The Ramp Volume 58, Issue 2

THE RAMP

Justice for ALS Veterans Act

National PVA Website

The PVA and ALS Association call on Congress to quickly pass the Justice for ALS Veterans Act.

Caregivers Feeling Left Behind

National PVA Website

The VA needs to better support Home and Community-Based Services before more veterans & caregivers feel left behind.

PVA Legislative Priorities

National PVA

All the 2023 Legislative Priorities were released by National PVA and are outlined.

Telephone Tips for Accessing Resources

VA: Department of Veteran Affairs

The VA discusses telephone tips and techniques for Caregivers to utilize to access important resources.

MS Wal k: Annapolis Deputy Director Update Capitol Hill Visit Summary Keith Lewis Trap Shoot

Upcoming Events

Presidents Report

Wreath’s Across America Election Results. Holiday Party

COLONIAL PVA OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

MATTHEW PEELING mpeeling@colonialpva.org

VICE PRESIDENT

ANN ADAIR anncadair@aol.com

SECRETARY JERROD HARRIS jharris@colonialpva.org

TREASURER

JOHN PEPE dailydriver66@gmail.com

BOARD MEMBERS

PATRICK BURNS Patb1511@verizon.net

CRYSTAL YOUNG-TERRELL cyterrell@comcast.net

CHRISTOPHER BRYANT chrisdvbryant@gmail.com

BETTY GEER bettyg127@gmail.com

CARSON WIDDOES ccwiddoes@gmail.com

CHAPTER LIASION

JOSUE CORDOVA

NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT jcordova@pva.org

CHAPTER OFFICE

700 BARKSDALE ROAD, UNIT 2 NEWARK, DE 19711 (302)861-6671

OFFICE STAFF

JO ANN BEDSWORTH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR jbedsworth@colonialpva.org

BRIAN HUTTON DEPUTY DIRECTOR bhutton@colonialpva.org

NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICES:

WILMINGTON: 1-202-709-5551

BALTIMORE: 1-800-795-3606

PHILADELPHIA: 1-800-795-3628

D.C.: 1-800-424-8200

CDCE REPRESENTATIVES:

WILMINGTON: CRYSTAL YOUNG-TERRELL

BALTIMORE: BOB REUTER/ ANN ADAIR

PHILADELPHIA:

VA HOSPITALS:

WILMINGTON: 1-302-994-2511

BALTIMORE: 1-410-605-7000

PHILADELPHIA: 1-215-823-5800

EAST ORANGE: 1-973-676-1000

RICHMOND: 1-804-675-5581

Phone Numbers

Chapter Office

1-302-861-6671

Benefits Helpline 1-866-734-0857

Caregiver Support 1-855-260-3274

Healthcare Helpline 1-800-232-1782

Job Assistance 1-202-416-7795

Legal Services 1-800-424-8200

MEMBERSHIP:

As of January 2023

SC LIFE: 161

NSC LIFE: 79

TOTAL VOTING MEMBERS: 240

AFFILIATE: 60

TOTAL MEMBERSHIP: 300

MEMBER REIMBURSEMENT FUND

All chapter members will be entitled to $100 per fiscal year to use toward actives such as dining out with your spouse, going to the movies, attending events, hotel stays, vacation expenses, hobby supplies, etc. Receipts for such activities will need to be dated and mailed to the Colonial Chapter office, by the end of the fiscal year (9/30/23). Receipts dated before the date 10/01/22 will not be accepted. Members may use the entirety of their $100 at once or on a separate occasion throughout the fiscal year. The chapter will keep a running balance of the remaining amount available to each member. Funds will not carry over into the next fiscal year. Unused funds will not be paid to the member and will be considered forfeit. Members are asked to submit with their receipts a one to two paragraph description, and photo if applicable, of how they used their funds, for inclusion in the chapter newsletter “The Ramp“. The amount allotted to each member may increase in future fiscal years based on available Chapter funding.

MEMBER BIRTHDAYS

DEC

Samuel LaCorte - 12/1

Larry Hughes - 12/12

Karen Miller - 12/12

Daniel Hergert, Jr. - 12/14

Richard Myers - 12/14

Charmaine Jackson - 12/16

Craig Ward - 12/17

Robert Clark - 12/23

Noland Watts - 12/24

Mark Bieberich - 12/25

Terence Brown - 12/25

Thomas Clinton - 12/26

James Braxton - 12/26

Terry Deputy - 12/27

JAN

Steven Jones - 1/1

Eddie Belton - 1/1

Fredrick Craw - 1/2

Ibrahim Hashi - 1/2

Terry Laurenzi - 1/3

Robert Eastman - 1/4

Desiree Young - 1/6

Lori Mininger-Costello - 1/8

Debra

FEB

MEMBER DEATHS

Glenwood Conner – 11/10/2022

Anthony Caffo – 11/19/2022

Jeffrey Aikens – 12/19/2022

Maureen Welsh – 12/24/2022

MONTHLY WINNERS

DEC: Noland Watts

JAN: Thomas Meyer

FEB: Hazel Rodriquez

Each month a member will be chosen at random to receive a prize package of assorted items. The winners will be announced in the bi- monthly newsletter. If you are an announced winner, please call the chapter office at 302-861-6671 to confirm your mailing address. Prizes will not be sent unless the office is contacted and assured of a correct mailing address. The office must be contacted before the next bimonthly newsletter is sent.

