Military MomsFamily Comes First

FAMILY COMES FIRST

然

MILITARY MOMS CO P Y

#604

APPEARANCES IN ORDER:

VINCENT J. RUSSO, ESQ. Russo Taw Group, P. C.

VICTORIA ROBERTS-DROGIN Russo Law Group. P. C.

DENISE GAUSE, Veteran

HOWARD DUFF, Director Mental Health Services, Catholic Charities

TODD BELISLE, President Center for Special Needs Trust Administration

GUSTINA PENNA, Veteran

FRANK AMALFITANO, CEO United Veterans Beacon House

EFR. ANTHONY STANGANET

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RUSSO: Welcome, everyone, to

Family Comes First. I’m Vincent J.

RuSSO.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: And I’m

Victoria Roberts-Drogin. Thank you for

joining us today.

Vincent, for years, when people

would think of military service, they

would think of the men in Our armed

fOrCes but what abOut the WOmen?

RUSSO: Well, times have

Certainly changed. And I agree. In the

past there’s been significant coverage of

Our men in the military.

MS ROBERTS-DROGIN: YeS . SO

today, we’re going to explore the Complex

and unique challenges that Our female

vets face when they return home.

Military moms on Family Comes

First.

ኧ: k `k ❖ ❖ (k $k `ጵ

ROBERTS-DROGIN: One Of the

first challenges facing vets, both men

and women, is the transition back to

civilian life. What was once maybe the

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norm is now sometimes a memory for many

returning Vets.

RUSSO: With us now is veteran

Denise Gause and Howard Duff, the

Director of the Mental Health Services at

Catholic Charities.

Welcome. Thank you for joining us

on Family Comes First.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: So good to

have you both here. Thank you.

DUFF: Thank you for having

llS .

GAUSE: Thank you.
RUSSO: So, you were a single

mom with two children, and you decided to

go into the military.

GAUSE: Yes.
RUSSO: Why?
GAUSE: Why.
RUSSO: Ye S.
GAUSE: I have tWO reas OnS

why. One is because my mother wanted to

always go into the military. She never

went. I guess, because of the life that

she had, raising her children, and just

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other odd jobs. She never got the

opportunity, and also worked with just

women, who worked part time in a grocery

store for thirteen years, and she kept

saying, I want to leave, I want to leave,

but she had regrets.

So, that’s One Of the reasons.

And the se Cond, I wanted a better

life for me and my children.

ROBERTS – DIRIOGINI: HOW Old Were

your children?

GAUSE: Eleven-years old and

five-years old.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: That must

have been hard.

GAUSE: It was very hard.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: I think

that’s one of the things that so many

moms who decide to serve our country,

it’ s not like dads don’t love their

children by any means, but there’s

something about a mom, your conviction

must have been so strong at that point

that it overrode that pain.

GAUSE: You want to do the

best, and you’re just looking at the

positive, like I want my children to have

the best, to live in the best and just do

what I can for them.

MS . ROBERTS-DROGIN : And this is

hoW.

RUSSO: Ye S.
GAUSE: That’s what I thought

was how, yes.

RUSSO: How did you prepare

them for you leaving?

GAUSE: Well, they knew I was

going, but then I – – – the main thing

was I had to find good hands to put them

in.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Yes, of

COUTS ES

GAUSE: My mother couldn’t do
I know the grandmother couldn’t do

it, but I had a great-grandmother in

Florida. She took care of my children.

So, I had to get them to Florida,

before I even went to basic training.

ROBERTS – DIROGIN : That’s

tremendous.

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RUSSO: And how long were you

away?

GAUSE: I was away two-and-a-

half years.

RUSSO: Two-and-a-half years.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: Thank you for

that service.

RUSSO: Ye S.
GAUSE : YOU ‘ Ire Wel COme.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: So, when you

came back what was it like? What was

your strongest memory about coming home?

GAUSE: Just, I know I’m going

to see my children.

RUSSO: YeS.
ROBERTS – DROGIN : YeS.
GAUSE: And they were going to

be happy to see me and excited to see me.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Did you stay

in contact with them when you were

OVel Sea SP

GAUSE: Yes. And I got one

chance to visit and that was hard Coming

back, because at the airport, there were

like tears rolling off their faces, and

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it was like – – – but I got to go.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: That’s almost

harder, you know, seeing them and then

leaving.

