Minnesota Veteran - October Edition

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Ending Veterans Homelessness: we can, and so we must

Eric Grumdahl

The State of Minnesota, Governor Dayton, and the Mayors of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, St. Cloud, Burnsville and Albert Lea have joined the Federal government and over 200 other communities across the country in committing to end Veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.

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Desk of the Commissioner - October

Commissioner Shellito

With fall upon us, and the elections fast approaching, we are busily getting ready for the next legislative session here in St. Paul.  Much has happened these past few months, especially receiving the federal matching dollars which enables us to complete the Minneapolis Veterans Home campus renovations.  Also, several of our senior leaders, Michael Gallucci and Reggie Worlds, have moved on. Michael has retired and has moved to Florida while Reggie has accepted a position with Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development in Mankato.  Both are doing well and are excited about the opportunities they have in their new roles. This agency values the service they provided and know they will continue to serve Veterans in all their endeavors. 

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Moon Rises Over Minnesota

Peggy-Moon

Peggy Moon will be first woman commander of the Department; Klinkner new chaplain.

Peggy Moon, St. Joseph, was elected Department Commander of the Minnesota American Legion at the recent Department Convention in Rochester.

Moon, 62, a Vietnam Era Veteran, defeated Mike Schaffer of Fulda by a vote of 491 to 278. Moon becomes the first woman commander in the state’s history.

Another contested election developed at the convention when it was determined that the Department’s constitution would not allow Department Chaplain Richard Wog to succeed himself. Wog was the only candidate for the position.

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Veterans' Voices Awards Ceremony

Veterans-Voices

Minnesotans from across the state recently nominated Veterans for making outstanding contributions to their communities. These actively engaged former and current military service members are recognized for going above and beyond to make exceptional, positive contributions that improve the lives of people across Minnesota.

From a host of nominees, 10 “Legacy” Veterans—a new 2014 award category— and 20 “On the Rise” Veterans received honors at the Minnesota Humanities Center's Veterans' Voices Award Ceremony on September 11, 2014. Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Larry Shellito, briefly addressed the awardees and their guests at the ceremony.

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HUD, VA, and USICH Announce 33% Drop in Veteran Homelessness Since 2010

From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) today released a new national estimate of Veteran homelessness in the United States. Data collected during the annual Point-in-Time Count conducted in January 2014 shows there were 49,933 homeless Veterans in America, a decline of 33 percent (or 24,837 people) since 2010. This includes a nearly 40 percent drop in the number of Veterans sleeping on the street.

HUD, VA, USICH, and local partners have used evidenced-based practices like Housing First and federal resources like HUD-VASH (the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing voucher program) to get Veterans off the street and into stable housing as quickly as possible. Since 2008, the HUD-VASH program has served a total of 74,019 Veterans.

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State of Minnesota Veterans Day Event

Veterans Day
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