include: New (meaning "just added"); child and family; education, employment and job training; health; information and referral; and other. Local Montcalm County resources are also on-line at www.montcalm.org/resources.asp (click search option one then check the "Military Related" box). Click here for the resource handout distributed at the November 2, 2010 event. We will be working to share/integrate these and other resources with the pending 211 services and existing military-related services to ensure consistency and comprehensiveness of information. SECTION 1: **NEW** RESOURCES Veterans Court: For more information on eligibility, services, and ways to support the program and its participants, contact Ron Morseau at 64A District Court at (616) 527-5396 Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA): Under the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) program, Veterans with service-connected disabilities or Veterans with non-service-connected disabilities may receive assistance for any home improvement necessary for the continuation of treatment or for disability access to the home and essential lavatory and sanitary facilities. A HISA grant is available to Veterans who have received a medical determination indicating that improvements and structural alterations are necessary or appropriate for the effective and economical treatment of his/her disability. A Veteran may receive both a HISA grant and either a Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant or a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant. For more information, visit http://www.prosthetics.va.gov/HISA2.asp. Montcalm Community College Student Veteran Club: A recently formed group for college student veterans at the Montcalm Community College Sidney campus. Other student clubs exist at other community colleges, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Click here for more infromation about the group including contact persons and meeting schedule. (Posted 6/13/11). The Gratitude Campaign- A little something we all need to remember, to say, "Thank You!" This is pretty neat.....(30 second You Tube video ). Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and you wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how or it felt awkward? Recently, a gentleman from Seattle created a gesture ("thank you" in sign language) which could be used and has started a movement to get the word out. Watch The Gratitude Campaign and forward it to your friends! http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php Military Families: Access to Care for Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve, Veterans, Their Families, and Those Close to Them- This is a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Recovery Month Webcast. Premiered 5/4/11. Click here for link to program and related materials/resources. Vet Center: Vet Centers provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to all veterans who served in a Combat Theatre, experienced sexual harassment/trauma, or breeavement for families of military service members who died in/from the service of their country. Services are also available for their family members for military related issues. Veterans have earned these benefits through their servie and all are provided at no cost to the veteran or family. The Department of Veteran Affairs Vet Center program operates a system of community-based counseling centers throughout Michigan. The Vet Centers are staffed by small multi-disciplinary teams of dedicated providers, many of whom are combat veterans themselves. The Grand Rapids location is at 2050 Breton in Grand Rapids. Please call (616) 285-5795 for more information. SECTION 2: CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORTS American Legion Department of Michigan "Reconnect Committee"- Provides support and reintegration assistance for our Veterans and returning troops. Families of deployed service personnel that need help can call their local American Legion Post or the National Hotline at 1-800-504-4098. American Red Cross of Greater Grand Rapids- Services to the Armed Forces. Visit their website to learn more about the many services they provide to military service members and their families. The Chapter's service area includes Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, and Ottawa Counties. Click here for the "Get to Know Us Before You Need Us" brochure describing services and supports they offer to U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Family Assistance Centers: The Grand Valley Family Assistance Center out of Wyoming, Michigan has Montcalm and Ionia Counties in its service region. Click here to see a list of Centers throughout Michigan. This list was distributed at the November 2, 2010 local event. They can provide assistance to all military families throughout Michigan regardless of military service branch. Other supports are also listed in the document. Military and Family Life Consultant Program. Supports service members and their families. Provides short term, situational, problem-solving counseling services to service members and their families. Services are provided to individuals, couples, families, and groups. The Child and Youth Behavioral Program is a component of the larger program and addresses military impact on children. Available to all military branches. Contacts are listed on the Family Assistance Centers handout above. Blue Star Mothers of Ionia, Kent and Montcalm Counties, Chapter # 188- This local organization is for mothers who now have, or have had, children honorably serving in the military. To learn more about the local chapter, contact Kathy Barnes at (989) 814-0650 or Debbie Rasmussen at (616) 824-5306. Click here to read the local Northeast Advance (Grand Rapids Press) article published March 10, 2011. Click here to read the April 7, 2011 Ionia Sentinel Standard newspaper article. Click here to read the April 13, 2011 Daily News Article. They meet monthly. The national Blue Star Mothers of America Inc. organization is online at www.bluestarmothers.org. Point Man International Ministries- This faith-based organization is international with a local presence. Providing personal support for veterans in Montcalm County, services include printed resources, group sessions, family supports, and linkages to other veteran-related resources. Their website is www.pointmanintl.org. For more information, contact Ben Webster at (989) 584-6201. Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)- National organization caring for the families of the fallen, TAPS is the 24/7 tragedy assistance resource for ANYONE who has suffered the loss of a military loved one, regardless of the relationship to the deceased or the circumstance of the death. TAPS provides comfort and care through comprehensive services and programs including peer based emotional support, case work assistance, crisis intervention, and grief and trauma resources. Our National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief camp has been held annually since 1994. TAPS also conducts regional Survivor Seminars and Good Grief Camps at locations across the country. If you are suffering the loss of a military loved one, or if you know someone who can use our support, please call our toll-free hotline at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277) or go online to www.taps.org Ele's Place- A nonprofit organization with a mission to create awareness of and support for grieving children and their families. Through peer support group programs, Ele’s Place helps children to cope with the death or life-threatening illness of a parent, sibling or other close family member or friend. Ele’s Place is committed to reaching out to all grieving children and their families throughout the Lansing and Ann Arbor regions, and provides group support services at no charge. Children aged three to 18 and their parents or guardians are welcome, as well as young adults independently. Visit them on-line at www.elesplace.org or call (517) 482-1315. Association for Children's Mental Health (Michigan)- ACMH has identified a need to provide support, infromation, and resources to families of youth with behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges who have family members deployed in the military or who are recently returning from a deployment. Their quarterly newsletter features resources in a "Military Family Corner." For more information about the supports/resources available for military families, please contact ACMH at 1-888-ACMH-KID or visit them online at www.acmh-mi.org.
VFW National Home for Children- Located in Eaton Rapids, Michigan this organization provides personal information and referral assistance as a gateway to help for any military family through their helpline number which is 1-800-313-4200. They also offer several programs including military family, veteran family, single parent, and residential including housing. Their website is www.vfwnationalhome.org. Volunteers of America Michigan- They provide six different homeless veterans programs in Michigan. They also provide employment services and related supports. Call (517) 489-5291 or find them online at www.voami.org. They are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/voami. Our Military Kids- Provides substantial (financial) support in the form of grants to children of National Guard and Military Reserve personnel who are currently deployed overseas, as well as the children of Wounded Warriors in all branches. Grants pay for participation in extracurricular activities and tutoring programs that nurture and sustain children while a parent is away in service to our country or recovering from injury. For more information, visit www.ourmilitarykids.org or call (866) 691-6654.
SECTION 3: EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND JOB TRAINING RESOURCES Goodwill Industries has a Veterans Workforce Investment Program that addresses the unique needs of veterans seeking employment. Serving Clare, Gladwin, Ionia, Isabella, Mecosta, Montcalm and Oseola Counties. Specifically, they have Operation Green Jobs, a Veterans Workforce Investment Program. Goodwill assists eligible veterans in a variety of areas relating to job training, placement, and retention with an emphasis on "green" career fields. Those who have been dishonorably discharged cannot participate. Call (231) 206-0127 for more information. VetBizCentral: "Providing veterans the right information for starting or expanding their businesses." On-line at www.vetbizcentral.com or call 1-866-257-8387. They serve Michigan as one of their states, with a Flint office. Michigan VFW Job Info Website: For a listing of vet-friendly, registered employers and the most up to date information on job fairs, visit www.vfwmi.org/veteranjobs.htm Helping Military Spouses Acquire MyCAA Approved Training for Rewarding
and Portable Careers- Program offers certification training opportunities to military spouses. Our programs, offered through Florida Gulf Coast University qualify for MyCAA grant funds. Therefore, eligible spouses can utilize their funds to pay 100% of the tuition for the programs. Spouses may choose between Pharmacy Technician or Medical Front Office/Billing & Coding Certifications. The programs can be completed from home in about six months. Once they've completed the course work, we'll provide vouchers to pay for the certification exams. Under the new MyCAA rules, the grant funds are available to spouses of active duty members and Reserve or National Guard members on Title 10 orders in the ranks of E1-E5, 01-02, W1-W2. Due to the recent changes to rank eligibility, we also offer financing options, but strongly recommend and utilize grant options.Contact local representative Mary Larsen,Career Development Specialist with The Major Group, Inc. at (616) 824 1609 mary.larsen@tmgmajorgroup.com, on-line at www.tmgmajorgroup.com SECTION 4: HEALTH RESOURCES Local Loan Programs for Durable Medical Equipment: American Legion Post 101 (Greenville) has durable medical equipment for loan. They ask for a $10 deposit that will be refunded when brought back, $25 for wheelchairs. This source is available to anyone, not just military. All of the equipment seems in good shape, even new looking and they have large supply. They expressed it's best to just come in, not call. They open at 2:00 pm every day. VFW Post 5065 (Sheridan) has on loan many items of hospital equipment such as hospital beds, walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, potty chairs, canes, etc... There may be a nominal fee for some items. Call (989) 291-9680 for more information.
