MDVA Cemetery and Memorials Program

The State of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) are honored to offer our veterans and their eligible dependents a final resting place at one of five MDVA state veterans cemeteries. The MDVA State Veterans Cemetery Program is one of the largest state cemetery programs in the nation with locations in Allegany County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Dorchester County and Prince Georges County. The Maryland Fiscal Year 2021 ended June 30, 2021 and during the year, 2,329 Veterans and 1,407dependents were interred or inurned at MDVA cemeteries, which was an increase over previous years.  It is the most solemn duty of the MDVA Cemetery staff to care for those entrusted to our care. The Memorials program staff are responsible for several Maryland Memorials: the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Gold Star Families Monument.  MDVA has seen an increase in individuals and groups volunteering to help at the Memorials in the last year, including landscaping and clean-up activities.  We appreciate the many people who have volunteered to help us keep the Memorials in excellent condition. For More Information on the MDVA Cemetery & Memorials Program

MDVA Website

MDVA Secretary George Owings presents the Philanthropist of the Year Award to Mr. John Parlett, who founded Crusin' Southern Maryland. The well-attended event was hosted by Chesapeake Charities. Crusin' Southern Maryland's ongoing donations to benefit the residents of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home now total $125,000. On the right is Sharon Murphy, retired Charlotte Hall Director who returned to honor Mr. Parlett.

Several of the Maryland Veterans Commissioners attended the Chesapeake Charities Awards Luncheon with MDVA Secretary George Owings. From the left: Commissioners Rick Lane, Karen Calvert, (Secretary Owings), Elaine May Stem, Leroy Thornton and Chairman KT Tyler.

Secretary Owings spoke at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Day Ceremony and he is shown here with veteran Bud Howell, USMC.

Roslyn Jones, MDVA Women Veteran/Inclusion Program Manager speaks on Veterans Day at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery. MDVA Cemetery & Memorials Program

Maryland Veterans Commissioner Denise Perry was the Keynote Speaker at the Veterans Day ceremony held in Landover Hills.

Additional Veterans Day photos are below in the Community News section.

Governor Larry Hogan attended the Leonardtown Veterans Day Parade.  In this photo, he visits with Charlotte Hall staff and residents who participated in the parade aboard a trolley.

In front of trolley are from left: Ashley Radano, MDVA Contract Compliance Coordinator, Governor Larry Hogan, Leslie Steffy, Assistant Delegating Nurse, Adrienne Jones, Assistant Delegating Nurse, and Brandi Tanner, Skilled Nursing Facility Activity Director

Inside trolley from left: Donna Flaherty, Assisted Living Delegating Nurse, Bonnie Pelletier, Assisted Living Activity Director, Hope Hewins, Activity Aide, Paul Thomas, QA Assistant, Nicole Watson, Admissions Assistant, Sade Herbert, Activity Assistant and Keilan Ruppert, Activity Aide

Photo Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Charlotte Hall residents wave to the crowd at the Leonardtown Veterans Day Parade

Spotlight on Education: Morgan State University

MSU Military Appreciation Day Event

Veterans Engagement Services in partnership with the MSU Bear Battalion and MSU Athletics will be hosting their 10^th Annual Military Appreciation Day Event:

Morgan State University

Hughes Stadium

Near MSU Student Center

Saturday, November 20, 2021

12:30pm – 5:00pm

(Open to the General Public)

We are inviting Veterans, Reservists, Active Duty, National Guard members, their spouses and dependents as well as any potential military affiliated care givers to come and be recognized for their service to our community and our country.

FREE meals and refreshments will be provided, along with FREE entry passes.

Registration is required.  Registration form can be found by going to https://www2.morgan.edu/veteranservices and clicking the Military Appreciation Day Flyer.

 For more information you can contact:  

Veterans@morgan.edu

Maryland Department of Commerce - No Interest Loans

Two local veteran-owned businesses have received no-interest loans to assist them with growing and operating a business in Maryland.

Edgewood Creamery and WESP Communications both recently utilized funding through the state’s Military Personnel and Veteran-Owned Small Business No-Interest Loan Program (MPVOLP). Edgewood Creamery received a $50,000 loan to assist with property improvements and equipment, and WESP Communications received $25,000 for operating expenses associated with customer contracts.

Based in Harford County, Edgewood Creamery is a homemade ice cream shop serving up waffle cones, milkshakes, ice cream cakes, and more. Managing member and majority owner, Louis Bono – a veteran of the U.S. Army – shares ownership with two additional co-owners. The ice cream shop officially opened for business in May.

WESP Communications, located in Baltimore County, is a call center service company providing inbound, outbound, and other services to businesses in need. The startup, which launched in 2018, anticipates steady growth with the potential to add more than a dozen employees in the near future. The business is owned and operated by William Evans, a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Created in 2006, MPVOLP is administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce in consultation with the Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs. Veterans, military reservists, and National Guard members who own a business are eligible to apply.

The program also accepts applications from small businesses that employ military reservists and National Guard members called to active duty, as well as companies owned by or employing service-disabled veterans.