GAUSE: I almost went AWOL.
ROBERTS-DROGIN : T Can

imagine.

RUSSO: Well, thank God you

came back. You know, you put your life

On the line.

GAUSE: Yes, I did.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: So, when you

came back, you had to make decisions

about where to live, what you were going

to do, job, everything. What was the

first step in thinking about that?

MS . GAUSE : I didn’t have a

problem with that, because my mother. I

went back to my mother.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Okay.
GAUSE: I was living at home

with my parents.

RUSSO: That was really

important. That’s where family Support.

MS, ROBERTS-DROGIN: Ye S.

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RUSSO: Having family that can be

Supportive and, unfortunately, though,

there are many vets who come back and

don’t have that family support. That

makes it more difficult.

That’s where you come in with all

the services that you’re able to provide.

SO, talk about those services.

DUFF: Okay. Again, Catholic

Charities offers a wide variety of

Services fOr Children, adults, Seniors,

but Our Veterans program is One Of Our

newest programs.

We started it about ten years ago

when the episodes of homelessness were

becoming SO apparent, so we created a

program to provide housing for the

homeless veteran, and in that we also

Created housing for families because we

saw a two-tier problem.

One, of course, is the chronically

homeless veteran, who is living in the

Woods, et Cetera; and then we also saw the

families that were living in shelters

because there was no place for them to

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live.

So, Catholic Charities was able to

establish some homes where we’ve been

able to put families in and again, the

families do the hard work. For us, it’s

a privilege to do it, because they

deserve a place to live.

RUSSO : SUire .
ROBERTS-DROGIN : Trule. True.

So, what are the challenges that some of

the families who you serve, what do they

Come to you with and what programs do you

have to support them?

DUFF: Okay. Well, we do have

our mental health program, Our chemical

dependent clinics.

Unfortunately, many of the

veterans that Come back, Come back

suffering from posttraumatic stress

disorder, and what happens is that

because of the mental health issues, the

Stress, they turn to Substances, that do

not help them adjust to Civilian life.

So, I think that our first goal

is to help stabilize them. We utilize

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all our parishes. We have parishes

throughout Nassau and Suffolk County. We

receive phone calls from them saying we

have a veteran. They’re struggling, what

Can we do? So then, we start this

prO CeSS .

RUSSO: So, transitioning in

many different areas, transitioning into

the workplace. How was that for you?

Was it difficult?

GAUSE: Well, in the beginning

it was, because they told me I can get my

job back when I came back home, but then

when I got back it wasn’t there. It was

no longer open, but eventually, they did

give it back.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Okay. So,

you were able to go back to doing what

you were doing before.

MS, GAUSE : YeS .

RUSSO: I would think that ‘S

an area where it, taking skills that you

have in the military and then coming back

and trying to reconnect with the job that

you might have had before you left, it

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Could be difficult.

I guess you were fortunate. I

don’t know what it took to get that job

back, so maybe I don’t even want to go

there, but is that an area where Catholic

Charities can be helpful with job

transition?

DUFF: What we do try to do

with homeless programs, because again,

most of them are homeless because they do

not have employment, so what we do again,

network out to all the different

parishes .

We do work with the VA. There is

not enough employment for Our veterans

when they do return home, and again, the

skills that they used, the courage that

they show in serving Our Country, when

they come home, they don’t say, ‘Oh,

you’re courageous. Here’s a job for

you,” because it doesn’t fit.

RUSSO: Why don’t we do a

shout out . We’ll do a shout out to all

those employers who are watching the

show, especially small business

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employers, there are many Out there On Long

Island. Think about hiring a vet today.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Absolutely.
RUSSO: Think about hiring a

Vet .

ROBERTS-DROGIN: It would seem

on both parts, the hard skills that you

learn are invaluable. It’s just a matter

of translating that value to the

marketplace in many ways, SO I would

imagine that that’s something that – – –

we had chatted briefly. I know the VA

has a library where they can connect

those skills, but often, I imagine, it

must be hard.

You know, when a Vet COmes home,

you’ve had this life that feels one way

to you in the military, and then you come

home and it feels very different.

What do you do to support some of

those challenges?