Wounded Warriors Traumatic Brain Injury Project. Rehabilitation towards community reintegration for those who served and who sustained a traumatic brain injury. Joint project of Mary Free Bed and Grand Valley State University. For more information, call 1-888-736-0208 or visit www.maryfreebed.com/woundedwarriors. SECTION 5: INFORMATION AND REFERRAL ASSISTANCE Service to Soldiers Legal Assistance Referral Program through Cooley Law School helps service men and women resolve legal problems they face upon return from deployment by matching them with volunteer attorney's across Michigan. Click here for flier with full detail. Better Business Bureau has an agreement with the Department of Defense to offer BBB Military Line, which gears its well-known consumer education and advocacy services to experiences and circumstances unique to the military. As a partner in the Department of Defense (DoD) Financial Readiness Campaign, BBB Military Line® brings BBB services to military personnel (including Reservists and National Guard), retirees, DoD civilians, and their families. Through Memoranda of Understanding with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, and through status as a Coast Guard Qualified Organization, BBB Military Line offers a variety of free services and consumer education to the military via local BBB outreach as well as online at www.bbb.org/us/Military.
"Military OneSource is provided by the Department of Defense at no cost to active duty, Guard and Reserve (regardless of activation status) and their families. It is a virtual extension of installation services. Visit Military OneSource today at www.militaryonesource.com or call 1-800-342-9647." (this is the language they ask you to use when promoting this information). Michigan coordinator is April Clipper, JFSAP Consultant. National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)- Has military partnerships to provide information and assistance for military families. To get help finding and paying for childcare, click here for more information. Note that available funding and requirements for each military branch may vary. The website has other informational resources for families. Their phone number is (703) 341-4100 and their main website is www.naccrra.org. To find Michigan child care and preschool resources, go online at www.greatstartconnect.org or at 1-877-61GREATSTART (this is not military specific) . National Resource Directory provides access to services and resources at the national, state and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration. Visitors can find information on a variety of topics including benefits & compensation, education & training, employment, family & caregiver support, health, homeless assistance, housing, transportation & travel and other services & resources. The NRD is a partnership among the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The information contained within the NRD is from federal, state and local government agencies; Veterans service and benefit organizations; non-profit and community-based organizations; academic institutions and professional associations that provide assistance to wounded warriors and their families.Website: www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov SECTION 6: OTHER SnowCare for Troops is an effort to help families with deployed military personnel keep their snow care needs at bay during winter. For families of active service members, help with shoveling and plowing is just a call away. For those who have a big truck or a strong back, others could use your help. Call 1-888-611-2956 or on-line at www.projectevergreen.com/scft. This was featured on EightWest on WOOD-TV on Thursday, January 20, 2011; TV video interview segment is available on-line at their website. Military Ministry- A division of Campus Crusade for Christ International, Their resources, ministries, and partnerships are all based on the belief that faith makes a differents in the lives of those in harm's way- those who have answered the call to serve their nations and live with the special conditions and stresses of military life, whether on the front lines or on the home front, whether before, during or after deployments into combats. Information is available online at www.militaryministry.org or by calling 1-800-444-6006. Good resources for church involvement.
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