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This continues to be a trying time for our brave men and women serving our country
abroad. While soldiers often receive our prayers and thoughts, sometimes
their loved ones left behind in the States are left to cope with the absence
of their loved ones on their own in
the shadows of war.
As Vermonters, we are known for our generosity and neighborly way of
life. I encourage you to reach out to the families of our soldiers,
offer to cook them dinner, offer to mow their lawn, or help in your own
unique way.
The resources on this page will help answer questions the families of
soldiers may have and help families across Vermont deal with the stresses of being at war.
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Resources For Families Dealing With War
My office is proud to
be part of the Vermont Military,
Family and Community Network, which is bringing together
members of the community, government and private sectors to assure that
our returning service members and their families get the support and
services they need. See the
Veterans Resources page of
the National Center for PTSD web site for more information about the
network, or call the Vermont National Guard Family Readiness Program at
1-888-607-8773.
The Vermont National Guard Family Support Program provides services, information and
referrals to the families of deployed Guard members and other Active Duty
personnel with family members in Vermont. My wife, Marcelle, was honored to accept Vermont
Adjutant General Martha Rainville's request for her to serve as the honorary
chair of the program. Contact the program directly for more
information.
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Vermont National Guard Family
Support Program
789 Vt. National Guard Road
Colchester, Vermont
05446
Phone:
1-888-607-8773 or
802-338-3347
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The American Red Cross can help with emergency communications that link active duty military
personnel with their families back home, financial assistance, and
counseling.
Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency
Services (AFES) personnel serve in nearly 1,000 chapters in the United
States, on 109 military installations around the world and
alongside our troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Kosovo
and Afghanistan.
Red Cross Chapters In Vermont:
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Marcelle and I wanted to share an article by
military wife Kristin Henderson we read in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine in early October with
families of deployed troops. It gave us insight into the lives of
families dealing with deployments that even as the parents of a former
marine, we couldn't have expressed so eloquently.
Click
here to read the text. |
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The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Ombudsmen Services Program can help you understand the federal protections available
to assist families who are faced with disruption of employment and loss of income
due to the deployment of Guard members and reservists. Call the EGSR Help Line at 1-800-336-4590 or the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) in Montpelier at (802)
828-4441. |
The
National Center for Children Exposed to Violence is an
independent organization that helps find solutions to the complex issues
that face children. Families looking for helpful ways to talk about
the situation with Iraq might find their sight helpful.
Additional resources for military
members and their families can be found in the
military casework section of
my website. If you need further assistance, please contact my Burlington office at
1-800-642-3193 (in Vermont) or
(802)863-2525.
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Military Assistance:
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Supporting the Troops:
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