DUFF: We do have a mental

health counseling program which are

extremely valuable. We have peer

support, which we find even more

戮

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valuable, because we use the veterans. When

they are able to relate to another

veteran, I don’t understand what it’s

like to fight in battle. They understand

that. They understand what it’s like to

be away from their family, and they offer

the Support.

We did start some suicide

prevention programs, because

unfortunately the rate of Suicide among

veterans is extremely, extremely high,

and it is something that we are trying to

reduce with our trainings, but it is an

Ongoing battle.

RUSSO: I guess the sooner you

can get face to face with the vet and

have some sort of recognition of what’s

going on, which is by the vet, which is

I’m sure is very, very difficult.

But, I applaud the efforts for

Sure. So important.

Denise, talk to us about while you

were away, what were the particular

challenges as a female, because there are

more males in the military than females

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today.

So, any parti Culair Challenges that

you – – –

GAUSE: I can’t think of any

offhand, but I know once you join the

military, it’s not male or female.

You’re just a soldier now. So you’re

just treated like a soldier.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: As an equal;

you were judged, measured and performed.

GAUSE: That’s how I felt,

yes.

RUSSO: Wow, that’s great to

hear.

ROBERTS – DROGIN : YeS .
RUSSO: Yes, that’s great to

hear.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: And then when

you came back, was it hard to readjust,

or did you just bring that all back with

you?

GAUSE: I kind of brought it

back. Even at home sometimes, they think

I’m a drill sergeant.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: That’s okay.

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MR, RUSSO: Ye S. YeS.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Straight and

IGOW.

RUSSO: Can you come to our

house?

GAUSE: That, you might not

lOV e me after that .

RUSSO: No, we’ll love you.

We’re the parents.

Well, I can’t thank you enough for

your serving Our country and for your

being a part of this show. We so much

wanted to do this show and talk to female

veterans and to talk to the organizations

that are providing support.

GAUSE: Can I. menti On One

Other One?

RUSSO : Sure .
GAUSE: Every Monday night,

it’s PFC Dwyer, they have this

Organization for veterans and it’s 16

Main Street in Hempstead.

RUSSO: GOOC.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: Wonderful.
RUSSO: All right.

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ROBERTS-DROGIN: We’ll put it on

the WebSite.

RUSSO: And we’ll put that up

On Our website as well.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Absolutely.

Thank you.

So, we’re going to take a break,

and we will be right back on Family Comes

Fir St .

RUSSO: Military moms.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: Military

moms, thank you.

GAUSE : YOu’re Wel COme.

* \ \ \ \ \

BELISLE: The Center for

Special Needs Trust Administration was

created over fifteen years ago. The

reason for the creation of the Center was

to help those individuals who needed

help; to help those individuals who are

On SSI ; who are on Medi. Caid; who are On

housing assistance; who are on food

assistance.

Previously, those individuals were

left to fend for themselves. On One

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particular day, their life changed, and they

had nowhere to go. What the Center

provides through its trust administration

Services is an Outlet for them ; for them

to live a better and more productive

life.

k . . . .

RUSSO: Welcome back to Family

Comes First. We just heard how difficult

it can be for female veterans to

transition back to civilian life. There

are so many issues to identify and

resolve.

ROBERTS-DROGEN: And One of

the first challenges facing vets, both

men and women, is the issue of housing;

often critical.

Once they are di s charged, they need

a place to live, So what’s the first

step? What happens? Where do you go?

RUSSO: United Veterans BeacOn

House is a not-for-profit organization

that helps veterans transition back into

the Community.

With us now is Frank Amalfitano,

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CEO of United Veterans Beacon House Who Can

provide us with his insights.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Also joining

us is Gustina Penna; a female vet who was

helped tremendously by the United

Vetera IìS BeaCOIì HOU1Se .

RUSSO: Thank you all for

being here today.

ROBERTS – DROGIN: So, Gustina,

backing up, maybe a few years what made

you decide to join the military?

PENNA: My great-grandfather

was a soldier in the Italian army. He

was a prisoner of war during World War

II , So it kind Of Stemmed from that .

But then September 11th happened,

and my Sister was already in the army,

and the field I was in, being a broker,

wasn’t obviously what it used to be after

September 11th, so I decided to join the

army and serve my country and travel the

world and that’s what I had chosen to do,

and I loved it.

RUSSO: What role did you have

in the army?