To learn more about the program, visit our website or contact:

Spotlight on Education: University of Maryland Global Campus

On Thursday, November 11, 2021, Maryland Veterans Commissioner Mike Moore presented a Veterans Day Proclamation from Governor Larry Hogan to University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) President Gregory Fowler, PhD. The ceremony included remarks by Major General Lloyd “Milo” Miles, U.S. Army (Retired), and State Senator William C. Smith, Jr. who chairs the Veterans Caucus in the Maryland State Legislature. It was noted that UMGC is a top provider of undergraduate and graduate programs for active duty military and veterans in the nation. A reception followed the ceremony. 

News from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Tune in to MPT's Outdoors Maryland Series Maryland Public Television's 33rd season of Outdoors Maryland, produced in cooperation with DNR, is airing this fall. The season premiere took viewers to southern Maryland, where muskrat is considered a local delicacy, and to western Maryland, where fire is used as a tool for forest management. Other new segments airing in the coming weeks cover Brood X cicadas, Wolf Den Run State Park, and the Maryland Bird Atlas. Episodes of Outdoors Maryland air Tuesdays at 7:30 pm on MPT-HD and are available for live and on-demand viewing via MPT's website and the PBS Video App.    Time to Place Your State Nursery Order: Orders are being accepted for the spring 2022 planting season for shrubs and trees from the John S. Ayton State Tree Nursery, managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The nursery offers more than 50 conifer and deciduous species each year to meet a variety of aesthetic preferences and conservation needs. Visit the nursery page to order.

Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund

The Homeowner Assistance Fund was established by the American Rescue Plan Act enacted on March 11, 2021, to help homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will receive $248 million through this program over three years to assist homeowners struggling with their mortgage payments or other housing costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund will leverage and be supplementary to the loss mitigation tools that will be deployed by mortgage servicers. The program will create a long-term sustainable and affordable mortgage as opposed to short-term assistance without a clear outcome. 

Interested parties can fill out the Expression of Interest Form now to be notified when the program opens for applications.

Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund

The VA Center for Women Veterans invites you to complete this survey. Click on the photo for the survey or scan the URL.

Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, Notice of Meeting

A Federal Register Notice by the Veterans Affairs Department on 11/16/2021

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app 2, that the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans will conduct a virtual meeting on December 14-16, 2021. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and end 1:00 p.m. EST each day.

The meeting sessions are open to the public.

Read More Here including Webex link to meetings

Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans, Notice of Meeting

A Federal Register Notice by the Veterans Affairs Department on 11/16/2021

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App 2., that the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans will virtually meet on December 7-9, 2021. The meeting sessions will begin and end as follows:

This meeting is open to the public. To access the meeting, please click the link: Adobe Connect: http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/cmv_admin/.

Read More Here

VA Conducts Survey Concerning Transitioning Service Members

The purpose of these surveys is to gather information about Veterans’ transition, education, and employment experiences. These surveys have been prepared in response to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which has requested a study to understand the barriers and facilitators to Post 9/11 Veteran employment, especially for women Veterans. We are inviting men and women Veterans from all eras to complete a survey about their experiences. We are also inviting non-Veterans to complete a survey about their experience supporting Veterans in their lives (such as a spouse or friend). The surveys do not collect any personally identifiable information from Veterans or others. Information collected in the survey cannot be linked to any personal health, VA, or military records. The survey does ask Veterans, and their supporters, about barriers to employment and what their personal experiences and opinions have been. Who is conducting the survey? This work has been funded by the Veteran Health Administration Office of Women’s Health and the VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). The Salt Lake Clinical Evaluation Center (SALIENCE), based at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, is conducting this survey. What will you do with the survey data? The SALIENCE team will use information collected in the surveys to prepare a report to Congress on factors contributing to, or preventing, Post 9/11 women Veteran employment. The survey data will help us understand how employment experiences differ between women and men Post 9/11 Veterans and Veterans of earlier eras. Are you a US Veteran? Researchers are interested in learning about your transition and employment experiences to improve policy, programs, and support for Veterans. Click here to participate: https://bit.ly/VETERANEMPLOYMENT Do you know a US Veteran? Researchers are interested in learning about your experience supporting a Veteran through transition and employment. This survey will be used to improve policy, programs, and support for Veterans. Click here to participate: https://bit.ly/ISUPPORTVETERANEMPLOYMENT

Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM)

VLM is an online memorial that honors more than 4.2 million Veterans interred in more than 150 VA National Cemeteries and more than 90 VA grant-funded tribal, state, and territory Veteran cemeteries. Features of VLM include the ability for users to upload photos, biographies, documents, word clouds, and timelines. VLM is just another way NCA ensures that the legacies and memories of Veterans never die and survivors have a special way to honor their loved ones. The VLM site can be accessed at vlm.cem.va.gov and more information can be found at About the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) - National Cemetery Administration (va.gov).

