The SXSW is a five day event that will feature networking and emerging technologies.  The tradeshow will showcase the best new digital, video, and innovative ideas.  The event will take place from March 11-15, 2010 in Austin, Texas.

HURRY, the deadline to vote is tomorrow Friday, August 27, 2010.  Visit the Warrior Gateway’s Entry Page

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On Tuesday, August 24, 2010, Soldier On purchased the Western Massachusetts Regional Police Academy on Westfield Street in Springfield, MA, for $1!  They plan on converting the building into studio apartments for homeless veterans to live.

Soldier On has been helping homeless veterans since 1994.  With time the organization has moved beyond just helping provide shelter, they have set up Veterans Village projects where former homeless veterans are given the chance to own a home.

If you are currently looking for shelter in the Massachusetts area, visit the Warrior Gateway. If you know of other services that provide veteran assistance add them to our Directory.

To view the original article, Editorial: Bay State Honors Pledge to Veterans, click here.

The program is funded with a $33 million grant, that will create a 40-bed program for unceasingly homeless veterans over the next five years.

In about 18 months, the Denver program plans to house many veterans.  They have yet to decide on a building where they will provide shelter. The area will also provide therapy and treatment to veterans in the program. Other services available within the residential treatment area will include job skills training, medical and mental health help and assistance with addictions.

"We do not want men and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq to find themselves homeless and on the streets," said Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Other cities that plan to be involved in the pilot program are San Diego, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Miami.

If you are currently looking for shelter in the Colorado area, visit the Warrior Gateway. If you know of other services that provide veteran assistance add them to our directory.

To view the original article, Denver gets new pilot program to help chronically homeless veterans, by Colleen O’Connor click here.

More than 20 local contractors and suppliers donated their time and materials to help build a bedroom, bath and living area for John, to help him with his recovery. Vets H.E.R.D. also organized a four-day vacation for the family while the addition was being finished.

"John to me is my brother,” said their vice president Jordan Strong. “When family is in need, you help them out." John is part of MARSOC – the top one percent of the Marine Corps serving in special operations. Strong continued, "They do the missions no one knows about. They take the risk that no one knows about, to ensure our freedoms, to keep our country safe. We owe it to them to help them. He's helped and protected us in ways we can't begin to understand.”

John suffered a catastrophic head injury, his second combat injury, while serving in Afghanistan. He had  received his first Purple Heart after being wounded in Iraq.

Vets H.E.R.D., located in western New York, is a group of veterans and their families and friends whose mission is to raise awareness of the lack of veterans’ resources in their local community while ensuring that no veteran or service member is forgotten upon their return to civilian life.

If you are currently looking for assistance within New York, visit the Warrior Gateway’s directory. If you know of similar organizations not already in our directory please add them here!

To view the Buffalo News original article, “A heartfelt home for a hero,” click here.

The Vermont National Guard Family Program realizes how difficult it is for soldiers to return to their communities after returning home from their tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Spouses and children also struggle while adjusting to life with their soldiers back at home.

Unemployment is a big problem:  On average, 25 to 30 percent of returning service members walk off the plane unemployed.  Not having a job adds to the stress they have about things such as financial problems or mental health concerns.  And, as part of their participation in Yellow Ribbon events, the Guard has lined up financial advisers, benefits specialists, mental health counselors, and job placement experts to help soldiers and families.

Lt. Col. Mark Goodreau, director of the Vermont National Guard’s Family Program, says, “We realize it’s really important to put our best foot forward from the get go.” He believes that the sooner they can provide a resource, the better chance they’ll have to resolve the related issue.

If you are currently looking for assistance in Vermont, visit the Warrior Gateway and search for service organizations in your area.  If you know of any helpful organizations share them with others in our Directory.

To view the original article, Vermont Guard Begins Preparation for Soldiers’ Return, by Sam Hemingway, click here.

The AACOG (Alamo Area Coalition of Government), out of San Antonio, TX has a house weatherization program that builds and modifies homes to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.  In combination with the American GI Forum and their “One-Stop” Veteran Service Center, the two provide jobs for veterans, to help in their reintegration process.  The “One-Stop” Veterans Service Center also provides services including: a residential center for homeless veterans, Texas veterans outreach program, and help for disabled veterans.

