February Newsletter

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Minority and Underrepresented Veterans Division

February Monthly Message

Deputy Secretary Xóchitl Rodriguez Murillo's Message

Dear Fellow Veterans and Community,

Our division is preparing to honor Black History Month (BHM) with a spotlight on veterans who served our country and contributed to the empowerment of Black and African American veterans. The celebration of BHM was founded in 1915 and was subsequently designated a theme every year. The theme for this year is Black Health and Wellness, and it recognizes initiatives and individuals that support the well-being of black communities. Are you a veteran, or know of a veteran who has contributed to this effort? Reach out us, we would love to feature their story on our CalVet Connect blog.

Speaking of wellness, you may have received the memo on the free COVID test kits available to all families through the United States Postal Service (USPS). If not, be sure to visit https://special.usps.com/testkits, and sign up for your free test kit – you will receive a test kit containing four (4) tests. By the way, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced that they are working to make testing more accessible to veterans at home. We are following this effort closely… stay tuned!

Finally, I want to take the time to share exciting news on a new state law that took effect this year, pertaining to the CalVet Veterans Home Loan Program. The program is now revamped and equipped to better serve a broader population of California veterans. As of this year, the program offers more competitive market rates, which will lower monthly payments and increase the veteran’s buying power. To those California veterans looking to refinance, the program now offers the option to refinance at rates closer to those offered by private sector lenders. For more information on CalVet Home Loans, visit: https://www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/home-loans.

Stay in touch, and visit us at https://www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/minority-veterans. We will keep you posted on news and events throughout the month. Stay safe!

Sincerely,

Xóchitl Rodriguez Murillo

Deputy Secretary

Minority and Underrepresented Veterans Division

After Action

Webinar Recording:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/SePCKiBJbJCyZEBz-Jc17Z9Td70KiGQmSJLXu55eGTsKqFLXKDBhaM9JLBHAPrQ-.EVc7kMY6h2qehMkf

Access Passcode: 6XOB5h!N

Missing and Murdered Indigenous People: Raising Awareness for Veteran Service Providers

Our division hosted an informational webinar, Missing and Murdered Indigenous people: Raising Awareness for Veterans Service Providers, on January 20, 2022 in recognition of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This webinar brought together national, state, and tribal leaders to discuss how the veteran community can best support the efforts of connecting Native American veteran survivors and their families to resources and benefits. This topic was clearly important to our veteran community as we had over 250 registrants and 125 attendees on the day of the webinar.

Upcoming Events

Join Foundation for Women Warriors on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 6:30pm PT for a special online screening of the Six Triple Eight documentary.

THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT SPECIAL SCREENING

In February 1945, the U.S. Army sent 855 black women from the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) to England and France to clear the backlog of mail in the European Theater of Operations. The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the Six Triple Eight, was the only all-black female battalion to serve in Europe during WWII. Confronted with racism and sexism from their own leadership and troops, they served with honor and distinction completing their mission in six months. By war’s end, the Six Triple Eight had cleared over 17 million pieces of backlogged mail ensuring the troops stayed in touch with their loved ones back home. The last of the women returned home in March 1946.