Upcoming Events

Capitol Hill Visits

Washington, D.C.

Colonial PVA Representatives will be traveling to Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. to meet with Senator’s and Congressman to discuss issues veterans with disabilities face and advocate for legislation for the benefit of all veterans and Americans with disabilities.

Mixed Format: In Person and Electronically March 8, 2023 Board

of Directors Meeting

Colonial Office & Via Zoom

Board of Directors will be meeting to discuss current issues facing the Chapter. This meeting is open to all members.

Zoom ID: 834 4215 0959

Passcode: 525176

Capitol Hill Summary Event

Colonial Office & Via Zoom

Colonial PVA Representatives that met with Legislators on Capitol Hill this year will summarize their meetings with Representative’s and Senator’s and discuss all the legislative priorities this year.

Zoom ID: 821 3869 8495

Passcode: 152132

Board of Directors Meeting

Colonial Office & Via Zoom

Board of Directors will be meeting to discuss current issues facing the Chapter. This meeting is open to all members.

Zoom ID: 834 4215 0959

Passcode: 525176

Welcoming New Board Members and Thanking Outgoing Members

As a non-profit organization, the Colonial Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (CCPVA) is governed by a board elected by its members. I am pleased to say that with this year’s election was the best in history of the Chapter. We have a total of 242 members that were able to cast a vote and we had a total of 82 votes received. In the past the Chapter was lucky to receive 45 votes. This shows that we have a healthy Chapter.

Colonial Chapter Board members serve a 2-year term and volunteer their time and energy to directly impact our Mission and our Chapter. The 10 –Members of the Board (President, Vice President, Sectary, Treasurer, 5 Board Members, and National Director) aims for both diversity of perspective and depth of expertise, and the strength of commitment for the Chapter and its Mission. Our new Board of Directors was elected by the membership, and I am excited to start working with each and every one of them. I also want to thank our outgoing members and welcome new members as well as extent a heartfelt thanks to Director’s past, present and future for their contributions and dedication to the Colonial Chapter Family.

Farewell to Outgoing Board Member

Robert Reuter has served on the Colonial Chapter Board of Directors for many terms totaling 13 years. He was Treasurer, Vice President, and Board Member and was acting President until a President was elected. Robert still is the Director of the Government Relation in Maryland, VAVS in Baltimore VA and sits on the Maryland Veterans Commission. He does all this in the name of the Colonial Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. We’re grateful for everything you do.

Welcome to New Board Members

I also want to congratulate and welcome to the Board three new members Betty Geer, Jerrod Harris and Charles Widdoes , along with Ann Adair, John Pepe, Christopher Bryant, Crystal young-Terrell and Patrick Burns who were re-elected. I am grateful and excited to have this group of individuals join the board and bring their unique talents, expertise, and perspectives to the Chapter leadership in order to further our Mission to restore hope and quality of life to Veterans with Paralysis, their Families and Caregivers. Our Vision is making the world accessible for everyone.

Sincerely,

MatthewPeeling President Colonial Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America

January 2023 Ski Trip: Treasurer John Pepe enjoyed a fun filled week of skiing Whitetail Ski Resort thanks to Two Mountain Adaptive Sports Foundation. are a lot of opportunities out there for members to take advantage of just let us know what you want to do and JoAnn and I can point you in the right direction.

ross America: My Daughter, Aubree Hutton, and I volunteered to place Veterans graves on December 16, Delaware Veterans Memorial in Bear, Delaware. We were joined by Board Member Betty Geer and her husband Alan to Remember and Honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes and the act

Holiday Party: The Holiday party was hosted at the Chapter office in Newark, Delaware on December 3, 2022, from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The theme of the party is “Home for the Holidays” and we had food, games, and festive music as we brought all the members to where JoAnn and I spend most of time taking care of Chapter business. The new Board of Directors were sworn in prior to the party around noon and stuck around to mingle with all the guests. Volunteer Georgia Matoulas oversaw all the holiday decorations and created an awesome scene using the new Board Members photos. The party open house style, with attendee’s staying various lengths of time, coming and going throughout the day. See photo collage on page for more event photos

Upcoming Events:

Keith Lewis Memorial Trap Shoot: The Fundraising Committee now oversees planning Shoot and has decided that this year’s

NSO UPDATE: Philadelphia Regional Office

JosephW@pva.org

Philadelphia Regional Office

The Philadelphia Service Office provides assistance to any Veteran who requests it. Our clientele is comprised of members (M), those eligible for membership (ME), survivors, and nonmembers (NM).