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PENNA: I was an engineer in demo

and explosives. I was Stationed in

Germany, Grafenwohr. I was the first

female in an all male Combat engineer

unit.

So, my original job of being a

heavy equipment Operator, that minored in

explosives, went major, because that ‘S

the unit I was in .

ROBERTS-DROGIN: That must

have been incredibly challenging being

the only woman in that unit. Did you

have to prove yourself?

PENNA: Yes. Beyond belief.

I definitely had to prove myself, and

rightfully SO. I had SOme pretty big

shoes to fill as a female being the only

female in an all male COmbat.

ROBERTS – DIRIOGIN : I guess

anyone would have to prove themselves.

PENNA: Yes . Absolutely.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: There are

unique challenges with the assumptions

that are made.

PENNA: I had to make them

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trust me, and believe that their lives were

Safe with me also, as I did with them.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: How did you

do that?

PENNA: WOIrked like — — —
RUSSO: Like heck.
PENNA: WOIrked like heCk.
RUSSO: Now, single mom.

MS . PENINA : Ye S »

RUSSO: TWO SOS

MS . PENNA : YeS .

RUSSO: And you go into the

military. Talk a little about that.

PENNA: I had no children. When

I went into the military.

RUSSO: Oh, okay.
PENNA: My first son was born

right after my first tour in Iraq and

during – – – I got my orders for the

Se COnd tour in Iraq, SO I had to ask my

mother and my grandparents to watch my

son while I went back to Iraq the second

tOur .

My Son was Only three months old

when I brought him back to stateside for

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my mother to care for him, and it was one of

the hardest decisions I had to ever make.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: What

motivated you? What got you through that

decision?

PENNA : Believing in what I

did, and wanting to have a life for me

and my SOn, and I loved my job and I

loved being in the army and I loved

everything about it, and I believed in

it, and you know, I believed in my job;

what purpose I Stood for as a soldier.

RUSSO: So, Frank, let’s talk

about the Support and services that your

Organization provides.

AMALFITANO: United Veterans

Beacon House is Our Organization. I’ve

been the CEO since 1999. We’ve been in

existence since 1994. We’ve housed WOmen.

veterans from Our inception.

Services is housing, emergency

hou Sing, transitional housing and

permanent housing for veterans and also

for Veteran families, of course on a

Small S Cale .

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We’re a small scale organization, but

on a larger scale, we are partners with

the VA, the local VA. Our catchment area

is Long Island, so we do a lot of work

with the Northport VA; we do a lot of

work with St. Albans, and what they call

a VISN, which is a combination of seven

VA hospitals in the immediate area, this

geographic, immediate area.

We provide employment

opportunities for veterans. We provide

housing for veterans and their families.

We have a Vets Bill Program that we’re

partnered with. We’re partnered with a

lot of agencies. The Vets Bill Program,

we’re partnered with United Way of Long

Island, which that’s a great program,

because it’s free to the veterans, and

it’s men and women and it’s an

insulation; weatherization program which

could lead to a higher education, a lot

of jobs in the solar industry.

Training, we provide a lot of

training; also, in partnership with the

VA and with the Department of Labor.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Frank, I imagine

you and Gustina have slightly different

perspectives on this, but what would each

of you say is the most powerful

difference that women face, transitioning

back after service?

AMALFITANO: Well, most women,

they have a lot more challenges than the

male veterans, and particularly a single

mom. A veteran woman that has children,

that’s a tremendous challenge.

And then also, a woman veteran

that’s experienced war. I could tell you

this firsthand, there’s a lot of issues,

but being in a combat scenario, you carry

that with you for the rest of your life.

ROBERTS – DROGIN: Gustina, T

know you had spoken a little bit to us

about that, coming home and not even

realizing that you had post traumatic – –

MS PENNA: PTSD .

ROBERTS-DROGIN: YeS.

MS … PENNA : I know when I first

came home, there weren’t as many programs

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as there are now. So, coming to terms with

it, it was difficult and it took a while,

but by the grace of God I did come to

terms with it and found my way to the VA

and it made me stronger and start the

healing process, so I could be a mother

to my Son.

Programs like United Veterans

Beacon House are so important to veterans

and their families, because without them,

in side-by-side, with the VA, with

programs like United Veterans Beacon

House, it’s just so important.

ROBERTS – DIROGIN : I was just

going to Say, One, I guess is naming,

actually being able to put a name On

something as opposed to just feeling

terrible.

