October 2025 Edition

Women Veterans Ignited – Elevating & Championing Her Voice Across Florida

How to Support the New Statewide Hub & Financial Reserve

• Online Donations: Contribute any amount under $500 online at https://forwomenvets.org/#donate and select the Still in Service campaign Larger Contributions ($500+): Mail checks made payable to Women Veterans Ignited to 103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 201, Jacksonville, FL 32216
• GoFundMe Campaign: Support our hub directly through our GoFundMe page:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-northeast-florida-women-veterans
• Every contribution helps ensure Florida’s women veterans are seen, supported, and celebrated.

Please note our food pantry requirements and shortages are due to partner agency updates.

As you've read in the CEO's Corner: Women Veterans Ignited, Inc. is supported by a grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds.

This generous support ensures that women who have served our country are seen, supported, and celebrated. The new hub will serve as a central resource for programs, services, and community connections, strengthening our mission to uplift and empower women veterans across the state.

We are deeply grateful to The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida and the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds for their partnership in making this milestone possible. Together, we are creating a lasting impact for women veterans and their families.

About the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds

Delores Barr Weaver has an extraordinary legacy of philanthropy in Northeast Florida since moving to Jacksonville as co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1993. Since her historic gift of $50 million in 2012 establishing the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, she has partnered with The Community Foundation on her philanthropy through numerous, multi-million dollar gifts, including the Foundation's largest-ever gift of $61 million in 2023. She has established permanent endowments for more than four dozen nonprofits, including 20 that receive ongoing annual support through the Delores Barr Weaver Forever Event Fund, est. 2015. Today, her grantmaking exceeds $209 million, with support for more than 300 organizations in Northeast Florida and beyond..

All our events can be found on our website:

https://forwomenvets.org/event/

OCTOBER

Lunch Group Sessions w/Amanda (For women 50+ navigating aging-related challenges)

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 201 Jacksonville, FL 32216

Reminder: Our Mental Health Counselor hosts 2 monthly groups on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each Month

Register at: https://bit.ly/service2serenity

HerTOTALWellness Cohort 35 – Starts October 7th

Orientation: Monday, October 6

Schedule & Location

• Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• In person at 103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 201, Jacksonville, FL 32216
• Virtual option available for those outside Jacksonville (Duval County)

Eligibility: Open to all women who served (active duty, Guard, or Reserve) regardless of discharge status and length of service.

Learn more or register: forwomenvets.org/hertotalwellness

Contact Li’Andra at lsmith@forwomenvets.org or (904) 862-6039

_________________________________________________

October 18 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Picnic at the Park

Memorial Park

1620 Riverside Ave Jacksonville, FL 32204

RSVP at https://forwomenvets.org/event/picnic/

_________________________________________________

October 30 at 10:00 am

HerTOTALWellness Cohort 35 Graduation

103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 201 Jacksonville, FL 32216

Virtual Option available

Contact Li'Andra for details at (904) 862-6039 or LSmith@forwomenvets.org

_________________________________________________

NOVEMBER

November 6 at 10:30 am - 6:00 pm

Swings for Service Charity Golf Tournament

St. Johns Golf & Country Club

205 St Johns Golf Dr St Augustine FL 32092

https://swingsforservice.com/

_________________________________________________

November 19 at 11:00 am

Women Veterans Thanksgiving Luncheon

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Duval Room

300 A Philip Randolph Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32202

form.jotform.com/Northeast_Florida/WomenVetsThanksgiving

_________________________________________________

DECEMBER

December 5 -7

HerTIME Retreat

If you would like to be considered for the next retreat, please complete the interest form at https://forwomenvets.org/hertime/ and keep a lookout for an email and/or call from Amanda.

_________________________________________________

December 6 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Continuing Your Veteran's Legacy: An Affair for Surviving Spouses, Families, & Caregivers

Legends Center Community Room

5130 Soutel Drive Jacksonville FL 32208

More details at https://forwomenvets.org/event/legacy-resource-benefits-fair/

_________________________________________________

Tentative Events in December

Our annual Women Veterans Thanksgiving Luncheon and Kids' Christmas Party are in the planning stages, and we are waiting for the venue to lock in our requested dates. Details will be shared as soon as we get them.

More events coming soon! You can also check our website or social pages for updates.

This section covers community events that we are participating in:

November 1 from 9 am - 5 pm

Women Veterans Conference

Tampa

More details to come

November 11 at 11:00 am

Veterans Day Parade (Walk with us!)

Sign up at Volunteer - Women Veterans Ignited to receive details

November 15 from 9 am - 1 pm

Brain Wellness Summit

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Duval Room

300 A Philip Randolph Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32202

More details to come

• The programs and services we offer are available to all women who ever swore into the military. Even if she served for 1 day, even if she only attended boot camp, even if she served in the National Guard or reserve, our services are open to them. Find out more about our programs here...

• Northeast Florida has the largest population of women veterans with just under 30,000 in the region and just under 15,000 in Duval County. You can find more specific data by reviewing population tables via the VA's website here...

• Florida has the second-largest population of women veterans in the nation with over 168,000 residing in the state. Read more here...

• In many states, Women Veterans Recognition Day is honored on June 12th. This day commemorates the anniversary of women officially being allowed into the armed forces, best known as Women's Armed Services Integration Act and signed into law in 1948. Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith introduced this bill into Congress, and we thank her for her efforts in making this historical change for women in the military. Read more here...

• As of July 30th, the Gainesville VA Hospital (Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center) added a "MamaVa Lactation Pod" to provide a private space for breastfeeding of pumping. Hopefully, all VA clinics and hospitals will follow suit. Read more here...

• Military retirees, spouses, and dependents are required to update their USID cards by the end of this year, 2025. Read more here...

• Spouses are also eligible for admission into State VA Nursing homes. Read more here...

• Surviving spouses and dependents could receive tax-free compensation if the veteran passed due to service-related injury or illness. This is referred to as DIC - Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Read more here...

• The FTC warns of companies that charge veterans fees to “expedite” VA claims or promise guaranteed 100% disability ratings — these are red flags. The VA does not authorize such fees for initial claims. Read more here...

• For veterans whose disabilities hinder their ability to work, there is an ILP track (within the VR&E program) designed to help them live as independently as possible. Read more here...

• A feature of the VA pension program, Aid & Attendance helps veterans (or surviving spouses) who need help with daily living tasks or reside in nursing homes or assisted living. It’s underutilized because qualification rules are rigorous, but it can meaningfully offset long-term care costs. Read more here...

• Veterans are eligible for free lifetime passes to National Parks. You can get your passes at any national park or federal recreation site. Read more here...

• Veterans who have a service-connected disability are eligible for a free lifetime military pass to Florida State Parks. You can get your pass from any State Park. Read more here...

More to come in our next HerVOICE Monthly issue! Stay tuned!

If you are on any of these platforms, please take a moment to like/follow/subscribe and share with others.

Or, if you rather receive email updates, you can subscribe to our newsletter at https://form.jotform.com/230656124906051

Interested in learning more about the programs we offer? We've created a one-pager that provides the gist of each one. You can find out more on our website, but of course, there's no better way to really dive into any of them than enrolling into an appropriate program.

Need to reach us? Feel free to call our office at (904) 862-6039 Monday through Thursday, from 8 am to 4 pm.

We work remotely on Fridays.

If you need assistance, you may contact Amy at (904) 297-8004 or acollins@forwomenvets.org.

For administrative assistance, you may contact our office at (904) 862-6039 or email info@forwomenvets.org.

More to come in our next HerVOICE Monthly issue! Stay tuned!