Fred Needham - VFW Post 2669 - Port Orchard, Washington

Kitsap one of two countiesin State Targeted for Special Veteran Emergency Home Repair Program

Need a new roof? Wheelchair Ramp?  Habitat for Humanity Kitsap and Home Depotare launching a program to help veterans with home repair.  Veteran mustlive in Kitsap County and be the owner and occupant. Don’t hesitate onthis one.  Here’s the contact information

Habitatfor Humanity - Kitsap, 811 Veneta Ave. Bremerton WA 98312

RepairCorps Program Manager - L. Dennis Smith - Vietnam Veteran, US Army

ContactNo. 360-550-2447

Website:www.kitsaphabitat.org

Peninsula Patriot Days Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2011 –Saluting Veterans – Traveling Vietnam Wall

Join the community in paying tribute to those from thePeninsula who have served our great country & those who have made theultimate sacrifice for freedom. Peninsula Patriot Days, Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2011at Olympic Cellars Winery is free and open to the public. Presented by 7Cedars Casino and featuring the "Cost of Freedom" Tribute, theTraveling Vietnam Wall, Gold Dog Tag Tribute for Iraq & Afghanistan, WWII,Korea, Cold War, Police, Firefighter & Historical Displays.  OlympicCellars is on HWY 101 between Sequim and Port Angeles.  For more detailsand calendar of events for the week go to: http://olympiccellars.com/events/index.html

Kitsap Veterans andFriends:

Need your child supportpayments modified?  Cash, medical, or food assistance?

The DSHS Mobile CommunityService Office, which was at the stand down helping veterans, will be inPoulsbo on Saturday, October 8th, 10 am to 2:00 pm, 18901 8thAve NE (Gateway Fellowship parking lot).  This is not a couple of peoplehanding out brochures.  The mobile unit is wirelessly connected to BigOly, the main DSHS computer.  They can help you with your current case aswell as starting a new one on the spot.  See attached flyer.

Capt. Gerald “Jerry”Coffee, USN ret., POW at Hanoi Hilton, coming to Bremerton?

The Bremerton Elks Lodge isworking on bringing former POW, Capt. Gerald Coffee to their annual programhonoring veterans on or about Veterans Day.  This year the event will beon November 10th at 7:30 pm at the Elks Lodge, 4131 Pine Road inEast Bremerton .  The public is invited.  Capt. Coffee www.captaincoffee.com , a renowned inspirationalspeaker, spent seven years at the Hanoi Hilton.  Capt Coffee flew off theKitty Hawk, which is now at PSNS.

The lodge is seekingdonations to defray the costs of transportation, lodging, and honorarium.  Please contact the lodge at 479.1181 or secretary@bpoe1181.org.

Get ready for winter –Energy Assistance at KCR now taking applications.  Puget Sound Energy offeringfree inspection and CFL light bulbs.

As of this morning, KitsapCommunity Resources is accepting applications for energy assistance, whichincludes help with heating and electrical bills.  DO NOT HESITATE IN APPLYING.  This is alimited program. You can apply online by going to http://www.kcr.org/energy_assistance.htm

Cut down on those heatingbills.  Find out where and how your home is wasting energy and gets somefree light bulbs – FromPSE’s website: http://www.pse.com/savingsandenergycenter/forhomes/pages/homeprint.aspx

Puget Sound Energy’s HomePrintAssessment is a FREE*overview of your home’s energy use. Provided by an independentPSE-Qualified Specialist, this in-home service will provide you with a betterunderstanding of your home’s basic energy consumption, cost effectiveways to use less energy, along with useful information on ultimately improvingthe comfort and efficiency of your home.

Whatyou get

Energy-efficient fixtures:

·        On-siteinstallation of FREE compact fluorescent light bulbs

Assessment:

·        Asummary of energy-saving recommendations, plus information on: PSEenergy-efficient product rebates, contractor referrals and other helpful energyefficiency tips

Scheduleyour FREE HomePrint Assessment today!

Call a PSE Energy Advisor at1-800-562-1482, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for referrals toindependent PSE-Qualified Specialists in your area.

Some of the PSE-Qualified Specialistsare local Kitsap veterans. Askfor one.

Washington Departments of Ecology and Veterans Affairs News Release - September 15, 2011

11-255

New partnership provides fresh opportunities for veterans

OLYMPIA – The Washington departments of Ecology and Veterans Affairs are looking for a few good young men and women to help restore, protect and preserve Puget Sound.

The 2011 Washington Legislature created the special Puget SoundCorps within Ecology’s Washington Conservation Corps (WCC). Now the two state agencies are working together to hire selected returning military veterans who want to put their skills to work cleaning up and protecting Puget Sound.

The special AmeriCorps crew will be engaged in work that helps support the Puget Sound Partnership’s Action Agenda to return the Sound to a healthy environmental condition by 2020.

Their transition from military to AmeriCorps service will enable veterans to continue serving their communities and country while gaining new skills in the environmental field.

WCC members help restore and protect Washington’s environment, provide environmental education and volunteer opportunities for thousands of residents of all ages, and assist citizens in Washington and across the nation during floods, fires, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

This will be the first crew made up entirely of veterans for the WCC as part of the new legislation. Although the crew will be based in the Tacoma area, they will work on projects throughout Puget Sound, including:
Removing bulkheads and other shoreline structures that damage habitat or cause pollution.
Cleaning up beaches.
Planting, maintaining and preserving urban trees.
Restoring marine and near shore habitat.
Repairing and replanting stream and streamside habitat.

As WCC members, veterans will earn the state minimum wage and a $5,550 AmeriCorps Education Award that they can use to repay student loans or toward future tuition expenses. They will also attend a series of paid trainings throughout the year such as advanced wilderness first aid, wild land firefighting and pumps and saws, and flood and hazardous material response.

To apply online, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc or contact Roland McGill, WCC Project Coordinator, at 360-407-6077 (rmcg461@ecy.wa.gov).

###

Media contacts:
Curt Hart, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)
Heidi Audette, Veterans Affairs media relations, 360-725-2154 (heidi.audette@dva.wa.gov)

For more information:
Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) (www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc)
Ecology's website (www.ecy.wa.gov)
Veterans Affairs website (www.dva.wa.gov/)
Ecology’s social media (www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html)

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2011/255.html