|
Worthy Supreme Master, Worthy Vice
Supeme Masters,
During period 2-6 May, I
represented the Order at the 60th annual meeting
of the VAVS National Advisory meetin in sparks
NV. The following report summarizes key
information from the emeting for you and to
forward to your District Masters for their
information and action.
BACKGROUND.
To bring everyone back up to speed on the VAVS and
the NAC the following pertains.
1. VAVS Mission:
provide a structured volunteer program under the
management of the VA in cooperation with
communtiy resources to serve America's
veterans and their families with dignity
and compassion. VAVS supports Va and VHA
strategic goals by recruiting, supporting, and
retaining a knowledgeable, diverse, and engaged
supplemental workforce of volunteers. the
volunteer progras thoughout the country assist
managment in the delivgery of VA healthcare by
improving access to care, ssisitng with long-term
care, and improving patient satisfaction.
2. National Advisory
Committee (NAC). The NAC advises the
Under Secretary on matters pertaining to the
participaion of volunteers in VA medical
facilities, assists in recruiting and orientaiton
of volunteers and keepsofficers and members of
participating organizations informed of volunteer
needs and accomplishments. In that the Knights of
Columbus is represented at over 30 VA facilites,
the Order is recognized as a Service
Member organization and therefore has
voting rights on the NAC.
Participation on the local VAVs facility committee
is defined as having a VA recognized
representative on that committee.
Any organization whose VA
recognized representation missis three (30
consecuctive local VAVS facility quartely meeting
will be cause for removal for the committee.
--Currently,
the Order has certified representation at ~85% of
VA medical facilities. However, attendance at
VAVS local facility wuarterly meetings is about
50-60% Orderwide. per the policy stated above,
VAVS representatives/Deputy reprensentatives who
miss 3 consecutive meeting will be removed. This
has not only adverse consequences to our VAVS
local program but to the Order's participation
overall.
2. National VAVS Executive
Committee (EC). The EC is a working
group selected from Service Member Organizations.
The EC makes recommendations to the NAC on all
areas of NAC business and activities. It serves
as the governiong body betwen annual meetings of
the NAC and is entrusted with the repsonsibility
of fulfilling the EC Charter. The committee is
also charged with selecting the site for the
aqnnual meeting of the NAC. During nthe year, the
EC will bve available to the Director, Voluntary
Services Office for discussion, consultation,
planning, and coordination of VAVS NAC programs
and activities. The
Knights of Columbus is a member of the EC.
3. Local VAVS Committee.
Assists with the
cooridnation of plans and policies for community
particpation in the VAVS program. It is chaired
by the Associate Facility Director, co-chaired by
the Chief, Voluntary Service Program. Each
participating organization has one representative
and up to three Deputy representatives.
--Local VAVS
Representative Duties and Responsibilities.
--Assisst with improving
VAVS program
--Recruit Volunteers
--Promote Donation of
financial and material goods
--Advise and inform
sponsoring organizaiton of VA
issues and concerns
--Attend and participate in VAVS
quarterly meetings
--Serve
on subcommittees and task groups
--Maintain organization's
records (hours, donations)
--Coordinate facility
activities and projects
--Conduct annual joint
review
--Register
as a Regularly Scheduled (RS) volunteer
--VAVS Representative
Qualifications
--Sincere
interest in the welare of hospitalized veterans,
veteran patients, and a
desire to help them
--Ability to work with
other
--Leadership
--Knowledge of
organization (KofC, VA)
--MOST
Important: Ability and committment to
attend regularly
scheduled VAVS quarterly meetings
--Appointment of VAVS
Representatives
--Nominated
by the State level unit of the organization--
for KofC this is the
District Master
--Certified by National
Certifying Official
--Annual
Joint Review (AJR) Process.
--Conducted
annually at each VA medical facility to
assess an organization's
participation in VAVS during
preceeding year and to
delop goals and plans for the next
year
--The review is conducted
jointly with the organization's
representatives by the
VoluntaryService Program manager.
--A copy is sent to the
organizations National Rep for
acknowledgement and
review. [I have
reviewed in
detail each
review I have received to date and have
sent written note
on each acknowledgment form to
VAVS
representative with my thanks, recognition of
accomplhishments,
and recommendations to help
with goal. Note
is short, to the point]
Key Issues and Informaion
1.
During the past fiscal year VAVS
had ~140,000 volunteers oin the rolls, with 94,000
contributing ~13 million hours of volunteer
service. This equates to ~6200 fulltime VA
employees at cost of $228 million. (See attached
VA news release)
2. During the past fiscal year,
the Knights of Columbus had 708 regularly
scheduled volunteers contributing 82,519 hours,
with another 21,681 "occassional" volunteer hours
for a total of 104,200 volunteer hours. This is a
significant increase over 2004, with 523 RS
volunteers contributing 51,821 hours, 9,678
occassional hours, for a total of 61,499.
Recruitment of Regularly
Scheduled volunteers is a primary function for the
VAVS Reps/DepReps. District Masters and District
Deputies must play a critical role in supporting
this effort by the certified Reps.
