One-Stop
for Veterans
& Military
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Celebration and Reflection on
Family, Service and Sacrifice
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The many special dates on the calendar in May brought great celebration and reflection this month. Allow me to highlight just a few.
On May 5, we marked Military Spouse Appreciation Day. The spouses of our military heroes face many unique challenges as they support their service member serving our nation, not the least of which is the hardship of managing and maintaining a career of their own as they transition from one duty station to another.
As the nation enjoys historically low unemployment of less than five percent, our military spouses do not. They face
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nationwide unemployment of 16 to 24 percent, depending on
which survey you read, and underemployment averaging 56 percent. These stats are unacceptable and negatively impact quality of life for military and veteran families. The Mt. Carmel team is doing its part to combat this inequality.
In partnership with regional ABC affiliate KRDO and the MilHousing Network, we hosted the National MilSpouse Career Summit with live-webcast from Mt. Carmel. The effort was carried via webcast to ABC affiliate pages in 13 cities with large military and veteran communities.
The effort featured employers and resources responding to audience questions submitted over social media. Bringing awareness and viable employment options to a wide audience is one positive step we have taken. Video of the informative and inspiring event is posted to our website at
veteranscenter.org
As we near Memorial Day, we will pause and take a knee to honor our brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice so we could live free and bountiful lives. With several inspiring community services on that day, please find an appropriate moment to honor all who died in service to our nation.
And finally, May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. As more veterans return from the fight, forward operating locations, extended tours and the hardship of multiple deployments – I take comfort that our nation is embracing a veteran community with both seen and unseen injuries.
The impact of post-traumatic stress is no less of an injury, and I’m heartened by improved national understanding, and especially the growth of our own Mt. Carmel programs in this area.
If you know a service member, veteran or a family member in need of support in the behavioral health area, please encourage them to contact Mt. Carmel so that we can provide a hand-up through our Health and Wellness services.
We offer many forms of therapy including individual, couple, youth and family counseling, as well as many alternative therapies (art, photo, tai-chi, yoga), support groups and retreats to assist with the unique behavioral health care needs of our veteran and military community.
By Col. Bob McLaughlin, U.S. Army, Retired
Chief Operating Officer
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Great Resources for the
Career-focused Military Spouse
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In celebration of National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, three resources for the
career-minded military spouse are available:
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Veteran Small Business is Big Business to Mt. Carmel
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We proudly joined Pikes Peak Region Small Business Week celebrations as sponsor of the Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year Award. Over 7,000 local businesses are 51 percent veteran-owned with another 2,100 veteran-partnerships. Retired Army Col. Bob McLaughlin, Mt. Carmel Chief Operating Officer, presented the award to Air Force Veteran & Military Spouse Rodney Gullette, Jr, owner of Firma I.T. Solutions, a Colorado Springs cyber security company dedicated to helping those under attack, reducing risk of data breach, and more. Congratulations, Rodney!
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Community Hears Purpose, Goals, Impact of Mt. Carmel
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Founder Jay Cimino shares the Mt. Carmel story with guests May 7 at our Lunch & Learn highlighting program sponsorship opportunities. Speakers included Army Veteran & Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Lead Security Officer, Jason Pallotta; Mt. Carmel COO, Ret. Army Col. Bob McLaughlin; and Air Force Veteran, Integrity Bank & Trust Wealth Management Officer, and Mt. Carmel Board Member, Larry Dozier.
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At Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, we believe military heroes need
a hand-up, not a handout. You can play an important role and have a
direct impact on thousands of veterans in our community!
Donate today to help provide vital services,
programs and resources.
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Mt. Carmel Honors Gold Star Families
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Mt. Carmel, in partnership with Springs Dentistry, was proud to provide dental care for 12 Gold Star children who each lost a parent in combat service to the nation. “When we hear about tragic loss, our community goes through a time of shock and grief,” said Dr. Jessica Duru, owner and general dentist. “But, as time goes on, it’s important to recognize families who have sacrificed so much, and then honor them however we can.” On April 4, Dr. Duru and her 23-member team provided over $17,000 in care and follow-up services in their “Smiles For Kids” social impact effort.
