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THE
January: Issue 5
eteran Voice
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Spreading Some Holiday Cheer with Orthodox Action
On an unseasonably warm and snowless Saturday in December, members of Orthodox Action, a
ministry of the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, came to the WNY Veterans Housing
Coalition to help host a Christmas celebration in the lobby of Stratford Arms. The lobby was full to
bursting with members of the Church, tenants, staff members, and other members of the community.
After the pizza, cookies, and candy had been eaten, the Church members led the assembly in an
occasionally beautiful and always boisterous rendition of some of the most popular Christmas carols,
including an impromptu finale of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” as requested by one of our tenants.
As the festivities began to wind down, church members distributed a goodie bag full of household
essentials and a bottle of laundry detergent to each tenant as a Christmas gift. We’re already looking
forward to next year’s gathering, and hope to see even more tenants present at the occasion! A huge thank
you to the church members who organized the event! For the fifth year in a row, this event proved to be a
great way to kick off the Christmas season. Thank you to CITI for donating the food!
Tenants enjoying the pizza and other goodies.
Singing Christmas carols.
January: Issue 5
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Golden Age Games
Computer Skills
Did you know that nearly 70% of working
Americans report using a computer on a regular basis at
work? If you’re looking for employment, knowing how to
use a computer is becoming an increasingly basic
requirement. Luckily, even if you aren’t familiar with
using computers or only understand the basics, there are
free computer courses offered by the Educational
Opportunity Center at the University at Buffalo.
Computer Fundamentals
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Feb 25 -May 3rd
Mon & Wed
12:30-2:25pm
Please contact the Educational Opportunity Center for
more information on this program and the many other
programs they offer, including GED prep. Their phone
number is (716)849-6727. Besides books, did you know
that the Buffalo and Erie County Public library offers
FREE courses? Additional computer courses are offered at
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the Skills Center on the 3 floor at the Buffalo VA. The
next time you’re at the VA, stop in and check it out! For
additional information, check in with the office!
All Veterans, ages 55 or older, who currently
receive inpatient or outpatient, care from the U.
S. Department of Veterans Affairs are eligible to
participate. The Games will be hosted in Buffalo,
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from May 30 to June 4 . The registration
deadline for athletes is March 1, 2013.
Competitive events include: swimming, cycling,
golf, shot-put, discus, 10-meter air rifle, table
tennis, dominoes, shuffleboard, horseshoes,
nine-ball, bowling, checkers and croquet. The
exhibition sport is sled hockey (featuring our
very own Kathleen Garvey).
See
http://www.va.gov/opa/speceven/gag/docs/2013_
nvgag_registration_package.pdf to register.
Even if you don’t want to participate in the
events, you can still be part of the Golden Age
Games as a volunteer.
For more information on volunteering, contact
Kelly Clark at (716)862- 8672.

Earned Stripes
If any veteran is interested in becoming a
certified New York State high school sports
official or umpire go to Section 6 website.
www.section6.e1b.org
Click on officials tab.
Click on Interested in becoming an official. Fill
in application. After last name type in
VETERAN. You will be contacted for an
interview and orientation meeting. If you are
qualified to take training program for chosen
sport “Earned Stripes” will cover the first year
costs associated with becoming certified.
Contact Executive Director Peter Calieri
([email protected]) for more information.
January: Issue 5
Reminder: Winter is in full
swing, and there is no street
parking overnight until April 1st.
Please be prepared to move your
car for plowing. Plowing service is
done when there are three inches
or more of snow on the ground.
Please work with us—we’ve been
doing our best to keep the
sidewalks and the parking lots
clean. If you have not registered
your vehicle in the office, please
do so ASAP. We appreciate your
cooperation!
HEAP
Did you know one in five
households that benefit from
HEAP have a veteran in the
family? If you haven’t already
applied for HEAP, see Don for
assistance.
New Faces
Congratulations to property
manager Bob Cook and his wife
on the birth of their first child,
Eva!
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Feeling Under the Weather?
Rest at home when you have a
fever (temperature over 100.3
degrees) or severe cold
symptoms, such as lots of
coughing and sneezing.
When you do go out again, cover
your mouth when coughing or
sneezing, and use lots of hand
sanitizer to protect others.
If your symptoms worsen after a
few days, see a doctor.
Spring Ahead!
While it may not seem like spring
now, don’t forget to turn your
clocks ahead an hour on Sunday,
March 10th at 2 am. What will
you do with all the extra daylight?
Work Orders
Reminder: All work orders
should be called into the office at
1-716-882-5935 ext. 24 or 26
Free Financial Services
Including Free Tax Preparation
Tax season is just around the corner,
and it’s time to start thinking about
your finances.
The Creating Assets, Savings & Hope
(CASH) Coalition of the United Way
works to increase the financial
wellness of individuals within the
WNY region. CASH partners with 65
area organizations to promote their
services, such as free tax
preparation, access to available tax
credits, education on financial topics
(such as credit, or budgeting and
saving money) and opportunities for
affordable home ownership and asset
development.
Please contact Lauren Gousy, the
Veterans and Military Families
Specialist, at the United Way for
more information. Her phone
number is (716)887-2655 and her email address is
[email protected].
Game Nights at VHC
Starting January 2013, we will be
holding game nights in the lobby of
25 W. Utica. Information to be
posted.