3. The VAVS NACFemale Volunteer ot
the Year is Chief Harriet L.Howard, USN/Ret., the
WAVES National volunteer at the Tennessee Valley
Heathcare System in Murfeesboro, TN. The VAVS
Male volunteer of the Year is George Ridsdale, an
American Red Cross volunteer at the Stratton VA
Medical Facility, Albany, New York.
--During the fall, all VAVS
National Representatives will be
notified that nominations for
the next VAVS NAC meeting
are due with a
February 15th deadline.
Format for
submission is in
letter style, 300-500 words.
Specific
details for nomination are
available form the Voluntary
Service program manager at
each facility.
--KofC
VAVS representatives should be encouraged
by District Masters
to identify deserving candidates for
this award---Now is
time to be alert to particularly
exemplary service by
our Volunteers
4. Programs of Interest
--Healthier US
Veterans.
--Joint
VA/HHS program to fight obeisty and diabetes
endemic to over 2/3 our
veterans.
--See attached news
release for information
--FYI, all donuts,
unhealthy snakcks are being eliminated
at all VA health
centers, Burger King contract terminated
--Program encourage
major "lifestyle" change
[VAVS reps
at each facility
should alert our volunteers to this
program and to
"why" the changes are in effect]
--Kickoffs held in Washington, Dc,
with Boston and Seattle
scheduled.
--Great
program for all KofC units to consider--from
Supreme Office,
down to local councils and
assemblies
--VAVS Generations: Family
Volunteering. To encourage
youth volunteering, increase
number of volunteers, especially
the "baby-boomers",and to tap
the strength and diversity
of the American Family, KofC
VAVS reps should encourage
--Partnering.
KofC VAVS reps at local VA facilites
should
look for opportunities to
"partner" wiith other VSO organiza-
tions programs, e.g. Golden
Age Games, National Wheelchair
Games, Disabled Winter Sports
Clinic, National Veterans
Creative Arts Festival, etc.
--Fisher
House
--"Home away from Home"
for familis of active duty military
or veterans receiving
medical care at a miltiary or VA
Medical Center. Similiar
to "Ronald McDonald House"
primary purpose to
support and provide lodging for
families while visiting
the hospital for extended periods of
time due to patients
receiving care
--Fisher Houses located
throughtout the country---see
--Exceptional program for
Assemblies and Councils to
provide support, e.g.
donaitons of paper goods, linens,
food, books/videos, etc.;
assist in fundraising efforts both
to support existing house
sand devleopment of new Fisher
Houses.
--Office of Seamless
Transition VA has opened this office to
develop strategy and plans to ensure "seamless"
transfer between DOD military health facilites and
VA for our OIF/OEF wounded. Will be meeting with
the head of this newdepartment in near future to
determine what support KofC can render in this
critical effort to prevent our wounded military
from "falling through the cracks" Mlore to come
on this program
KofC VAVS Program Specific
1. Appointment of
additional Deputy National Representatives
--Each organization can appont
up to eight (8) Deputy
National Representatives
--Working on initial
appointment of four (4) "regional"
deputy representatives
centered on the four exisitng
Polytrauma Centers--Richmond,
Tampa, Palo Alto, Minne-
apolis, with Richmond the
first appointment as test
--During the NAC meeting, met
with the Voluntary Service
Program Managers for each
facility---very supportive of
concept
--Will present plan to Supreme
Master for approval and move
ahead with appointments and
duties, cooridnation with the
VSM for each effected Province
2.
New KofC VAVS Brochure
--In
final draft, being prepared for "debut" at State
Deputy
organizational meeting June
7-11
--Additional tool for
recruiting Assemblies, Councils,
Auxiliaries, Squires Circles
to participate in program, recruiit
individual volunteers,
increase support to Catholic Chaplains
Acknowledgement.
S/k Joseph Fournier,
LTC/USA/Ret., KofC VAVS Rep, VA Sierra Nevada
Heath Care System, Reno, NV, that served as host
to this 60th Annual NAC meeting, served on the
executive planning committe, worked the
registration desk each day, and supported me
during the meeting----exemplary perfomrance as
VAVS rep and Sir Knight Much appreciation,
Joe!!! Semper Fidelis.
Summary
KofC participation in the VAVS
is critical to support our nation's veterans.
With the influx of seriously wounded OIF/OEF
active duty military into the VA heathcare system
for lon term rehabilitation before discharge and
then after discharge, the anticipated opening of
additonal Polytrauma Centers both Level 1
(inpatient), Level 2 (outpatient) need for
volunteers is growing dramamtically across the
system. VSMs, Masters, as well as State and
District Deputies must get behind this important
program if we are to coninue our support of our
Nation's veterns and their families. I will
continue to forward imprtant informaiton about the
VAVS program, recommend new initiatives.
"To care for him who shall
have borne the battle and for his widow and
orphan" Abraham Lincoln, 2nd Inaugral--the motto
of the VA
|