Stand Down set for Bremerton
There will be a Stand Down for all area veterans at the Sheridan Community Center in Bremerton on Saturday, April 26.
The event will be hosted at the Sheridan Park Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and veterans are required to have an ID to enter. Veterans should bring their DD214 or discharge papers to the event for faster entry.
Retired, active duty, reservists or National Guard members are required to bring a current ID.
Free services include legal advice, clothing giveaways, groceries, employment referrals, housing options, vision screening, haircuts and more.
The event address is 680 Lebo Blvd. in east Bremerton.
Local veterans are also reminded that there will be a Ride to Tahoma on Memorial Day weekend. More details will come next month.
Women veterans summit is Sept. 20
“Dare to Dream-A Celebration of the Warrior Within” will be Sept. 20 at the Spokane Convention Center. The event is for women vets of all ages, including National Guard and Reserve and transitioning members.
The event will be at 334 West Spokane Falls Blvd. in Spokane. In the upcoming months, more information will be available regarding speakers, workshops and registration. Contact Barb Logan at barb@dva.wa.gov or 360-725-2227. Or go online to www.dva.wa.gov for updated information.
Funding complete on MSC Veteran’s Housing Project
Multi-Service Center (MSC) in Federal Way recently announced that funding for the project is complete. The center expects to break ground on the project in early fall and anticipates the building will be ready for occupancy by the end of 2015.
Robin Corak, MSC’s CEO, said that the MSC began seeing an increasing need for services for veterans in South King County a few years ago.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer service enriched housing for those men and women who have served our country and are now needing assistance with obtaining safe, stable housing in South King County,” Corak said. “In addition to older veterans, MSC anticipates that we will see a new and growing demographic of veterans such as individuals returning from having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. King County veterans have identified housing and employment assistance as being amongst their greatest needs.”
The roughly $13 million housing facility is being developed in partnership with Shelter Resources Incorporated and will be located at 294th and Pacific Highway in Federal Way. The project will offer 44 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units to veterans and their families.
All units will be fully furnished and 27 units will be eligible for rental subsidies through the Washington State Department of Veteran’s Affairs in collaboration with King County Housing Authority. Residents will pay rent based on poverty level guidelines.
Vital services will be offered on-site, including housing case management, employment assistance and child advocacy. In addition, classes in education, financial management, technology skills and job readiness may be offered on-site. MSC will work closely with other entities that provide much needed services to veterans.
Retired Army Ranger publishes children’s adventure book
ROCKLIN, Calif. – After 28 years in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger and public affairs officer, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Ray Cordell published “Airborne Bunny.”
The book’s main character is based on the stuffed animals many troops take with them to war as a good luck charm or to remind them of home and family.
Cordell was inspired to write “Airborne Bunny” for his son, Ranger, because several friends had children who struggled with fear, unable to sleep alone in their rooms. “A neighbor’s child found comfort in an Army doll I gave him as a gift,” Cordell said. “That gave me the idea to create a character that has been trained by the best, those who keep the world safe.”
The story introduces us to Airborne Bunny, who has trained with the military over the course of generations, and has now taken on the role of protecting young boys and girls who are afraid of being alone in their rooms at night.
“I spent decades leading, guiding and training young men and women who protect our country, and now I’m taking on a tougher challenge in raising a toddler,” Cordell joked. “But in all seriousness, Airborne Bunny is a symbol of the soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines who are on guard 24/7 so that each of us can sleep safely in our homes at night.”
Cordell became a father shortly after retirement, and those who have known him throughout his military career are shocked to learn that this “hardcore” soldier has become a children’s book author.
“No one is more surprised than me,” Cordell said. “Fatherhood is an overwhelming influence. So I went to the basics of successful soldiering — adapt and overcome! Become one with the environment in which you find yourself and influence that environment to support your mission.”
“Airborne Bunny” is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and iTunes. For more information, go to www.airbornebunny.com or call 443-370-3291.
U-DUB looking for robot meister
A professor at the University of Washington is seeking a veteran who would be interested in learning how to use a tele robot in a disaster rescue scenario and demonstrating the technology in a formal setting.
The person guiding the robot needs to have decent vision and full control of one hand and arm.
Interested? Contact Scott Bellman, DO-IT Program Manager at UW Information Technology. Visit www.washington.edu/doit) or call 206-685-6222 or 206-685-3648 (TTY) for more information.
