Advocating for military women

PATERSON  The presence of women serving the U.S. military has always existed. During the country’s earliest wars, women served mostly caring for the wounded men out in the battlefield. Later women served in non-combat roles for all branches of the U.S. armed forces beginning in the last two years of World War I through the Vietnam War. During the Persian Gulf War, more than 41,000 women were deployed to the combat zone. More recently, almost 350,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With these growing numbers of servicewomen, Catholic Family and Community Services’ (CFCS), an agency of Catholic Charities in the Paterson Diocese here is out on the frontlines help women veterans, who may be in need of advocacy or social services. On July 25, CFCS is partnering with Operation Sisterhood, Vet Chat and Chew and veterans provider stakeholder groups to host a Women Veterans Advocacy Group formation meeting at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

David Pearson, director of Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) at CFCS, said, “The goal in the initiative is to empower the women in self-advocacy and create access to creating change and addressing their needs.”

While there have been great changes made in serving women veterans, many more improvements can be made. Many women veterans believe services still largely focus mostly on men. Women veterans have a unique set of needs, according Pearson, which include mistreatment by their male colleagues and different health care and mental health needs.

The July 25 advocacy group will focus on these issues, address other areas, create ideas for future meetings and bring awareness, focus and change to the needs of women veterans.

In addition to these advocacy groups, CFCS will be at the meeting to help any women veterans that are in need social services to help those who are struggling to get back on their feet. Pearson encourages women veterans to attend the advocacy group and said, “Catholic Charities, in its continued effort to end veteran homelessness, will be available at the meeting to offer services, referrals and clothing to veterans with identification who might attend.”

Advocating specifically for women veterans is a growing venture for CFCS. Pearson said, “This is only the first phase of the women veterans’ initiative plan. Multiple public round tables are being planned for the women veterans with local political representatives, federal political representatives and top level administration within the Veterans’ Affairs Health Care System.”

Last year, the SSVF program served 258 individuals and 182 families. Its main mission is to provide supportive services to very low-income veterans’ families who are homeless or imminently at risk of becoming homeless. CFCS works with Catholic Charities agencies across northern New Jersey and donations to SSVF are used to pay for short term rent and utilities, utility bills, moving expenses, child care, legal fees, client transportation costs and other costs that directly support the housing stability of low-income veterans. Additionally, the SSVF program provides assistance to unemployed and underemployed veterans to access job training and educational opportunities that range from college tuition to obtaining licenses.

“We can’t forget those brave women who served this country. We hope we can help them and advocate for them when they are in need,” said Pearson.

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