COMMACK — The CSEA Long Island Region Veterans Committee recently sponsored a luncheon for female veterans of the Armed Forces.
The committee used grant money to hold the event through AMVETS (American Veterans), a congressionally-chartered service organization whose mission is to safeguard U.S. veterans’ quality of life through leadership, advocacy and services.
CSEA Long Island Region Veterans Committee Chair Maryann Phelps welcomes everyone to the luncheon.
The event was the idea of CSEA Long Island Region Veterans Committee Chair Maryann Phelps, who learned about the available grant money from CSEA Long Island Region 3rd Vice President Diane Hansen, who also serves on the region’s Veterans Committee and is friends with the AMVETS women’s veterans service representative for New York state.
The grant money was designated for female veterans, a group that is largely ignored in larger conversations about veterans.
“A lot of veteran-related centers don’t have resources on site that specifically address women’s health needs,” said Veteran Saundra Isaac. “In that case, our female veterans have to go out of their way to find outside sources for help.”
“A lot of female veterans don’t know about the VA,” said Brenda Powell, also a veteran. “I’m going to be spreading the word about some of the resources the facilities have to offer.”
Luncheon attendees shared stories of their active duty days, including one in which they found themselves in the VA hospital and had to wear male undergarments because there were no female undergarments available at any of the veterans’ facilities.
The women pointed out that the availability of resources for female veterans has gotten a lot better, but the equity still isn’t where it should be.
Sadly, the representation of veterans through the male point of view even has an effect on donations — the majority of donation items to veterans facilities, including shampoo, razors and clothing, are meant for men.
“It’s interesting because when we’re in the military, it’s all about camaraderie and protecting each other,” said Powell. “Then when we get out [of the service], people recognize that for a man, quicker and better than they do for a woman.”
Depsite these challenges, luncheon attendees are happy and proud that they served. They simply want for people to remember that women are veterans of the armed forces, too.
“People don’t remember that women were not part of the draft — we volunteered,” said Diane Phillips, a veteran. “We went because we wanted to help what was right.”
“That’s true of every, single, solitary woman that went to war, before the draft stopped,” said Phillips. “We were patriotic and we wanted to contribute.”
— Wendi Bowie
