WA Vets Will Clinics in October 2014 - register now!

The sole purpose of the WA Vets Will Clinic is to provide free estate planning documents to eligible veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. In order to qualify for a WA Vets Will Clinic event, an applicant must:

1.  Be a Washington State resident; and 
2. Be a Veteran of a branch of the United States Armed Forces 
3. Have a DD214 (Report of Separation or some other official document evidencing military service); and 
4. Have a net worth of less than $500,000.00 ($1,000,000.00 if married); and 
5.  Additional conditions may be in place for individual Clinic events.

You must apply using the WA Vets Will Clinic online intake form in order to be considered for free estate plan documents - all WA Vets Will Clinic events are by appointment only (no walk-ups). Not all that apply will be selected, and all use and participation is subject to the WA Vets Will Clinic terms, conditions and disclaimer, as amended from time to time.

The clinics are held from time to time. You can see the calendar here. As of today (8/31/2014) the next clinics are:

• Spokane Oct. 4, 2014
• Seattle Oct. 18, 2014
• Olympia Oct. 18, 2014
• Wenatchee Oct. 25, 2014
• PascoOctober 25, 2014.

The WA Vets Will Clinic was founded by the Spokane County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in collaboration with Army OneSource, Gonzaga University School of Law, Red Cross - Inland Northwest Region, Vet Center (a division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs), and Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information, see http://www.wavetswillclinic.com/

Veterans/Masters' Students: The Veterans Innovation Partnership Fellowship Program

The Veterans Innovation Partnership Fellowship Program

Fact Sheet

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

October 31, 2013

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On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Department of State launched the Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP) fellowship program, a new public-private alliance platform aimed at serving America’s veterans and separating service members by preparing them for diplomacy and development careers.
About the Program
VIP will help build and deploy strategic partnerships between the U.S. government and U.S. private sector to mobilize resources and build networks to promote foreign affairs career opportunities for veterans. The Partnership will focus on the following elements of engagement to support veterans’ transition to diplomacy and development careers:

• Education: Assist with educational opportunities to study international relations;
• Fellowship: Establish fellowship opportunities at U.S government foreign affairs agencies;
• Employment: Facilitate international public and private employment opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements
VIP fellowships are open to veterans who have completed a master’s degree in the fields of international business or international relations. Applicants must apply within two years of graduate degree completion, except for veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who will have up to six years after degree completion to apply. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic developmental program.
*All positions will be in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The expected duration of the fellowship will be one year. The VIP fellowship is not designed to lead to permanent federal employment and does not convey preference in seeking such employment. Nor does it convey the ability to convert non-competitively to a competitive service federal position.
For further information, please contact the Office of Global Partnerships at partnerships@state.gov or visithttp://www.state.gov/s/partnerships/vip/index.htm.

Apply for Vets Restore Program Job Program by August 15

Vets Restore, a partnership between 4Culture, Historic Seattle, and the King County Veterans' Program, is offering an education and career opportunity in preservation carpentry for retuning military veterans in King County.

 The 2014 Fall Vets Restore Program is a 12-week internship/job placement program consisting of 7 weeks of training and 5 weeks of paid, pre-apprenticeship with a successful construction firm. The program is focused on preservation carpentry and historic building rehabilitation.
 For more information and applications visit http://vetsrestore.org/.
The deadline to sign up is August 15, 2014.
 Please kindly forward this information to any lists, or individuals who you think may be interested. Thanks in advance for your help in spreading the word about this great opportunity.

July 4 Cookout at VAPSHS CLC - Party On The Patio!

Thanks to the joint efforts of many parties, a cookout was held in the Peace Garden at the Community Living Center (CLC) of VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, on Independence Day 2014.
Food was donated by J P Work & Associates, The Pacific Institute, Jefferson Square Safeway, with funding by DAV Chapter 23 (West Seattle). Thanks Friends! (Everybody be sure to give your business to our donors, that's not why they gave but it's how we can thank them).

Thanks also to the volunteers who pitched in and made this possible, and to the staff at the VA who even though working on a holiday went the extra mile to support this awesome event.
Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Volunteers Grillin' and Chillin'

A New POW Flag Was Raised
As A Bugle Played The Star Spangled Banner

Ron and a Volunteer Whose Name I Missed

The Food Just Kept Coming!

All The Cool Kids Were There!