Just recently, MDVA State Veterans Cemeteries: Rocky Gap, Cheltenham, Crownsville, Garrison Forest, and Eastern Shore Veteran cemeteries were added to our Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) site – totaling almost 65,000 Veteran pages.

Federal News

November 19: Virtual Career Fair with 30 Federal Agencies

Baltimore VA Regional Office: Back to 100% capacity

Are you eligible to file for benefits based on presumptive exposure?

What is a VA disability and who can apply?

Together We Served launches new 'Veteran Finder" app for Veterans Day

Options for Refinancing with a VA Home Loan

She Wears the Boots: A podcast for Women Veterans

Veterans stay connected with communications platform

Tips for Caregivers - How to Take Care of Yourself and Avoid Burnout, Health.mil article

Live Whole Health #96: Turning off the auto pilot

Whole Health #97: Loving Kindness Practice

Support during your military transition

Learn More about the VA Vet Tec program

December 9th: Ft. Meade Alliance DISA Small Business Conference

December 9th: Partnering with Industry: The NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center

Unique Opportunities: Five entry-level jobs at the VA you might not know existed

Veterans eligible for travel deals, airfare discounts

For Your Information

The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse the organizations sponsoring these events, and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.  The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document do not necessarily state or reflect those of MDVA.  The information provided is intended for your general knowledge only, and serves solely as a MDVA community outreach effort.

Community News

Carroll County: Thanksgiving Meals for Veteran Families in Need  Call or or email: Madisen at 667-314-6011, vetadvocate@carrollcountyvip.org before 19 November 2021

Howard County: Project Opportunity offers free Entrepreneurial Training for Veterans. Register for Spring Class.

Anne Arundel & Howard Counties: Building a Civilian Career

MCVET in the news: Baltimore Times article

Serving Together

ServingTogether offers service members, veterans and their families access to a class-leading continuum of providers that runs the gamut from superior mental health, housing, and emergency service providers to employment, financial capabilities, education, volunteering, recreation and fitness, and more! We are able to track client progress, communicate with providers and ensure the veterans are truly getting what they need all free of charge.  

 Serving Together has been immensely successful in building a dynamic team that is truly devoted to the mission of the organization. This team has tangible, personal connections to our veterans and genuine concern for their best outcomes. ServingTogether provides peer navigation, collaboratives, guides, education, and training. Please visit our Website for more information.  

https://servingtogetherproject.org/

The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easterseals Upcoming Events:

Community Calendar

November 20, 2021

Community Action Agency Resource Day, Annapolis

November 21, 2021

Introduction to Hero Dogs

Community Grab & Go Food Drive, Silver Spring

Photos from Veterans Day and other events from the week:

Secretary Owings "pinned" Vietnam Veterans attending the Chesapeake Charities Awards Luncheon with the Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin. From left to right: Bob Herzog, Albert Burk, John Quirk, Roy Lambden, John Grimes and MDVA Secretary Owings

Veterans Day at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home from the left: Lisa Donor, Veterans Service Officer, Lisa Murphy, Coordinator of Admissions and Outreach, Rodney Jones, MDVA Deputy Director, Veterans Home Program, Karen Sandacz, Voices of Vets, Inc., MDVA Secretary George Owings, Kassandra Sandacz, CEO, Voices of Vets, Inc., Michelle Cariaso, MDVA Director, Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Billy Hill, 1st Vice Commander, American Legion Post 170, Glynn Parker, Maryland Veterans Home Commissioner

Gunny Curtis Jones, Commander of American Legion Cook-Pinkney Post 141 in Annapolis, leads the Veterans Day Ceremony at the World War II Memorial in Annapolis.

Maryland Veterans Commissioner Robert Hanson presents the Governor’s Citation to Marie Gilmore, President of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Board of Directors on Veterans Day.

Photo Credit: Joe Reynolds

Maryland Veterans Commissioner Ronald Holcombe presents the Governor's Veterans Day Proclamation to  Post Commander Ed Campbell at American Legion Post 189 in Barton, MD at the 11:00 am ceremony.

Next, Commissioner Ronald Holcombe presented the Governor's Veterans Day Proclamation to Post Commander Ed Scofield American Legion Post 208 in Accident, MD at the 6:00 pm ceremony.

Two ceremonies in one day would be impressive for anyone, but Commissioner Holcombe resides in the Baltimore Metro area.  He traveled to western Maryland to make two presentations on Veterans Day.  Thank you, Commissioner Holcombe!

Residents of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home were invited to lunch at Mission BBQ following the Veterans Day parade in Leonardtown

Message for New Subscribers:

Is this your first edition of the MDVA newsletter?  If so, welcome!  You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up to receive it from our website or you gave permission to an MDVA program, the MD Motor Vehicle Administration or MD Department of Labor to receive information on VA benefits and resources.  We at MDVA respect your privacy and DO NOT share your email address.  We hope you enjoy receiving our bi-weekly newsletter and find it both educational and engaging.  If you have questions about our Department, our Programs, or your VA benefits, please visit veterans.maryland.gov or call 410-260-3838.