One-Stop
for Veterans
& Military
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The Promises of 2021 as We Celebrate Our 5th Anniversary |
As we embark on 2021, our 5th anniversary supporting the community, we reflect on our history and how far we’ve come. At conception, the idea that would become Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center seemed to be one of almost unimaginable boldness by Jay Cimino. However, the pride we felt during our first quarter of organizational infancy after serving 200 clients proved we were on the right track, and the more than 40,000 client visits since proves we are truly making a difference.
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At the start a new year of service and commitment to our military members, veterans and their families, let me thank our team, including staff members, volunteers, board of directors, ambassadors and partners. Everyone showed incredible drive and passion to bring us to this point. We welcome another year of organizational growth and even greater impact on our community and beyond. Of course, our loyal supporters make this possible, and I’m pleased to report that a recent Social Return on Investment Study completed by the Colorado Institute for Social Impact revealed that for every $1 donated to the VSC, almost $2 in services are given back to the community. We couldn’t be more proud!
For all of us, 2020 was a challenging and disruptive year that transformed the landscape of our day-to-day lives. At Mt. Carmel, our commitment to being a beacon of support for veteran and military families was unwavering and we continued to march on, finding creative ways to serve our community and to give rise to growth and development in every aspect of our organization. We embraced new lessons on strengthening partnerships, broadening communication and the importance of improving programmatic and technological capabilities that will guide our path into the future. This wisdom was the catalyst to developing new processes that allowed us to facilitate nearly 500 job placements, provide grocery assistance to over 5,000 families experiencing food insecurity, implement a center-wide suicide prevention program and support over 10,000 client visits.
Ever evolving, this year promises to be one of expansion and success with new programs, building upgrades and increased service area. We begin with our updated mission statement:
To provide best practices for our military, veterans, and their families with accessible programs, integrated resources, and collaborative partnerships that empower lives and strengthen our community.
We join you in excitement over the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to exchanging these days of constraints for forthcoming ones of comradery. Thank you for your steadfast support and devotion in changing lives. May the months ahead bring you good health, boundless joy and great prosperity. Happy New Year!
By Col. Bob McLaughlin, U.S. Army, Retired
Chief Operating Officer
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Are You Listening to the Award-Winning Veterans Voice? |
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The Mt. Carmel Veterans Voice podcast, presented by USAA, publishes the second and fourth Saturday of each month at 08:00. Veterans Voice features success stories from military, veterans and their families and offers military-related news, information and resources. Veterans Voice is FREE and available to download and listen on-demand, any time.
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Development Team Digging In - Looking
Forward to 2021 Golf Tournament
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With a positive mindset looking into 2021, the Development Team is excited to dig in and plan some great events in support of our mission. We look forward to the next opportunity to gather with our supporters and provide updates on the programs and services that we are expanding and creating.
We are gearing up for our 6th annual Mt. Carmel Golf Tournament at Sanctuary Golf Course, presented by RE/MAX on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. We want to extend our sincerest appreciation to our Hero Sponsor Dominos and our Champion Sponsor Phil Long Dealerships. We are still seeking sponsorships and look forward to another successful year. All funds raised will be used to provide health, wellness and transition services that nurture mind, body and spirit through our Transition & Employment, Behavioral Health and Supportive Services Teams. We look forward to seeing you on the links in 2021!
Click below to view video from our 2020 tournament!
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2021...T&E is Ready for You. Bring It! |
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With the new year here (finally) and vaccine hopes on the horizon, Mt. Carmel’s Transition and Employment (T&E) team stands ready to do our part and help those in our military families, past or present, who need it the most to get past the personal and professional hardships they may be facing.
You don’t have to look very far in our own Colorado Springs military community to see the collateral damage from the virus. Jobs have been lost. Unpaid bills have piled up. Food scarcity has grown. Tensions and fears around how to navigate everyday life have run high. At a minimum, some of us have been separated from those we love the most, and at the very worst, we have lost them forever. But better days are ahead!
T&E, through our 2021 Back to Work campaign backed by generous grants from USAA, the Daniels Fund and El Paso County, will provide robust emergency and supportive services as well as educational and professional certification scholarship assistance to our clients in an effort to remove barriers to employment and career advancement. In short, we’re planning to help a lot of people who need it in 2021 and that makes us very happy.
Recent staffing changes will ensure our success in 2021. Joining our Veterans Integration Program (VIP) team is Jon Dix, a familiar face within our Colorado Springs military community and Prep Connect 360 circles. Jon replaces Ernest Chamblee, who has transferred within the team to work with the Veterans Service to Career Program (VSCP). Ernest, by the way, was recently awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for volunteering 400 hours in our community in 2020 and was just selected to the Mayor’s Civic Fellowship Program.
Also joining the team this month is Ashley Harding, replacing Karen Lawrie as the MilSpouse Career Program Peer Navigator. In December, we said a fond farewell to VSCP program coordinator Tandi Zerfoss, who moved back East to be near her family. Finally, our own Mark Smith has been promoted to Senior Peer Navigator.
As job coaches, we preach to our clients the importance of staying current in a career field. We also practice what we preach. The T&E team recently completed training resulting in individuals earning dual certifications of Certified Federal Job Search Trainer and Certified Federal Career Coach from The Resume Place, a nationally recognized leader in the federal employment assistance space.
