Lottery Winners Support Our Veterans

The Trustees of the Putnam Avenue Family Trust, the three recent Connecticut Powerball Jackpot winners, awarded their first million dollars in charitable grants to five organizations that provide support services to veterans and active duty military personnel recently returned from deployment. The organizations were selected on their proven ability to work with veterans who are in need of emotional, physical or career support, and we are pleased to announce that SUS was selected as a recipient.

Trustees Greg Skidmore, Brandon Lacoff and Tim Davidson stated, “We cannot think of a more urgent priority than addressing the needs of those men and women who have defended our nation. Many of these veterans are faced with a myriad of real and immediate personal issues that range from trauma to foreclosures.  These grant awards reflect the beginning of a process that allows us to leverage lottery winnings into materially helping our society.”

Organizations that will receive $200,000 each are: The Bob Woodruff Foundation,  Building Homes for Heroes,  Services for the Under Served  (SUS), Operation First Response  and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

SUS has seen many veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life, as they face post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse, and legal problems. As we observe the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, we need to make a national commitment to provide assistance for returning veterans so that they are able to reintegrate into civilian life and receive the support and services they deserve.

ACT Transition Program Graduation

On Friday, November 18, 2011, SUS celebrated the 2011 ACT Transition Graduation at its Marcy Hart Residence in Brooklyn. Peter Boutros, SUS ACT Team Leader; Wanda Cruz-Lopez, SUS Vice President of Mental Health; Luis Lopez, Director of Best Practices and Recovery Based Initiatives; Nancy Romer, Professor of Psychology/ Executive Director of the Brooklyn College Community Partnership; Gary Clark , NYS OMH ACT and SPOA Coordinator; Angela King-Brown, SUS ACT Team Vocational Specialist; Ana Zanger, NYS Psychiatric Institute/OMH; Jerald Jenkins, SUS ACT Team Peer Specialist, Charles Walker, SUS Substance Abuse Specialist all offered words of congratulation and encouragement to the graduates.

The ACT Transition Program supports individuals’ efforts to transition from high intensity ACT services, to less intensive services and community supports. The program focuses on strategies to retain and extend gains made while in ACT, ensuring individuals have supports while transitioning and beyond their participation in the program. All graduates completed lessons in the Wellness Self-Management for Transition which included topics such as Recovery, Applying Tools for Mental Health Wellness and Recovery, WSM Wrap-Up and Beyond ACT.

SUS’ inspiring graduates were each presented with two certificates. The first certificate was presented by Jamela Rose, representing Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; the second certificate by New York State Senator, Velmanette Montegomery. The program, which also included a performance by Joshua Alcide, SUS Employment Services Job Coach, was followed by a luncheon for the graduates, their family and friends, and SUS staff.

Congratulations to the 2011 ACT graduates

American Veterans Month Reception

On Thursday, November 17th, supporters of the SUS American Veterans Month Campaign gathered for a thank you. The reception was hosted at Time Warner Corporate Headquarters. The evening’s program featured remarks by Barbara Novick, Vice Chairman, BlackRock, who spoke about BlackRock’s corporate commitment to making sure every veteran receives the care and service the deserve.

We would like to thank everyone who supported the American Veteran Month Campaign and attended this event.