“There was a young girl who taught Dr. Lydiatt to hula-dance,” said Dr. Duru. “The widows and their children were so appreciative of us, but really, we’re so grateful to them.”
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Notes from Those We Serve
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Coast Guard Veteran Chris Conley
Congratulations to Coast Guard Veteran Chris Conley! Chris was recently hired by global firm Booze Allen Hamilton to assist with the new U.S. Space Command initiative. The former MH-60J Jayhawk and MH-65D Dolphin pilot is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy and served as a Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. In summer 2019, Chris transitioned from U.S. Africa Command in Germany to Colorado Springs, retiring from the service in November. “It was hard to jump-start my networking having arrived from overseas,” said Chris. “I was reaching back to neighbors I knew here eight years ago.” Chris and his spouse quickly connected to the best resources for transitioning veterans and military spouses - Mt. Carmel’s Peer Navigators and our partnered advanced jobseeker and career transition course, Prep Connect 360. “These services were great; the interview preparation and self-discovery was helpful, but at that point, my urgent focus was to find a job. PC360 clearly had a positive impact on my interview skills, but just knowing Mt. Carmel was here gave me confidence that a team had my back. Knowing you were there for my wife as well alleviated a lot of pressure. It allowed me to keep a positive outlook on my entire transition. I knew if plan B didn’t work out, I would return to my Peer Navigator at Mt. Carmel and there would be a Plan C, D and E. I was never worried. That’s what Mt. Carmel did for me,” said Chris.
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Military Spouse Lisa Keenan
Congratulations to Lisa Keenan! The military spouse recently began her dream job as a research assistant at the UCCS College of Business Economic Forum. Lisa credits Mt. Carmel and our partners with much of her job search success. Grateful to return to Colorado Springs following her family’s military assignment in Europe, Lisa arrived with a long-term mindset. “We love this community and are so excited to be a part of it; this is home, and my goal was to find a career that allows me to give back in a way that draws on my skills.” Lisa assessed available resources including Mt. Carmel’s MilSpouse Career Program, life coaching services, and our partnered Prep Connect 360 Advanced Job Seeker and Transition Course. “These are high-level programs that provide critical skills,” said Lisa. “They emphasize personal strengths and interests, and how and when to re-brand yourself in a career search vs. adapting to the first job you’re offered.” Through a rapidly-expanding professional network, Lisa was encouraged to apply for her current role with UCCS. “Economics touches everything in our community, and as a public policy professional, this opportunity is so exciting to me,” said Lisa. “I would definitely advise any military spouse to visit Mt. Carmel, to attend PC360, and really, to take advantage of all resources available. This is a tight job market, and your professional network and jobseeker skills need to be effective.”
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Looking for a Way to Honor a Loved One?
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Honor a loved one or show your support of a veteran friend or family member by purchasing a brick or paver, featured as part of our Veterans Tribute Walkway on the Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center campus.
The proceeds are used to continue providing our essential veterans services. Bricks range from $175 - $200; Pavers from $750 - $850. They can even be personalized with military emblems.
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To order your brick or paver,
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King Soopers Community Rewards Helps Veterans
SPREAD THE WORD:
Help Veterans *JUST* by using your King Soopers or City Market Card - after you select us online (in just a few clicks)…and there is no impact to your fuel points. Click
here
for details.
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Are You Listening to the Award-Winning Veterans Voice?
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The Mt. Carmel Veterans Voice Podcast was named first place at the Colorado Broadcaster Association Awards of Excellence April 12 in the Best use of New Media Category!
The bi-monthly radio show is a podcast and broadcast on KRDO Radio. Veterans Voice is Hosted by KRDO personality and Navy Veteran Mike Lewis, presented by USAA in partnership with Star Dental Institute.
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Have You Met Our Partners?