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Behavioral Health is Here to Help |
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Our Behavioral Health Team is looking forward to continuing services throughout 2021. With the implementation of Telehealth services and training, we are able to offer safe and reliable services to those at high risk for COVID. We continue to provide in-person counseling services as well. We also understand how stressful this past year has been for many people. With suicide rates increasing, we will be implementing a suicide prevention plan throughout Mt. Carmel. We hope that anyone who is struggling with thoughts of suicide will reach out and seek help, and for those who are uncomfortable reaching out, we hope to connect with them through our prevention planning. Also, if any service member, veteran or military family member you know is struggling with depression, anxiety, isolation or suicidal thoughts, we are here to help! |
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Our Behavioral Health hours of operation are
8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
If you are experiencing a behavioral health/mental health crisis outside
of those hours, or need immediate assistance, please refer
to the information below:
CRISIS LINES
Veterans Crisis Line is ALWAYS available 24/7 for crisis support for veterans or
someone who is concerned about a veteran.
1-800-273-8255 + Press 1
Text any word to 838255
Rocky Mountain Crisis Line - a Colorado-specific crisis line that is available 24/7
1-844-493-8255
Text TALK to 38255
PHYSICAL LOCATIONS
Aspen Pointe Crisis Walk-In (Kids and Adults)
115 South Parkside Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80910
Cedar Springs Hospital: 719-633-4114
2135 Southgate Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Outpatient Clinic
3141 Centennial Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
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A recent Social Return on Investment Study completed by the Colorado Institute for Social Impact revealed that for every $1 donated to the VSC, almost $2 in services are given back to the community.
Every dollar counts!
Please consider making a contribution to help us continue providing essential services to our veteran and military community. This may be given as a general gift or directed to a specific program. Gifts can also be designated in honor of a loved one. To donate, please visit veteranscenter.org or text THANKAVET to 44321.
You may also mail your contribution to:
Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center
530 Communication Circle
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
If a gift of appreciated stock is something you are considering, or if you would like to include Mt. Carmel in your estate planning, please contact Alicia Grantham at (719) 309-4774 or agrantham@mtcarmelcenter.org to begin the conversation. And don’t forget that you may direct your IRA Required Minimum Distribution to Mt. Carmel to support our work.
Mt. Carmel deeply appreciates your support. Thank you!
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Or text THANKAVET to 44321 |
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A Letter from Liz Foster,
Financial Wellness Coordinator
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I’m really excited to tell you about our new Financial Wellness Program! When I started with MCVSC last year as a case manager on the Veteran & Family Resources team, I was hoping I would get the opportunity to develop and start a financial wellness program. I didn’t think it would happen so soon, but thanks to a supportive boss, management and grant writing teams, it’s happening!
MCVSC received a generous grant from USAA, and some of those funds have been designated specifically for our Financial Wellness Program (FWP).
What will our program offer?
First of all, we’ll be offering financial workshops that will cover the gamut of personal finance - from the basics of budgeting, saving and debt reduction to credit management, investing basics and risk management. The curriculum we’re using was developed by the National Financial Educators Council and will get our program off to a great start. Moving on from there, we also have ideas for offering other more specialized workshops: a series specific to females, a business tools series, and a few others. I really enjoy learning about and teaching about the psychology of money, so we will also be adding some mind-set workshops. We’re planning to offer the workshops both in-person and via live webinars.
I will still be offering one-on-one financial coaching. I really like working with people and helping them figure out how to get the pieces of their financial puzzle put together. I’m also fortunate to have a great group of community volunteers who are ready and willing to help with teaching workshops and providing additional financial counseling services.
We’ll be announcing a launch date by the end of January and a workshop schedule with registration information to follow shortly after.
The mission of the FWP is to help our clients attain a level of financial wellness that allows them to live a financially flexible life. We hope to accomplish this by helping our clients build their money management skills through financial education that teaches personal finance concepts, offering a variety of tools and resources to help them build money management systems that work for their lives.
We will provide integrated, supportive services that promote self-sufficiency and a healthy relationship with money. We will accomplish this by offering workshops, one-on-one financial coaching and counseling, and wraparound services that engage and support our clients’ hearts and minds during their journey with the Mt. Carmel Financial Wellness Program.
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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 Help Veterans |
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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.
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With a Little Help from Our Friends |
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Mt. Carmel is a non-profit organization that provides low/no cost services to ALL veterans, military and their families without restriction or eligibility requirements and without a steady stream of earned revenue such as fees or insurance reimbursements. This means we rely on fundraising to support programs and serve clients. We are very thankful to the generous foundations, government agencies, corporations and individuals who support Mt. Carmel. We couldn't serve clients without your generous and ongoing support! In the last two months, we have received financial support from the following corporations and foundations:
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And many others who prefer to remain anonymous
We thank you all for your continued support!
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Events and times are subject to change due to
COVID-19 restrictions, so please call to confirm.
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MONDAY
10:00am-1:00 pm - Mission Medical (Feb. 22, then 3rd Monday of the month)
5:30-7:30 pm - Art Therapy is Art Expression (Multipurpose Room, every week)
TUESDAY
10:00-3:00 pm - Medicare Mentors (every week)
11:00-12:00 pm - Bible Study (Chapel, every week)
12:00-1:00 pm – Spiritual Connection Group (Chapel, every week)
5:00-6:00 pm - Yoga (Community Hall, every week)
WEDNESDAY
9:00am - 11:00am - Medicare Mentors (every week)
9:00-1:00 pm - loanDepot (every week)
9:00-12:00 pm – United Healthcare (every week starting 14 Oct)
10:00-2:00 pm - Veterans Advocacy Group VIRTUAL/PHONE
1:00-5:00pm - Veterans Upward Bound
THURSDAY
10:00-3:00 pm - Medicare Mentors (every week)
10:00-11:00 am - PTS Support Group (Multipurpose Room, every week)
SATURDAY
10:00-11:00 am - Tai Chi
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Are you following us online and on social media? |
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For the latest Mt. Carmel information, events and services,
Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter;
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