And then the other, you had talked

about the support of the community, like

in Liberty Village where you live now.

MS . PENNA : YeS .

ROBERTS-DROGIN: What S that

like? What does it do for you?

PENNA : It’s like being in the

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army all Over again, honestly. It’s like

being right back – – –

ROBERTS-DROGIN: What is that?

MS . PENNA: – – – on a military

base. The camaraderie. The integrity.

The loyalty. Not feeling like you’re

Crazy, because you all share some type of

Common bond.

RUSSO: So the housing. It’s

not just the housing. It’s the housing

Setup, arrangement.

PENINA : Right .
ROBERTS-DROGIN: And the

Community.

PENNA: And the community.
RUSSO: That is there for you.
PENNA: Right .
RUSSO: It sounds like it was

the most important first piece of many

pieces that needed to be put together.

PENNA: Absolutely . Be Call Se

you have to have a stable home in order

to flourish for you and your family.

ROBERTS-DROGEN: And take Care

of your kids.

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MS … PENNA : YeS .

ROBERTS-DROGIN: How did you

find them? How did you – – – what

happened that led you – – – you know, you

came home, what’s the first step to take?

PENNA: I was hOmele SS ,

honestly. That’s how I ended up being

Connected with United Veterans Beacon

House through the VA, and it just, it was

a humbling experience, and like I said,

you just can’t give up. You have to

believe in yourself, and you have to

push.

And when you’re a mom of two

little boys there is no excuse. You

Can’t give up.

RUSSO: How did you speak to

your children as they got, maybe, I don’t

know at that age, or a little older as to

PENNA: I kept them protected

very, very well. They really didn’t know

the Situation at hand.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: You WOrk

through it day-by-day.

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PENNA : Yes, you do, and you

know, they go to school and they have

their lives and you try and keep normalcy

as much as possible and then Once we

moved to Liberty Village, that we were

really okay and they were safe and it was

home, and they were happy.

RUSSO: Well, Gustina, you” re

just an incredible inspiration. I mean,

the courage you have.

PENNA: Thank you .
RUSSO: And it’s just

remarkable, and you know, what you did

for our country, and then how you’ve

taken care of your family, and the

resources you’re providing are SO

essential and so much appreciated,

because we can’t forget out vets, and

when they come back, we’ve got to help

them.

AMALFITANO: Well, in

Gustina” s case, she came through an

emergency shelter, to transitional

housing, to permanent housing, and we

assisted her up until that, and still in

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Our program, in Our Organization, no matter,

a vet leaves, we ” ve put approximately

7, 700 vets through our housing program.

They’re welcome back at no charge.

Anytime. For all kinds of assistance.

We do their taxes. Transportation.

Whatever their needs are.

RUSSO: That’s great. Great

Service you’re providing.

I want to thank you both for being

On Our show today. We’re going to take a

break, and we’ll be right back on Family

Comes First.

太宏 ★ 太太安太安

ROBERTS-DROGIN: So, Vincent,

today we’ve met two incredible women who

served our country, and heard from them

about Some of the unique challenges that

they faced as women in the military.

It’s been inspiring; it’s been sobering

and had some great resources on the show

as well.

RUSSO: Absolutely. And so

I’m going to actually throw this back at

yOu.

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ROBERTS-DROGIN: Okay.
RUSSO: Because you’re the

female. And this is great that we

focused on female veterans on this show.

So excited. I know my wife Susan who has

co-produced shows in the past, just so

much wanted this to happen today.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Ye S.
RUSSO: And your background,

and you’ll talk a little about your

background, as you give us your insights

on the job transition and training and

education.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Yes, well

it’s critical for both men and women;

again, unique challenges but SOmetimes

different challenges for men and women.

RUSSO: So, what do you do for

a living?

MS, ROBERTS-DROGIN: In a

professor at Mercy College. I’m the

executive director of the Women’s

Leadership Program in the School of

Business.

RUSSO: Women’s Leadership

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21.

Program.

MS, ROBERTS-DROGIN: YeS.

RUSSO: See, that’s why I

pas Sed it back to you .

ROBERTS-DROGIN: I know. I

know. I know. We’re so proud of it.

RUSSO : WOmer Vet S are

leaders.