January: Issue 5
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-Recipe
-Animal
-Fact
-Joke
-Activity
-Tenants
-Staff
Black Bean, Corn, and Turkey Chili
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 ¾ c Swanson chicken broth
1 c Pace Chunky Salsa
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano,
black pepper and garlic powder. Cook until the turkey is well-browned, stirring frequently to break up meat.
Stir the broth, salsa, sugar, beans and corn into the saucepan. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the chili occasionally while cooking.
Serve warm and topped with grated cheddar cheese, if desired.
Joke: What does an angry pepper do?
Activity: St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2pm
on March 17th. On Delaware Avenue
between Niagara Sq. and North St.
Animal: Reindeer. Did you know
reindeer can run as fast as 48 mph?
Fact: The total snowfall for the
blizzard of ‘77 was only 12 inches. The
bulk of the snow came from snowdrifts
blown by high winds off of Lake Erie.
At the Buffalo Zoo, 8 foot tall
snowdrifts allowed three reindeer to
step over their fence and escape!
Answer: It gets jalapeño face!
STAFF and NEW TENANTS OF THE QUARTER
Herb Torres Jr.
Facilities Manager
Favorite color: Red.
Favorite food: Chicken, mashed potatoes and
gravy, and corn.
Favorite activity: Hanging out with his
grandchildren.
Favorite part of working at WNYVHC:
Working with the rest of the staff.
Welcome to our new tenants of the quarter:
Joseph Robinson
Stephen Guerriero
Dwaine Mott
Joseph Loper
Paul Piatrowski
Rachael Anderson
Randy Beutel & Penelope
Don Marshall
January: Issue 5
Eagle Scout Apartment Remodel
The highest honor a Boy Scout can earn is the rank of Eagle
Scout, a rank only achieved after the completion of an Eagle
Project, which is a community service project that
demonstrates leadership. Each year, new Eagle Scouts
complete more than 3 million hours of community service.
This past fall, the WNY Veterans Housing Coalition was the
beneficiary of an Eagle Project. Alex Rand, a local Boy Scout,
chose to clean and furnish an apartment for a veteran as his
Eagle Project. One of our newest tenants, an Iraq combat
veteran, Randy, and his service dog Penelope moved into the
apartment shortly after the apartment was completed. At
the holiday party, Randy and Alex had a chance to meet (see
photo).
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Coalition Kittens
The Western New York Veterans Housing Coalition, Inc.
has provided housing to hundreds of homeless veterans
over 25 years of operations. Currently, over 100 tenants
and two office birds (Mojo and Mojita) call the coalition
home. However, we have a recent addition to our
community that many may not be aware of-four cats who
live behind Engine 16. This small family, consisting of a
mother cat and her three kittens (who were born this
past summer), have rapidly endeared themselves to all
who encounter them. Our feline tenants are still a little
bit skittish of their neighbors, but daily feedings
(compliments of COO Celia O’Brien) have helped
acclimate them to people. Although the temperatures
have dropped and snow is currently on the ground, the
coalition kittens have their choice of shelter, including
the igloo donated by our very own Herb Torres that is
stuffed full of very-warm hay, or a neighbor’s basement.
We’re currently looking into getting the cats checked out
by a veterinarian, but in the meantime enjoy a close-up of
these adorable faces!
The Month Of…
January is…
National Mentoring Month. Did you know Compeer offers a
Vet2Vet mentoring program that pairs veterans with other
veterans for support? Contact Program Coordinator
Trueman Irwin at (716)883-3331 for more information.
February is…
African-American History Month. As we get closer to February, we
will post events.
March is…
Women’s History Month, National Nutrition Month, and National
Brain Injury Awareness Month. Attend our group meeting on
st
March 21 for more information on eating healthy. All are welcome!
Headway offers supportive services to people who have suffered
traumatic brain injury (TBI). For more information call (716) 4083100.
We Want You…
To Come to Monthly Meetings
When’s the last time you attended our monthly group
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meeting? Meetings are held the 3 Thursday of every
month at 17 West Utica at 1:30 pm. For this quarter,
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st
meetings will be held on January 17 , February 21 , and
st
March 21 . Each meeting focuses on a different topic and
typically features a different speaker.
January: Issue 5
Important Contact
Information
WNYVHC
Phone: (716)882-5935
After-Hours Emergency
Phone: (716)879-0505
Veteran’s Hospital
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Dates to Remember
Mon Jan 21st- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (office
closed)
Sat Feb 2nd- Groundhog Day
Phone: (716)834-9200
Tues Feb 12th- Mardi Gras
Social Services
Thurs Feb 14th- Valentine’s Day
Phone: (716)858-8000
Mon Feb 18th- President’s Day (office closed)
Crisis Services
Phone: (716)834-3131
Erie County Senior Services
Phone: (716)858-7870
Sun March 10th- Daylight Savings Time Begins
(turn your clocks ahead one hour!)
Sun March 17th- St. Patrick’s Day
National Grid
Fri March 29th- Good Friday (office closed)
Phone: 1(800)642-4272
Sun March 31st- Easter Sunday
Medicare/ Medicaid Taxi
Phone: 1(800) 829-4222
Verizon Lifeline
Phone: 1(800)837-4966
EPIC
Phone: 1(800)332-3742
We have a lot of great events
coming up over the next three
months, so please watch the notice
boards for more information.