Weekly Report 🎖
Veteran Wellness Coalition | Vietnam War Veterans Day | TVLC | FDVA
REMEMBER REMEMBER
The Commanders Coalition is only a VOICE for Veterans Service Organizations. We are not a 501(c)(19). Every veteran deserves a VSO, and the Coalition works hard to find them one. We do not favor ANY particular VSO. We report what we receive.
If the Commanders Coalition only receives emails from a handful of organizations, guess which organizations our readers are going to consider joining?
There is a Vietnam veteran right now wishing they could talk with other Vietnam veterans.
There is a female veteran who wants to meet other female vets.
There is a blind veteran who wants to connect with other blind veterans.
There is a Purple Heart recipient who wants to connect with other Purple Heart veterans.
There are thousands of war veterans who need a community.
There are military spouses who want to join a community of their own. We have plenty of VSO auxiliary units that can give them a home.
Email us your VSO news and events
Thank you for the work you do for Veterans in our community.
In your service,
Edward W. Hood
Commanders Coalition
We’re asking for your help in securing critical funding for key Florida American Legion programs in the 2025 state budget. These initiatives are essential to our mission, and your support is vital in advocating for their continued funding.
Please refer to the attached flyers for more details on the two programs outlined below. We kindly ask you to take a few moments to email or call the elected officials listed and express your support for these important budget priorities:
Florida American Legion Boys State
Request: $200,000 in non-recurring funding within the Higher Education Budget
House Request Form 2132 (Rep. Salzman)
Senate Project 1475 (Sen. Collins)
Current Status: Fully funded in the House budget, not included in the Senate budget.
Action Needed:
Contact Senator Gayle Harrell, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Budget Committee, at 850-487-5031, and urge full funding.
Contact Representative Demi Busatta Cabrera, Chair of the House Higher Education Budget Committee, at 850-717-5114, to thank her for including this funding and ask her to protect it during negotiations.
American Legion National Convention Transportation
Request: $250,000 in non-recurring funding
House Request Form 1794 (Rep. Salzman)
Senate Project 1475 (Sen. Collins)
Current Status: Funded at $125,000 in the House budget; not included in the Senate budget.
Action Needed:
Contact Senator Nick DiCeglie, Chair of the Transportation Budget Committee, at 850-487-5018, and urge full funding.
Contact Representative Jason Shoaf, Chair of the House Transportation Budget Committee, at 850-717-5007, to thank him for the included funding and request that he advocate for full support during negotiations.
Why Your Calls Matter
Your voice can make a real difference. When contacting officials, be respectful and to the point. Introduce yourself and your connection to the American Legion or your local community. Clearly state which program you’re supporting and why it matters to you. End by thanking them for their service and consideration.
Advocacy works best when it’s personal, thoughtful, and persistent. Your engagement can help ensure these vital programs receive the funding they need.
With sincere respect and appreciation,
Bruce E. Comer
Department Adjutant
NORTH FLORIDA SOUTH GEORGIA VETERAN WELLNESS COALITION UPCOMING MEETING
Agenda attached.
Location: American Legion Lake Ella and via Zoom (see below).
Time: 12 pm
We will be limited to 40 minutes, so please be brief and brilliant!
Respectfully,
Mike Hazell
Interim Chair
North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Wellness Coalition
At yesterday’s Legal Clinic at Lk Ella (Thursday), our volunteer team totaled 19 (including 4 attorneys), assisting 14 Veterans and family members in person plus 3 Veterans in phone responses who couldn’t come to the in-person clinic! Cases again included several county and state jurisdictions outside Leon, and requests included for four wills, wheelchair ramp, and guardianship issues. More Vets asked for Driver’s license assistance with appointments pending for reissuance this next week!. Our truck broke down last week, but kudo’s to Veteran Bruce Ballister for offering to drive his truck tomorrow to pick up and transport food from Quincy, with Khalid Shafi and Dexter White.
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 and Margaret Deciano for the consistent volunteer administrative work at the computer/files table with Susie throughout our Clinic sessions.
Three new volunteers are signing up to become Veteran Mentors for the Leon County Veterans Treatment Court! The Florida Legislature has started passing Veterans-friendly legislation (more than a dozen of the bills already) thru committee hearings and several now have even passed the full floor of one or the other chamber. If you want to know more, we can help you track any of 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 84,000 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.
What else?
Thank you,
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative
Florida Department of Veterans Affairs
Good afternoon,
Thank you for planning on joining us for Military and Veterans Appreciation Day at the Capitol. There will be a reception on April 1 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on the 22nd floor of the Capitol Building.
On April 2, Military and Veterans Appreciation Day will begin at 9:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM. This is a change from the original flyer sent out. The event will take place on the 3rd floor rotunda.
At 3:00 PM, after our event in the rotunda, there will be a showing of "The Blue Angels" at the Challenger Learning Center. Please feel free to join us if you do not need to get on the road in a hurry. The Challenger Learning Center is located at 200 S. Duval St., next to Kleman Plaza.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
My cell is: (727) 612-7080
Email: mitchell.mccombs@fdva.fl.gov
We look forward to seeing everyone!
Thanks so much,
Mitch McCombs