1611 Virginia Ave., Ste 212, Box 406, North Bend , Oregon 97459 Hours: 9am-3:30pm Monday-Friday desk@sovoservesvets.org 541-756-8718 (Office) 541-756-8758 (Fax)

Suicidal? You can now go to any VA or non-VA healthcare facility for free emergency healthcare

Veterans in acute suicidal crisis can now go to any VA or non-VA healthcare facility for emergency health care at no cost — including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days.

Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to use this benefit. This expansion will increase access to acute suicide care for up to 9 million veterans who are not currently enrolled in the VA system.

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Support SOVO with your shopping. PS: It works all year too.

Please consider listing SOVO as your charity with Amazon Smile. It costs nothing to sign up.  When you shop on Amazon a small percentage comes to SOVO. Sign up by going to the following link: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/homepage?orig=%2F
Thanks  So Much for Your Support

Thank you to Coquille Valley Elks Lodge#1935 for donation to Firewood for Vets

SOVO board member Krystal Hopper attending AMVETS Meeting with Jeff Meyers at The Eagles

Thank you to the Coquille Valley Elks Lodge #1935 for donating a brand new  STIHL chainsaw to the SOVO – Southwestern Oregon Veterans Outreach Firewood for Vets program.

“Firewood for Vets” provides firewood to Disabled Combat Veterans and Widows of Combat Veterans in the Coos County and surrounding area.

More About Firewood for Vets
This is a program under the registered 501c3 nonprofit Veterans support organization Southwestern Oregon Veterans Outreach (SOVO). All recipients must provide verifiable ID of Veteran status and will be connected to additional resources, if needed.

Tomorrow, all Veterans enrolled in VA health care will be eligible for new toxic exposure screenings

WASHINGTON — Beginning tomorrow, Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and clinics across the country will offer enrolled Veterans a new toxic exposure screening. These screenings are a key part of the PACT Act, a new law that empowers VA to deliver care and benefits to millions of toxic exposed Veterans and their survivors.
The screening takes around five to 10 minutes and begins by asking Veterans if they believe they experienced any toxic exposures while serving in the armed forces. Veterans who answer “yes” will then be asked about specific exposures, including open burn pits/airborne hazards, Gulf War-related exposures, Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure and other exposures.
Veterans enrolled in VA health care will be offered an initial toxic exposure screening then follow-up screenings at least once every five years.

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SOVO Job announcement – Immediate Opening

SOVO has an immediate opening for a Client Services Associate. The position will be permanent Part/Time (20-30 hours/week). Pay is $18/hour with no benefits. The position will be open until filled.
We are looking for a reliable, energetic and self-motivated individual with a passion for helping others to serve as our point of contact for veteran clients seeking assistance from our office. The Client Services Associate will work primarily away from the office, interacting directly with clients in their homes or public venues to deliver requested assistance. They will also assist the Executive Director to represent the organization at public events and meetings with community partners.

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Oregon Quilts of Valor to host Veterans Day Celebration

The Oregon Quilts of Valor Foundation will award 100 quilts to veterans in the community on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2022. The ceremony will take place at Salem Armory Auditorium (2320 17th St NE Salem, OR 97301). The event will begin at 12 p.m.
Members of the community are welcomed to join in the celebration.
For additional information please visit the Quilt of Valor website at https://www.qovf.org.

 

Oregon’s New Veteran Dental Program Launched November 1

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon House Bill 4095, which creates the state’s first Veteran Dental Program for Oregon veterans who do not qualify for Oregon Health Plan (OHP), passed in the 2022 Legislative Session. Administered by Oregon Health Authority, this state-funded program is separate and distinct from the dental benefit offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Beginning November 1, 2022, veterans can apply for the program using the OHP application.
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Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs to Host Statewide Veterans Day Ceremony at Oregon State Capitol 11/10 at 11am.

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will honor all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces during its Statewide Veterans Day Ceremony this year in view of the Oregon State Capitol Building.
The event will feature remarks by federal, state and local dignitaries and ceremonial elements including color guard, national anthem, wreath presentation and the playing of “Taps.” Attendees should be advised that this year’s event will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 10 — the day before Veterans Day.
The event will be hosted at the Oregon State Capitol Park located on Court Street Northeast in downtown Salem — directly in front of the Oregon State Capitol Building.

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VA closes gap in survivor benefits for LGBTQ+ Veterans and survivors

ODVA blog

The VA has announced that it is closing a gap in survivor benefits for certain survivors of LGBTQ+ Veterans—specifically, for those who were unable to wed until the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, and who, therefore, were not married to their now-deceased Veteran spouses for long enough to qualify for survivor benefits.
“VA is closing a gap in benefits for surviving spouses of LGBTQ+ Veterans, righting a wrong that is a legacy of the discriminatory federal ban on same-sex marriages,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
Continue reading VA closes gap in survivor benefits for LGBTQ+ Veterans and survivors at Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Blog.  
Or follow this link: <https://tinyurl.com/3n3re784>

Educational Bridge Grant is for Veterans in Diverse Degree, Certificate, Apprenticeship and OTJ Programs

ODVA

The Veterans’ Educational Bridge Grant (VEBG) is a program administered by ODVA that awards grants of up to $5,000 to individual veterans enrolled in an academic or training program who find their progress interrupted due to the inability to schedule courses or training hours.
The VEBG is open year-round for applications, so if you or a veteran you know can benefit from a Veterans Educational Bridge Grant, please refer to our website <https://tinyurl.com/bdft859e> to access the application and program information.

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