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Mt. Carmel extends a warm welcome to our new Community Partners who have joined our in-house team or will be joining the team in the weeks to come:
Volunteers of America, Colorado Springs Branch: They will occupy the office space in our sister building (565) starting May 1
st. Though they are not exclusive to Veterans, nor do they give them “priority”, they do provide much needed housing assistance to clients who have a history of judicial involvement and are facing homelessness (i.e our Veterans Climb clients). Referrals to them must be through the Department of Corrections or through the coordinated entry system. They are VERY open to working hand in hand with Mt. Carmel and are excited to help our clients and in return, send clients to us for additional services that they are unable to provide.
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Peak Vista Community Health: Peak Vista Outreach Coordinator, Ana Mendoza, and her colleagues are in our lobby every Wednesday morning from 8am-noon (at the shared partner table). They are here to screen and counsel clients who have medical insurance but are facing barriers when it comes to receiving care.
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Mission Medical: They will be in our lobby the 3
rd Tuesday of every month starting May 21
st (at the shared partner table). Mission Medical provides FREE medical, dental and vision care to clients who meet a particular income threshold who do NOT have insurance. They will screen clients here and provide the necessary paperwork and directions to get them to their main building for care. They will also bring hygiene items with them to distribute to our clients for free.
The WAY: They occupy the office next to Lisa and provide value based, non-urgent transportation to clients. Though they are not exclusive to Veterans, they are a Service Disabled Veteran business and they want to help our clients who are facing challenges with transportation and provide referrals to us through the many nursing and care homes in the area where there are a significant number of Veterans who need services like ours.
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Veterans Optometry Partners of America (VOPA):
Now performing annual eye exams and providing eyeglasses for military, veterans, families - and all other members of the community - at Mt. Carmel! Led by Keegan Meyer and his team, formerly of Abba Eyecare, the effort helps veterans access their covered, annual free VA eye exam and a free pair of glasses. They provide comprehensive annual eye examinations to veterans through their insurance (i.e. VA patients receive a voucher annually for an eye exam and can be referred to VOPA through Tri-West to be seen here). Their first clinic day will be May 27. VA patients just need to call their PCM at the VA and ask for a referral to see VOPA at Mt. Carmel for their annual exam (then they have to wait for the Tri-West process to get their appointment, as they do with other referrals). Click
here
to start the process.
Forbush Legal:
They will have office hours every Friday from Noon to 1 pm and will provide legal services (advice, not representation). Their mission is to help individuals, families and entrepreneurs protect their loved ones, preserve their wealth, save taxes, and perpetuate philanthropy.
**The following partners are on board with the Mt. Carmel team and though they don’t have office hours here, they will be hosting a variety of classes:
AAFMAA:
Provide financial planning, investment management and trust services.
Care and Share:
They will be hosting healthy cooking classes on a budget. Their mission is to bridge the gap between hunger and abundance and to provide food, partnering opportunities, and education to fight hunger and food insecurity in Southern Colorado communities.
VA Clinical Education Services:
Hosting classes on Chronic Disease Self-Management.
MLREinvestments LLC:
Hosting seminars for Military and Veterans using their VA Home Loan who are in jeopardy of defaulting on their loan.
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Mt. Carmel is Going to the Fair
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Mt. Carmel is proud to join City of Fountain Mayor Gabe Ortega and the Peak Military Care Network to conduct the Fountain Community Veterans Fair,
June 8, 9 am - 3 pm at the Welte Education Center off of HWY 85/87
. The event, supported by many community partners, focuses on Quality of Life, Health and Wellness, and Employment. In addition to resource booths, a number of employers with open/ready-to-hire positions will attend.
Learn more
here
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We're Preparing for the BIG ONE of '19
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It’s the big one of 2019 – the Super Bowl of job fairs: The Military, Veterans & Spouses Employment Exposition with more than 180 employers in all major career sectors is
May 29
. Are you ready? We can help with resumés, LinkedIn, the elevator pitch and your networking skills. In addition, Mt. Carmel and our partners at the Pikes Peak Workforce Center offer a variety of classes to prepare.
Learn more at
veteranscenter.org
; employers and jobs listed at
ppwfc.org
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Sign-up for the Half-Day Equine Retreat!