Ron Photobombs Cyril And Schaquay

The Washington State Pension Poacher Prevention Act

From the Washington State Attorney General, March 10, 2014

Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s Pension Poacher Prevention Act today passed the Legislature with strong bipartisan support. This measure addresses the growing problem of “pension poachers” who try to scam elderly veterans. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
 Ferguson worked with Sen. Andy Hill, R-Redmond, and Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, to secure approval for Senate Bill 6208. A coalition of veterans’ advocacy groups and organizations representing elderly Washingtonians, including AARP, supported the bill.
 “Our veterans protected us and we have a duty to protect them from scams,” said Ferguson. “The Attorney General’s Office is working hard to defend the legal rights of veterans, and this bill will improve safeguards and increase enforcement against scammers who rob veterans of their hard earned benefits.”
 “Pension poachers” represent a growing scam to separate elderly veterans from their assets. The scheme involves unscrupulous financial planners or insurance agents claiming to be veterans’ advocates. They offer “help” in submitting a claim for a specific federal U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs pension benefit called Aid and Attendance. The Federal Trade Commission and VA have each issued recent warnings about the scheme.
Poachers convince veterans to reposition their assets to try to qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit, which has specific and strict qualifications. The poachers then sell veterans often unneeded financial products or services to earn a commission or fee. Problems arise because these unscrupulous brokers often fail to deliver on their promises, do not provide full information about other veterans benefits, and do not reveal the potentially adverse consequences of the financial transactions such as loss of Medicaid eligibility.
 The Attorney General’s Pension Poacher Prevention Act will address these problems by prohibiting certain unfair and deceptive practices. The law will: Make it illegal to receive compensation for assisting with the preparation of a claim, except as allowed under the VA’s rules for accreditation; Prohibit individuals from guaranteeing a specific benefit amount; Make it illegal to misuse personal and financial information gathered for the purposes of assisting an individual with a veterans claim; and Give the Attorney General’s Office enforcement authority through the state’s consumer protection laws.
“Veterans and their families have sacrificed to protect us and as lawmakers we must do what we can to protect them,” said Sen. Andy Hill, who sponsored the legislation. “Too often scammers have defrauded veterans of their retirement savings and insurance options. By improving protections we can help secure their financial future.” “Vulnerable elderly veterans are being targeted by pension poachers offering empty promises of help,” said Rep. Kevin Parker, who sponsored a version of the bill in the House of Representatives. “Veterans are a vital part of our community and we need to work to protect them and the benefits they have earned.” "Veterans are sometimes specifically targeted for the benefits they have earned because of their service,” said Alfie Alvarado-Ramos, Director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. “Veterans and families who need claims assistance can always get it for free by contacting our agency and network of accredited veteran service officers.”

 If you're worried about a possible pension poaching scams, you can:

• Contact the AG at 1-888-551-4636 
• File a complaint at: http://www.atg.wa.gov/FileAComplaint.aspx. 

Memorial Day Flag Ceremony at the VA Puget Sound Health System Community Living Center Peace Garden

Marvin and Ron raise the new flag
As Dennis, the Chaplain,
and Tanner salute

On Memorial Day, 2014, Flag Ceremony at the VA Puget Sound Health System Community Living Center Peace Garden retired with dignity a flag that has flown for more than a decade, and was getting worn.

Patients, staff and visitors gathered at 11:30am in the garden, along with DAV Chapter 23's Commander, Vice Commander, Chaplain and Senior Members. The 20-minute ceremony opened with a prayer from the Chaplain; then to the call of a trumpet, the old flag was saluted and retired with respect. A crisp, new American Flag was raised as a trumpeter blew the Star-Spangled Banner. All presented saluted, and then retired in good fellowship.

Veterans and Friends of Puget Sound is honored to have assisted in organizing this event. May we all, together and with full hearts, create many more such occasions of improvement!
(Please note: no photos of the event show patients or staff, for reasons of privacy; however they were definitely there and integral to getting it done!)

Community Calendar

Events in Service to Our Veteran Community

• May 24
  Seattle - Central Area Veterans Resource Fair
  Discuss Veterans Benefits and services; Jobs and training services.
  By Tabernacle Military & Senior Care Ministries, Military Veteran Solutions and African American Veterans Group of WA State.
• May 31
  Seattle - Call to Duty Day of Service.
  Volunteers lawyers assist veterans with filling out a Parenting Plan Residential Schedule or a Child Support Worksheet, and provided pro se guidance.
  By Washington State Bar Association.
• June 21
  Tacoma - Veterans Resource And Jobs Fair
  At The Tacoma Dome.King, Pierce, Kitsap and Thurston county veterans welcomed!By TheVeteransResourcefair.us/

Send Your Events To VAFpugetsound@gmail.com