Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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In March, Ken Cruickshank was honored by the Tulare County Board of Supervisors and given a retirement party by his co-workers and friends. Cruickshank joined the U.S. Navy before graduating high school, and after graduation went on active duty. He served on active duty in the Navy for 27 years before retiring as a master chief petty officer in September 2003. Cruickshank came to the San Joaquin Valley in July 1980, being stationed at NAS Lemoore, where he met his spouse,...
The Non-Service-Connected Disability Pension (NSC) is the Veterans Administration (VA) benefits program for wartime veterans with limited income. The amount payable depends on other income sources the veteran and their family members currently receive. The amount of household income to calculate eligibility may be reduced by some unreimbursed medical expenses. The current amount for a single veteran is $1,379 per month. This can change depending on family size and disability...
The four basic categories that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses to identify the types of claims submitted are as follows: Original, Reopened, New and Secondary claims. An Original claim is the first claim you file for disability compensation from the VA and can be submitted at any time after your discharge from the military. This claim for benefits may be filed by a servicemember (active duty), veteran or the survivors of deceased veterans. By law, when this claim...
Family and others who provide care for veterans spend on average $11,500 of their personal income on out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving each year - 1.5 times higher than what other family caregivers spend ($7,242), according to AARP data. And 43% of veteran and military caregivers experienced at least one financial setback such as having to take on more debt or dip into personal savings, according to research from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. Across...
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a benefit called Housing Grants for Disabled Veterans. It is a two-part program that includes the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant and the Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant. These programs provide grants to servicemembers and veterans with certain permanent and total, service-connected disabilities to either help purchase or construct an adapted home or to modify an existing home to accommodate a disability. This column wil...
The World War II Greatest Generation Mural on South Mooney Blvd. in Visalia will be unveiled on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11. The mural has been a landmark in Visalia since its dedication on Veterans Day 2006. Unfortunately, time and weather left the mural in bad shape. Many of the panels that the art is displayed on needed to be restored, repaired and remounted. The Visalia Veterans Committee, comprised of veterans groups including American Legion Posts 18 and 785,...
Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) made a decision regarding Gulf War Veterans and has extended the presumptive disability period to December 31, 2026, for qualifying chronic disabilities rated 10% or more, resulting from undiagnosed illnesses in Persian Gulf War Veterans to ensure benefits established by Congress are fairly administered. If an extension of the current presumptive period were not implemented, service members whose conditions arose after...
I want to cover the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program, also known as the Chapter 35 benefit program. This program provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. Under the program, dependents can receive up to 45 months of educational benefits, which may be used for degree or certificate programs, apprenticeship and on-the-job training; it can apply to correspondence courses for veterans' spouses. Under...
Are you aware of the California College Fee Waiver (CFW) Program, an education benefit available to the spouses and children of U.S. veterans through the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)? The Fee Waiver runs through the academic year, beginning each fall semester. Once eligibility criteria are met, dependents can get their tuition fees waived when attending any California community college, California State University or University of California campus. So,...
In this column, we will be discussing a benefit available to a survivor of a veteran. We will talk about Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). DIC is a benefit that is paid on a monthly basis to eligible survivors of a: military service member who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training; or a veteran whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease; or a veteran whose death resulted from a non-service-related...
This is the second column covering the PACT Act. To recap, the full name of the law is the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. Here we will address the conditions that are related to a veteran who served in either the Gulf War or post-9/11. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has added the following cancers to the presumptive list for burn pit and other toxic exposures: brain cancer, gastrointestinal...
This column is the first to cover the PACT Act; I will have at least one follow-up column covering another area of the changes. The full name of the law is "The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act." I will cover the changes that Vietnam Veterans will see under the Act in this column. The new law expands Veterans Administration (VA) health care and benefits for veterans exposed to Agent Orange. First, an...
In a quick update to our last column, the Veterans Crisis Line has a new number: Dial 988 then Press 1. This option was added effective July 16, however, even after July 16, you may still call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text 838255. Women Veterans Health Care addresses the health care needs of women veterans, ensuring those needs are met in a timely, equitable, high-quality, comprehensive manner, while also ensuring that these services...
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeks to continue efforts to reduce the issue of suicide by veterans. To assist veterans who need someone to talk to, the VA developed the Veterans Crisis Line. You can find more information at http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ The Veterans Crisis Line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to provide free, confidential support to veterans, whether they are currently registered with the VA or enrolled in VA health...
Are you aware of the California College Fee Waiver (CFW) Program, an education benefit available to the spouses and children of U.S. veterans through the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)? The Fee Waiver runs through the academic year, beginning with each fall semester. Once eligibility criteria are met, dependents can get their tuition fees waived when attending any California community college, California State University or University of California campus....
This issue we will look at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit called the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant. This program provides a grant to servicemembers and veterans with certain permanent and total service-connected disabilities, to either help purchase or construct an adapted home or to modify an existing home to accommodate a disability. The SAH Grant helps veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability to live independently in a barrier-free...
Tulare County has a Veterans Court! Established in 2010, the court serves veterans of Tulare County in the criminal justice system. Several agencies and community partners, including the offices of the Tulare County District Attorney, Probation, Superior Court, Veterans Services, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Counseling Clinic and local law enforcement agencies collaborated to create Veterans Court. Referrals to Veterans Court come from a...
When the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decides on your claim, they will provide you with two important letters amongst all the paperwork they will send you. The first letter is called the award letter, and the second one is the rating letter. Both provide information that you will need to pay attention to. The award letter is broken down into sections; the first section will tell you your benefit information. In this section, the VA will list each disability that you fil...
Are you aware that as a veteran you might be eligible for discounts at participating merchants that you might do business with? You have a few options to get a Veterans ID card to show these merchants. The first option is a Department of Defense (DoD) Identification Card, which is used to show military status and get access to services at military bases. You may also use this card to get discounts available to veterans. If you have this ID, you need not apply for any others....
Are you aware that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers burial benefits? One of these benefits is burial in a National Cemetery. National Cemetery burials include (at no cost to the family) a gravesite in any of the 155 national cemeteries that has space, opening and closing the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. The San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine and the Bakersfield...
Are you aware of the California College Fee Waiver (CFW) Program, an education benefit available to the spouses and children of U.S. veterans through the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet). The Fee Waiver runs through the academic year, beginning with each fall semester. Once eligibility criteria is met, dependents can get their tuition fees waived when attending any California community college, California State University or University of California campus....
When you travel to get health care, you may be eligible for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Beneficiary Travel (BT) benefit. This benefit is provided to a veteran when there is a need to travel to a VA medical facility. VA is authorized to pay an eligible veteran a reimbursement for either mileage or a special mode of transportation (when it has been deemed medically justified by a VA health care provider). Mileage driven using a private vehicle and transportation...
Are you in need of a copy of your official Military Service Records, which you now realize have been lost or misplaced? Many service members are unaware of the importance of the information and documents provided to us upon separation from service. As many members eventually find out, there comes a time when we need some of that information. When it comes to your military records, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is the official keeper. After you are separated...
In this column, I would like to pass on information that is not limited to just veterans. It is my hope that this information will assist others who might qualify as well. With all the uncertainty today, everyone knows someone who is trying to make ends meet. The challenge is often greatest for retirees on a fixed income and people with disabilities that prevent them from working. California offers property tax deferment for some of these vulnerable homeowners. State...