No-cost Half-day Equine Therapy Event for all Mt. Carmel Military & Veteran clients (of any service - new & existing clients).
June 8/Penrose Event Center/7:30 am - Noon
. Pre-register:
awestphal@mtcarmelcenter.org
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Welcome Marcia Mitchell, our
new Controller
Marcia Mitchell joined Mt. Carmel of Colorado as Controller serving our Veterans Service Center as well as our sister operation in Trinidad - Mt. Carmel Wellness & Community Center. She has a M.S. degree in accounting and over 15 years’ experience working with non-profit organizations in the Colorado Springs area including health care and science education organizations. Having recently completed the AICPA’s Not-for-Profit certificate program, she is excited about working with the team to strengthen systems and processes and develop a financial model for organizational sustainability. The daughter of a career Marine and Vietnam veteran, Marcia has lived on both coasts but decided to settle in beautiful Colorado 25 years ago after visiting it in a cross-country motorcycle trek. She loves to walk her dachshund dogs, go on road trips, and tries to do something creative every day with paper and paint.
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Farewell, Randall Stubbs!
As Mt. Carmel’s philanthropy consultant, Randall, led efforts to professionalize philanthropic efforts through strategic planning, platform development, close work with board members and more. Randall will continue in the community as a private philanthropy consultant. We wish him well and remain forever grateful for all he has done to help Mt. Carmel. “It’s an extraordinary achievement, and a testament to the leadership, vision and mission that Mt. Carmel, as a relatively new non-profit, has received support from many of the biggest names in the state known for philanthropic support,” said Randall. “Watching this organization establish and develop conversations with incredible organizations that may lead to incredible opportunities as been an honor and a privilege.”
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Help Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center while buying things
you would normally purchase. Sign up for
AmazonSmile
.
AmazonSmile
is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Simply choose Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center as the charity of your choice
, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible
AmazonSmile
purchases to help veterans, military and their families. It's that easy!
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Therapeutic/Trauma Focus Tai Chi
May 25, 10 - 11 am
Spiritual Coverage
Meet with a Chaplain
May 27, 10 am - 2 pm
Spiritual Connection Group
Non-denominational discussion of spirituality
May 28, Noon - 1 pm
Veteran-X PTS-focused Group
May 28, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Yoga, PT/Trauma Relief-focus
May 28, 5 - 6 pm
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FREE Medical Care for uninsured, under-insured & low-income individuals/families.
Primary Care, Dental, Vision, Behavioral Health, Diabetes and more. Free eligibility screenings at Mt. Carmel in partnership with Mission Medical Center. No appointment necessary.
May 28, 10 am - 2 pm
Create a Better Resume Workshop
Pre-register & instructions: (719) 772-7000
May 28, 1 - 3 pm
Military, Veterans, Spouses Employment Expo
180+ Employers at the Colorado Springs Event Center, 3960 Palmer Park Blvd
May 29, 10 am - 3 pm
Warriors First
Support group for justice-involved veterans
May 29, 4 - 5 pm
Art Therapy
Promoting stress relief and self-healing
May 29, 5 - 7 pm
Pointman Ministries
May 29, 6 - 8 pm
PTS Support Group
May 30, 10 - 11 am
City of Fountain Veterans Community Resource Fair
Welte Center, Fountain
June 8, 9 am - 3 pm
Half-Day Equine Therapy for all Mil & Vets
Pre-register: awestphal@mtcarmelcenter.org
June 8, 7:30 am - Noon
Career Networking Event at Red Leg Brewing Company
June 13, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Employer Day – Peak Vista Healthcare Communities
June 19, 10 am - 2 pm
Mock Interviews
June 21, 10 am - Noon
Employer Day – Enterprise
June 26, 10 am - 2 pm
Create a Better Resume Workshop
Pre-register: (719) 772-7000
June 26, 1 - 3 pm
Prep Connect 360 Transition Workshop
Pre-register: (719) 772-7000
July 8 - 12
Industry Day with IT and Project Management Opportunities
July 10
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