ROBERTS – DIRIOGINI: TremenCOlu S

leadership skills and – – –

RUSSO: That’s right.
ROBERTS – DIROGIN : – – – and

that’s One of the things that I think

came across so clearly when we spoke to

Denise and to Gustina, is that these are

skills which they’ve acquired through

their service, but also through who they

are, SO to be able to translate that and

to describe and be powerful in

articulating the Value to the market is

tremendous for women; I think, for a lot

of our vets coming home.

But, you know, there are a lot of

employers Out there, as we said, who

really could benefit from understanding

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what our vets offer in terms of their

experience and their skills So yes, it’s

very much in line with my – – – what I’m

passionate about and what we do at Mercy

College.

RUSSO: So, let’s welcome

Father Tony Stanganelli.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: YeS .
RUSSO: Yes. I know, through

all the years and all the parish work

that you do that you’ve spoken to so many

veterans and families who have veterans

serving abroad, and you must have

incredible insights on what these issues

are. I’m putting you. On the Spot.

STANGANELLI : I appreciate

that very much, because really and truly

when you see people who have been broken

by life, and even broken because of being

in military service and not really

Imeeting humanity at its best in their

service of an enemy.

MS , ROBERTS – DROGIN : YeS.

STANGANELLI : And having to be

in the front lines, and then to realize

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that now how do I put the pieces back

together? Those are the challenges that

as any pastoral leader we face with

people who we are trying to help them put

their lives back together through the

help of God, through the grace of God.

Because, as we saw with both

Gustina and with Denise, that they both

went into the military believing in what

they could do for their country,

believing in what they could do for their

families, and believing that they had a

purpose and a value in life. Those things

don’t change. But, they get bruised, I

think in the battlefield.

And coming home and to recapture

that zeal and to refocus that zeal

through the grace of God those are the

things I think as pastoral leaders, we in

the parish, we try to, again, engage

people with that interior zeal that

brought them into the service.

ROBERTS-IDROGIN: YOUl reCOľhne C to

them with their humanity.

FR . STANGANELLI : Exactly.

1 O

ROBERTS-DROGIN: Because you can

lose it.

STANGANELLI : Exactly. How

dehumanizing is it to be where they were

with what they’ve experienced.

And then to even face further

dehumanizing by perhaps finding those

challenges where they can’t pick up

again.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: YeS.
STANGANELLI : And giving them

hope giving them a reason for their

pushing forward and Once again reigniting

that resilience in them.

And all those are graces that God

wants to give. God is not indifferent to

the challenges that they’re facing and

their retransitioning into the Society

again.

And so we want them to believe

that God really does labor to love them

in this new phase of Coming into the non

military life and facing that again with

hope and Courage.

RUSSO: And my observation is

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that we all can help, you know? In Our Own

ways. We have resources, we have

organizations, but each of individually,

we’re in the community. We can be more

Sensitive to the vets who have come back;

more sensitive to the families who have

loved Ones abroad in the military.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: And

appreciate them.

RUSSO: And appreciate them

and support them in little ways, so as a

Community we can really bolster them up

and back into Community life here in Our

COuntry.

STANGANELLI : And fOr Sure , I

believe the church can play a vital role

in that Support that they need, that they

deserve.

RUSSO: Absolutely. Thank you

so much, Father Tony, for your insights

today.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: And thank you

for j Olining luS .

Vincent, we’ve had so many

WOnderful resources that we’ve been able

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to di S CuSS today On Our Show to Support men

and women in our military as they return.

RUSSO: Absolutely. United

Veteran Beacon House and Catholic

Charities are two resources among many

which are available to Our military men

and women and their families.

ROBERTS-DROGIN: FOr more

information on the United Veterans Beacon

House, visit their website at U-V-G-H. Com

and the programs available at Catholic

Charities you can find at

Catholic Charities. CC, and you can also

visit Vincent’s law firm where all of

these resources and more are listed and

especially information. On veterans

benefits and that’s at WJRussolaw.com.

RUSSO: Well done, Victoria.
ROBERTS-DROGIN: I didn’t even

Stutter .

RUSSO: That’s right. Thanks

to all Our viewers for joining us, and

remember family truly does come first.

k ,

Our faith tells us we are not alone and that we travel together with OUR GOD through difficult times
—Monsignor James C. Vlaun

Military Moms

Special Comment from Vincent