MVA VSO’s continue to serve the LA County veteran community. During the month of January:

• Over 3,000 veterans were served at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall (does not include MVA field offices).
• 1912 claims were filed
• $166,828 was awarded in lump-sum amouts  (Source: Vet Pro).

It's no coincidence that Priscilla Kwan-Neal’s birthday fell on President’s Day.

Priscilla has been faithfully fulfilling her patriotic duty to the U.S. by assisting MVA Veteran Service Officers (VSO’s) at the Long Beach VA Medical Center since 2019. Priscilla volunteers 5-7 hours a day to help veterans obtain resources—that’s up to 40 hours a week!

According to MVA VSO Tiffany Apodaca, Priscilla is indispensable.

Priscilla has also worked closely with VSO’s Joel Castellanos and Dennis Campos.

“Tiffany and I really connected. We respect each other’s boundaries and work well together,” Priscilla said. “We’re a good team. We take our work seriously and execute in a timely manner.”

As the surviving spouse of a Marine, Priscilla’s desire to help veterans and their families get connected to services is personal. Born and raised in Bali, Priscilla is fluent in English, Mandarin, Indonesian, and many dialects. She started her career as an Executive Secretary and became a COO and CFO of the Jakarta Indonesia Franchise Company before moving to Long Beach in 1993 to work in city planning. Eventually, she served as a liaison for city improvement & beautification on local, state and federal levels.

She values fairness, consistency, stability, respect for others, responsibility, integrity, and loyalty--with boundaries. Her family values have taught her to be kind and to have empathy and compassion for others. “These values help me appreciate my journey. I choose to remain faithful to my journey,” she said.

Priscilla focuses on living her own best life. “I write my own story. I’m proud of my mindset, my tolerance, and my growth. I am evolving and totally here for it.” She hopes to inspire others by her work ethic. “I’m proud of the woman I am becoming.”

Since 1995, U.S. Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.

MVA will honor WWII Army veteran Bea Abrams Cohen (perhaps the oldest living veteran in this area who passed away at 105) at “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” an event focusing on the philanthropic efforts of Ms. Cohen on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. We also honor Ms. Cohen by dedicating a resource room at Patriotic Hall, the first room named after a women veteran within the facility.

Speakers include:

• Supervisor Kathryn Barger, 5th District
• Virginia Wimmer, Deputy Secretary of CALVET Women Veteran Affairs
• Betsy Butler, Executive Director, Women’s Law Center, close friend of Cohen
• Chief Master Sargent, Jason Young, close friend of Cohen

The event is open to the public. To register, contact Jdavis@mva.lacounty.gov or scan the QR code.