To help with employment and training services the GI Forum also gets veterans in touch with the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training to help with the process of getting back in the workforce.

If you are currently looking for assistance in San Antonio, visit the Warrior Gateway and search for service organizations in your area.  If you know of any helpful organizations share them with others in our Directory.

To view the original article, Helping Veterans Who Come Home, by Cathy Pasmore, click here.

Dr. Al Batres, chief readjustment counseling officer for U.S. Veterans Affairs, was the keynote speaker at the event held on Wednesday July 28, 2010.  Bates said, “The VA is first and foremost focused on the needs of veterans and their families.”

A university that is well on its way to following the path of being veteran friendly is Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.  It has a veteran’s office, lounge, and student veterans club.  There is also a counselor on the campus that is a veteran.

If you are looking for services in Princeton, West Virginia check out The Princeton Vet Center listed in our Directory.  If you know of any helpful organizations share them with others in our Directory!

To view the original article by Greg Jordan titled Symposium Highlights Veterans’ Services, click here.

The answers to these questions lie in the hands of the several veterans’ service offices that assist veterans every day.   For example he lists organizations in Cleveland Ohio:  American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS (American Veterans).  Cleveland is just one of the cities; these organizations exist across the country.  Many state, county, and local governments have veterans departments with personnel who are willing to help in your area.

If you are currently looking for assistance within any of these categories visit the Warrior Gateway and search for service organizations in your area.  If you know of any helpful organizations share them with others in our directory.

To view the original article, Veterans Service Officers Can Provide Valuable Help by Ron Seman, click here.

Like many other Americans, I know those who have been deployed overseas – they are friends; they are classmates; they are colleagues.  One needs only turn on the television or read a newspaper to see the stories about service men and women on their second or third tour of duty.  Some are active duty, some are reservists like me, and some are National Guard.  What they all have in common is that they left their families and “normal lives” for months at a time to answer America’s call to duty.

Upon their return, veterans and their families have a variety of needs as they work to re-integrate into each local community.  The navigation of the 400,000 nationwide organizations supporting and providing resources to the veteran community is no simple task.  An example of how overwhelming it can be to find a specific resource across the extensive amount of resources can be illustrated through a veteran’s search of the phrase “post traumatic stress disorder.”  This disorder is one of the more common afflictions after military service abroad.  This key phrase yields over 5 million results and does not quickly get the veteran to the answers or resources he/she needs.

To better support our veterans and their families, it is imperative to have a platform dedicated to nothing more than navigating the vast array of resources and services available to their needs.  There needs to be one additional resource which is the connection and portal to link the other 400,000 resources while addressing the needs of the veteran community.

Bill Salesky

Sr. Airman, U.S. Air Force Reserve

inTransition is a collaboration between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to bridge the potential gaps in behavioral health support during transitional periods—gaps that can lead to service members’ disengagement from treatment or deterioration of their health status. The program provides a personal coach who will support the service member through the transitional period and help identify community resources.

Enrollment into the program can be initiated by the service member or through referral from a servicemember’s current provider or case manager. All it takes is one phone call to 1-800-424-7277.

Once servicemembers confirm their participation in the inTransition program, they are connected with a transition support coach, who provides one-on-one support by phone. Coaches help service members connect with their new provider and locate local community resources, support groups, crisis intervention services and other assistance in the servicemember’s new location. Coaches do not replace the functions of case managers, but rather facilitate the access to and utilization of health services.

Our goal is ensure servicemembers continue their care without interruption. Join us Aug. 19, 2010 from 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. (CDT) for free, web-based training on inTransition. To learn more about inTransition, or register for our August webinar, please visit www.health.mil/intransition.

This post was authored by Dr. Lolita O'Donnell.  Dr. Lolita O’Donnell is the Acting Director of the Clearinghouse, Outreach and Advocacy Directorate at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (dcoe.health.mil).