media & News
NEWS
05/07/2021
Good afternoon all!
There are a couple of retreats coming up being put on by Project New Hope (PNH). This is a fantastic organization doing some amazing work for our service members and veterans right in our area.
The first event is for a family day on August 7th - open to all military families.
The second is a PTSD Veteran Retreat from August 29th to September 4th. I have attached the flyers here for both events; please share with anyone who might be interested.
Thanks to ES Vets, we were recently able to help support this organization with a grant of $15,000! This money helped fund a new van for PNH along with the vital work they do in our area. We hope to work with PNH more in the future as they continue their mission. https://www.projectnewhopema.org/home/retreats/
Have a great weekend,
Bill
01/07/2021
Good afternoon everyone!
Happy New Year! Well, we made it through 2020! Thank you for all of the support over the last year; it is so humbling to know that we work with so many that are committed to giving back to those who serve and have served for us. We wanted to provide a recap of what we were able to support in 2020 despite the countless challenges of COVID!
Support and Donations to the following groups -
Healing the Wounds
Hike to Remember
Pro Bono Partnership
Swim with a mIssion
MA VFW Foundation - iPads to Soldiers Home
Over 300 lbs in donations delivered to service members around the globe
Run to Home Base
Sponsor of a local Wounded Warrior Day
CT Veterans Legal Center
Holiday Cards for our Military Challenge
Support to four New England Veterans Cemeteries for Wreaths Across America
The Travis Mills Foundation
Support to the family, friends, and legacy of SSgt RJ Ouellette
3rd Annual ES Veterans Golf Classic
This equated to just about $150,000 in the support provided, not to mention the countless hours of volunteer work so many put in to help make these events possible. So once again THANK YOU! It is amazing how this group has grown over the last five years and we are excited about what we can do together in the future.
If you have veterans or service member-related events that you are involved in or need support for please let us know and we will do everything we can to help support you.
Finally, I wanted to share an opportunity called the Horses for Heros Program - So please share this information as you see fit:
-Specialty Program Offerings:
Horses for Heroes Program. Manes & Motions has received additional funding to support veterans for weekly services. Please share with veterans you know that may benefit from riding or unmounted learning focused on promoting wellness.
Program address 874 Millbrook Rd - Middletown CT 860-685-0008 - https://hfsc.org/events/horses-for-heroes-veterans-program/
Thanks to Karlyn Lempa for sharing!
We look forward to the hopes and optimism that a new year bring and wish you all the best in the New Year
Respectfully,
The ES Veteran Association Officers and Board of Directors
10/27/2020
Good morning everyone,
Sharing a few upcoming opportunities that have been passed along to me - Please take a look below.
First - ES Vets will be helping support with a donation to the Wreaths Across America event again at all four New England Veteran Cemetery locations- We are looking into how volunteering will happen this year given COVID. If you want to participate it may be best to go to the Wreaths Across America website or contact the cemetery you plan to help at and determine what the local restrictions will be. If we get any updates I will be sure to pass them along.
The United Way Campaign will be kicking off for Eversource soon and ES Veterans Assiocation Inc is now on the list as a qualified charity to donate to. Thank you to all who have supported us, we certainly would not be able to help our veterans and service member community the way we do without your support!
Eversource is sponsoring the New England Center and Home for Veterans 18th annual Leave No One Behind Gala (virtual event); this looks like it will have some good things to watch/participate in - Here are a few more details -
Attending the Virtual Leave No One Behind Gala
Visit www.nechvgala.org beginning Friday, November 6, 2020, to experience an array of vignettes that are guaranteed to inspire you and make you feel proud to support the NECHV.
Furthermore, please join us for a Virtual Cocktail Soiree that will bring together attendees and honorees for lots of excitement and fun! The Virtual Cocktail Soiree will take place via Zoom at 6:00 PM on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2020.
Another upcoming local event -
Mohegan Sun has a Veterans event that provides numerous opportunities for Active Duty, Reserves and Veterans. See more details at the below link.
https://mohegansun.com/vets-rock.html
Again thank you all for your support!
Bill
09/22/2020
Good afternoon everyone,
Here are a few quick updates -
This Thursday September 24th, the CT Department of Veterans Affairs is having a Veterans Stand Down, see the two attached flyers for more details but it looks like it will be a good event with a few virtual programs. We have supported this is years past but COVID has hampered us this year.
Another great event that is coming up virtually is the Womens Veterans Network Virtual Conference; this is being hosted via Webex on October 3rd. See the attached flyer for the link to register.
Toni Berlandy will be participating in this year's Run to Home Base event in support of Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation, and a Massachusetts General Hospital Program that helps Veterans and Military Families. If you are interested in learning more about the cause or to help support Toni - Check out this link https://runtohomebase.org/support/#ToniB ES Vets will also be helping support Toni in this event, thanks Toni!
Finally, I have some sad news that has hit close to home for me and for our veteran community in New England. An Airmen from my unit, Staff Sergeant Ron Ouellette was killed in an accident on Monday, October 14th while working at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Ron is from Merrimack NH and will be buried at Bowscawen Veterans Cemetry next Monday. He is being flown up from Dover AFB sometime this week (I believe it will be Friday and will be transported from Manchster Airport to the Peabody Funeral Home in Londonderry). It is likely many will line the streets for Rons' final trip home, so if you are able, please help pay respect to the sacrifice Ron has made on all of our behalves.
I continue to be humbled by the amount of support this organization has from all of you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Respectuflly,
Bill
7/03/2020
Good morning everyone!
