About one in three Veterans has arthritis and about half of all Veterans with arthritis report limitations in their daily activities because of joint symptoms. Fortunately, VA has partnered with the Arthritis Foundation to help educate Veterans on how to manage their symptoms and live more active lives with less pain. Here are some resources you can share with your Veterans:

• Veterans Health Library: Veterans can find videos about different arthritis types and information on pain management.
• Walk with Ease Program: this program by the Arthritis Foundation is a community-based physical activity and self-management education program that helps Veterans with arthritis increase their physical activity.
• Health and wellness articles: the Arthritis Foundation’s website is filled with healthy recipes, low-impact exercise options, walking routines, and more.
• Veteran-specific resources: this webpage is specific for military- and Veteran-related arthritis, containing information on early onset arthritis, pain and sleep management, and more.

If you know a Veteran who struggles with arthritis symptoms, you can offer these resources to help them on their journey. You can also find more resources and information on the VA News website, the Arthritis Foundation website, or at HealthyHomefront.com.

In this episode of She Wears the Boots, Christine Going, senior advisor for the VA Food Security Office, discusses how VA is addressing food insecurity among Veterans.

Going shares how VA helps Veterans by connecting them to vital resources like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and educating them on healthy nutrition through initiatives like the VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen Program.

You can listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about VA resources that help ensure food security for Veterans. You can also learn more about the VA Food Security Office and related programs on the VA website.

Shelton Ware was born in January 1923 and spent the majority of his young life in New Jersey. He joined the Army Enlisted Reserve Corps in 1942 and reported for active duty in 1943.

Ware served during a period when the military was segregated; the vast majority of his unit were African Americans. Their mission was to deliver essential supplies to France during World War II, including rations, gasoline, and ammunition.

“We fought two wars,” Ware said. “You had to fight the war of segregation, and you also had to do your duty as far as the enemy was concerned.”

Ware was stationed in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany and fought in the Battle of Normandy before leaving the service in 1946.

Following his service, Ware continued his education at Howard University, where he enrolled in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program (AFROTC) and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation in 1948.

Ware reported to the 332nd Fighter Wing at Lockbourne Army Base in Ohio. He later served three years as Director of Training at Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany, three years with the Tuskegee Institute AFROTC program in Alabama, and three years as an AFROTC Professor of Aerospace studies at his alma mater.

In 1974, he retired from the U.S. Air Force with 30 years of military service.

In retirement, Ware earned a master’s in business administration from Howard University in 1981, along with master’s and doctorate degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California in 1995. He was happily married to his wife Vivian for 46 years until her passing in 1994.

Ware died in September 2024 at the age of 101.

We honor his life of service. You can read his full story on the VA News website.

Air Force Veteran Thomas Stafford

Thomas Stafford was born in Weatherford, Oklahoma in 1930. He studied at the United States Naval Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science with honors in 1952.

Stafford was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force and was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base for test pilot school. He graduated at the top of his class and was offered a teaching slot, which is when he co-wrote two textbooks for trainees.

Stafford was later appointed as an astronaut with NASA in 1962, becoming one of NASA’s earliest astronauts. He made his first flight in December 1965 on Gemini 6 and fulfilled a mission to complete the first space rendezvous in history. Stafford also commanded Apollo 10 in 1969, NASA’s second orbit of the moon.

In November 1975, Stafford left NASA and became commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center. He was promoted to lieutenant general in March 1978, and later became Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development, and Acquisition.

Stafford retired in November 1979 and received multiple awards, including an Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force Astronaut Wings, two NASA Exceptional Service Medals, and a Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

Stafford passed away in March 2024 at 93 years old. We honor his life of service. You can read his full story on the VA News website.

We honor their service. 

VA housed 47,925 Veterans experiencing homelessness in fiscal year 2024, surpassing its goal to house 41,000 Veterans and marking the largest number of Veterans housed in a single year since FY 2019. VA also ensured that 96% of the Veterans housed during this time did not return to homelessness.

Ending Veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA. Since FY 2022, VA has permanently housed nearly 134,000 homeless Veterans, and the total number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010.

“Nearly 48,000 formerly homeless Veterans now have a safe, stable place to call home—and there’s nothing more important than that,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “No Veteran should experience homelessness in this Nation they swore to defend. We are making real progress in this fight, and we will not rest until Veteran homelessness is a thing of the past.”

VA’s efforts to combat Veteran homelessness are built on the evidence-based “Housing First” approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing first, and then assisting them with access to health care and other supports that promote stability and improved quality of life.

You can visit the VA website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs supporting Veterans experiencing homelessness. You can also read this full story on the VA News website.

The 2024 State of Innovation Report, an annual publication highlighting notable VA health care innovations, is now available online.

The report helps inform Veterans of VA innovations advancing health care delivery and empowers those who are eligible to take advantage of the report’s featured services. Veterans can learn about the 25 featured programs, where they are available, and where to find more information online.

For decades, innovation has fueled VA’s mission to deliver exceptional health care to Veterans. Early inventions like the cardiac pacemaker, and recent innovations like the radiotherapy bolus that helps protect cancer patients’ healthy tissue during treatment, serve as a testament to VA’s continued dedication to delivering high-quality health care for Veterans.

You can read and share the 2024 State of Innovation Report with Veterans and encourage them to connect with the programs and products that are relevant to their health care journeys.