We have added 69 new clients, 57 of them are eligible for membership. As a result of the claims we filed, we secured 6.2 million dollars in monetary benefits for our clients; 91 percent of the awarded money went to M/MEs. This figure does not account for the monetary value we have saved our clients by ensuring VA provides them with quality & timely health care, needed durable medical equipment, and home/vehicle modifications allowing them to maintain an independent lifestyle.

Annual Benefits Increase

The following benefits and grants have increased since my last report. Here are the 2022-2023 valuations.

• Compensation increased by 8.7 percent

• Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) - $109,986.00

• Special Housing Adaptations (SHA)-$22,036.00

• Automobile Grant-$24,115.12

• Single Clothing Allowance – $ 968.52

If you have questions about your eligibility for these benefits, please contact us and we would be happy to explain the criteria to you.

Feel free to contact our office.

Joseph R. Weeks Jr.

National Service Officer

Paralyzed Veterans of America

5000 Wissahickon Ave

Philadelphia, PA 215-381-3033

PVA BASS TOURNAMENT SERIES

Mid-America Bass Tournament

September 16-18, 2022 Eufaula, OK

Vaughan Bass Tournament

October 7-9, 2022 , IL

Florida Gulf Coast Bass Tournament

March 24-26, 2023 Kissimmee, FL

Kentucky-Indiana Bass Tournament

April 21-23, 2023

Kuttawa, KY

2022-2023

ANNUAL CALENDAR

AIR RIFLE & PISTOL PROGRAM

National Postal Matches

November 2022 – March 2023

Cal-Diego Trapshoot

March 1 -19, 2023

Redlands, CA

Nevada Trapshoot

March 31-April 2, 2023

Las Vegas, NV

Vaughan Trapshoot

May 26-28, 2023

Elburn, IL

Iowa Shooting Trapshoot *

PVA BOWLING TOURNAMENT SERIES

Great Plains Bowling Tournament

July 28-31, 2022

Council Bluffs, IA

June 16-18, 2023

Cedar Rapids, IA

*Year-End Tournament

BOCCIA

Capital Clash Bass Tournament

June 9-11, 2023

Waldorf, MD

PVA BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT SERIES

Mid-South Billiards Tournament

October 28-29, 2022 Memphis, TN

Mid-Atlantic Billiards Tournament

March 17-19, 2023

Richmond, VA

Mid-America Billiards Tournament

June 16-18, 2023

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Buckeye Billiards Tournament June

24-26, 2023

Columbus, OH

Mid-Atlantic Bowling Tournament

September 9-11, 2022 Richmond, VA

Nevada Bowling Tournament

December 2-5, 2022

Las Vegas, NV

Florida Gulf Coast Bowling Tournament

February 23-25, 2023 Tampa, FL

Mid-America Bowling Tournament

March 31 – April 3, 2023

Oklahoma City, OK

PVA NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS CIRCUIT

North Central Trapshoot

September 9-11, 2022

Sioux Falls, SD

Oregon Trapshoot

September 2 -25, 2022, Oregon

Wisconsin Trapshoot

Ma 19-21, 2023 Green Bay, WI

West Virginia Boccia Tournament

December 3-4, 2022 Charleston, WV

Bayou Boccia Tournament

February 3-5, 2023

Gulfport, MS

Gateway Boccia Tournament

March 17-19, 2023

St. Louis, MO

HANDCYCLING

Echelon Racing League Virtual Paracycling Series (Online)

November 2022 -February 2023

PVA High Performance

Off-Road HC Camp

August 13-18, 2022

Crested Butte, Colorado

Off-Road Handcycling Championships

August 19-21, 2022

Crested Butte, Colorado

Pocahontas Off-Road Camp

September 29 – October 2, 2022

Chesterfield, VA

Tampa VA Handcycling Clinic

January 21, 2023

Tampa, FL

PVA High Performance Camp

January 30 – February 3, 2023

Brooksville, FL

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS

PVA – NWBA Lakeshore Basketball Camp

August 4-7, 2022

Birmingham, AL

Bay Area & Western Disc Golf

August 19-20, 2022

San Jose, CA

New England Disc Golf Clinic

September 10, 2022

Ft. Devens, MA

PVA Rugby Clinic

September 16-18, 2022 Phoenix, AZ

New England Basketball Camp

September 23-26, 2022

New Haven, CT

PVA Wheelchair Rugby Invitational

February

New Haven, CT

NATIONAL VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES

July 4-9, 2023

Portland, Oregon