I hope this message all finds you healthy and well. I wanted to share with everyone the contact info for a member of my Air Force squadron who is also an Eversource employee who works in New Hampshire; his name is Justin Dumont and here is his mailing address –
Justin Dumont
386 ELRS/LGRA/Load Planning
Unit 61409
APO, AE 09855-1409
If you have a chance, please send Justin a note or care package. I have been able to chat with him a bit, and it is HOT where he is (120+ daily with high humidity!), but the entire team is doing well. Here is a picture of Justin standing in front of a “T” wall barrier that troops from Westover help paint in 2016. (see below)
I also wanted to share a 4th of July message with everyone that I received from Lt. General Richard Scobee, the Commander of the United States Air Force Reserves, I felt it was a great message and appropriate for this upcoming weekend –
“This weekend, our Nation celebrates our freedom. On July 4, 1776, our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, renouncing British rule. For the past 244 years, our country has remained free, thanks to the men and women who defend this great nation.
The Declaration of Independence decreed that all men are created equal, and endowed with certain unalienable rights. Although we do not live in a perfect world, nor a perfect society, we still embrace and aspire to these ideals. And it is these ideals that we protect with our military service.
This Independence Day, I ask every [one} to remember the principles upon which this great nation was founded. We should all strive to live by those principles, by treating everyone we encounter with dignity and respect.”
Leuitent General Richard Scobee
I want to personally thank everyone that is apart of this group that has served our nation and the sacrifices that come with that service. We all know what it means to be apart of something larger than ourselves.
This weekend take a moment to reflect on the many freedoms that we have and know that we have brave men and women serving around the globe, ensuring every day is a day we can celebrate the rights bestowed on us.
Have a happy, safe, and healthy 4th of July!
6/03/2020
09/22/2020
Good morning everyone!
I hope this message all finds you healthy and well. I wanted to share with everyone the contact info for a member of my Air Force squadron who is also an Eversource employee who works in New Hampshire; his name is Justin Dumont and here is his mailing address –
Justin Dumont
386 ELRS/LGRA/Load Planning
Unit 61409
APO, AE 09855-1409
If you have a chance, please send Justin a note or care package. I have been able to chat with him a bit, and it is HOT where he is (120+ daily with high humidity!), but the entire team is doing well. Here is a picture of Justin standing in front of a “T” wall barrier that troops from Westover help paint in 2016. (see below)
I also wanted to share a 4th of July message with everyone that I received from Lt. General Richard Scobee, the Commander of the United States Air Force Reserves, I felt it was a great message and appropriate for this upcoming weekend –
“This weekend, our Nation celebrates our freedom. On July 4, 1776, our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, renouncing British rule. For the past 244 years, our country has remained free, thanks to the men and women who defend this great nation.
The Declaration of Independence decreed that all men are created equal, and endowed with certain unalienable rights. Although we do not live in a perfect world, nor a perfect society, we still embrace and aspire to these ideals. And it is these ideals that we protect with our military service.
This Independence Day, I ask every [one} to remember the principles upon which this great nation was founded. We should all strive to live by those principles, by treating everyone we encounter with dignity and respect.”
Leuitent General Richard Scobee
I want to personally thank everyone that is apart of this group that has served our nation and the sacrifices that come with that service. We all know what it means to be apart of something larger than ourselves.
This weekend take a moment to reflect on the many freedoms that we have and know that we have brave men and women serving around the globe, ensuring every day is a day we can celebrate the rights bestowed on us.
Have a happy, safe, and healthy 4th of July!
6/03/2020
I hope this finds you and your families healthy, happy, and well. 2020 is testing all of our abilities to stay resilient. Remember, just because we are socially distant, doesn't me we need to disconnect socially. We are fortunate to live in a time with so much technology to bring us together! Make sure you check in on friends and family often during these times.
The ES Vets Association Officers and Board members have been busy this spring, coordinating donations to several different New England agencies.
Here are some of our most recent donations -
$500 to Healing the Wounds http://www.healingthewounds.org/about-healing-the-wounds/ This organization supports the children of our nation's fallen heroes.
$500 to Hike to Remember https://www.mcldet40.org/history/- The hike to remember is part of the Marine Corps League, whose mission is to structure a community for veterans that establishes comradery, support, and community engagement.
$500 to Swim with a mission https://www.swimwithamission.org/ Swim with a mission is focusing their efforts on providing service dogs to Veterans and creating art programs, both of which address the invisible wounds that too many of our veterans are suffering through
$1000 to the Massachusetts VFW Foundation http://www.vfwma.com/ma-foundation.html This was a direct donation to help support the veterans of the Holyoke Soldiers Home. The money was used to purchase five new iPads so the vets will be able to Facetime with family members more frequently. If you have been following the news, you are aware of the tragedy that has impacted the facility, over 70 of our nation's heroes have been stolen from us by COVID 19. Please keep all the vets there in your thoughts and prayers. Here is a social media post (FaceBook) of the iPad donation https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2952694948153659&id=100002395496820¬if_id=1588183771865949¬if_t=tagged_with_story Thanks to our ES Vets VP Joe Mitchell for helping make this happen!
I also wanted to update everyone on the holiday care package drive that took place at the end of last year. We collected well over 200 pounds of items (valued at over $2000!) These items went to seven service members of friends, family, and co-workers who are stationed around the world.
I can not thank everyone enough for their continued generosity towards ES Vets and our mission of Honoring All Who Serve! THANK YOU!
https://www.esveterans.org/about-us
https://www.facebook.com/ESVeteran/
Regards,
Bill