The Next meeting of CVO will be this coming Wednesday, September 21st at 7 PM in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of Jesse Brown VA (820 S Damen in Chicago). CVO is rebuilding; be part of it and come out to the meeting!

Coffee and Donuts — as usual — will be served!

We need help with the Newsletter. If you have Publisher, Illustrator, InDesign or even Pages, and can help lay out our Newsletter every other month, we need your help. Please let Bruce know at Bruce@CoalitionofVets.org that you’re willing to step up. He’ll give you all the details.

See you at the meeting!

Boots to Business Reboot: Aurora

Who: Open to veterans, service members (including members of the Guard and Reserve) and military spouses who run a business or are interested in learning about starting a small business.

What: Registration is now open for Boots to Business Reboot. This two-step entrepreneurial program begins with an in-person course instructed by a leading entrepreneurship professional, where participants learn the fundamentals of business ownership, including evaluating business concepts, legal and financial practices. Participants will meet local SBA partners who can assist them after the course.

When: October 3, 2016 at 8:00 am CDT – October 4, 2016 at 4:30 pm CDT

Where: Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora, IL 60506

How to Sign Up: To sign up for the Boots to Business Reboot course, interested participants must fill out the Boots to Business Reboot registration form for the Aurora course at  http://boots2business.org/rebootapply/.  Lunch is provided for all attendees.

Additional Details: Boots to Business Reboot is offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration through a public private partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the Marcus Foundation and First Data Corporation. After completing the training, participants can register for “Foundations of Entrepreneurship,” an eight-week, online course led by instructors from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

Facts about Veteran Entrepreneurs: Veterans are at least 45 percent more likely to take the plunge into entrepreneurship than people with no military experience. Veterans own approximately 2.4 million businesses, or 9 percent of all businesses nationwide, generating $1.2 trillion in receipts and employing nearly 5.8 million people. A recent SBA study of Boots to Business graduates found that they were 79 percent more likely to start a business after completing the training.

Boots to Business Reboot: Aurora

Who: Open to veterans, service members (including members of the Guard and Reserve) and military spouses who run a business or are interested in learning about starting a small business.

What: Registration is now open for Boots to Business Reboot. This two-step entrepreneurial program begins with an in-person course instructed by a leading entrepreneurship professional, where participants learn the fundamentals of business ownership, including evaluating business concepts, legal and financial practices. Participants will meet local SBA partners who can assist them after the course.

When: October 3, 2016 at 8:00 am CDT – October 4, 2016 at 4:30 pm CDT

Where: Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora, IL 60506

How to Sign Up: To sign up for the Boots to Business Reboot course, interested participants must fill out the Boots to Business Reboot registration form for the Aurora course at  http://boots2business.org/rebootapply/.  Lunch is provided for all attendees.

Additional Details: Boots to Business Reboot is offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration through a public private partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the Marcus Foundation and First Data Corporation. After completing the training, participants can register for “Foundations of Entrepreneurship,” an eight-week, online course led by instructors from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

Facts about Veteran Entrepreneurs: Veterans are at least 45 percent more likely to take the plunge into entrepreneurship than people with no military experience. Veterans own approximately 2.4 million businesses, or 9 percent of all businesses nationwide, generating $1.2 trillion in receipts and employing nearly 5.8 million people. A recent SBA study of Boots to Business graduates found that they were 79 percent more likely to start a business after completing the training.

We want YOU!!! Calling all Cook County Veterans, Reservists and Military Personnel to attend this free patriot celebration. Proudly sponsored by 6th District Cook County Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy, VITAS Healthcare, Dignity Memorial and the Alsip Double Tree Hotel by Hilton, all branches of serviceman and women will be honored at the ceremony and celebration, Thursday October 13, 2016.

The 6th Annual “Salute to the Armed Forces” will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Double Tree Hotel by Hilton in Alsip located at 5000 W. 127th Street. All branches of serviceman and women will be honored for serving their Country with pride and dedication at a ceremony, Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 1 p.m. Doors open at 12:00p.m. All Honorees must pre-register to attend.

A Free Patriotic celebration to salute our Armed Forces Service Men and Women. Share in an afternoon of fellowship and appreciation for your courage and dedication. Those that have served in the United States Armed Forces in war time and peace time will be honored for their contribution and sacrifice to our great Nation. This celebration is proudly presented by Cook County Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy, Vitas Healthcare, Dignity Memorial, and Double Tree Hotel by Hilton.

All branches of military service men and women will receive an Honorary “Salute Certificate” and custom designed Brass Commemorative Pin. The Ceremony of Appreciation will also include a Patriot program, POW-MIA Remembrance Service, noted guest speakers, patriot entertainment and Color Guard presentation. Refreshments will be served to all honorees and guests.

Registration is required, If you wish to be honored at this Patriot ceremony. You must register for the event. Please list your name, branch of serve, phone number, email address and number of guests attending. Fax information to 708.389.2240 OR Call Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy’s Office at 312.603.3789. RSVP by October 11th.

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The next meeting of CVO will be on Wednesday, October 19th at 7 PM at Jesse Brown VA (820 S Damen in Chicago) in the 2nd floor Conference Room.

The agenda will include the continuing process of building and improving CVO, reports on homelessness, Veterans against Violence and more.

As usual, coffee and donuts will be served.

Come out and support CVO!

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Please Veterans Strike Force as they remember and give thanks to those who served. Family and friends are invited to spend time commemorating and celebrating our veterans.

The commemoration will close with a light lunch and music provided by In Full Swing, a 15 piece swing band.

November 11, 2016 – 11AM – 1PM
Jesse Brown VAMC

820 S Damen Ave.
Chicago Il 60612

Kizer Conference Center
2nd Floor of the Damen Pavilion

The next meeting of CVO will be held on the third Wednesday of the month, November 16th, at 7 PM in the 2nd floor Conference Room of the Jesse Brown VA Hospital.

There will be a limited number of Chicago Wolves tickets available, for their Nov. 19 “Salute to Military Families Night,” and coupons good for a free haircut. First come, first served.

As usual, coffee and donuts will be available.

Come out and support CVO!

The next meeting of CVO will be at 7 PM on Wednesday, January 18th in the 2nd floor conference room of Jesse Brown VA Medical Center at 820 S Damen in Chicago. 2017 is here and it is a rebuilding year for CVO. We will discuss revamping CVO and bringing it back up to speed.

We will also have Cynthia McKee as our featured speaker, a Veteran Service Officer from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs to talk about Veterans’ Benefits and answer your questions.

“Representatives from Sunshine Homecare, including a doctor, will make a presentation on and do a screening for Hepatitis C. Hep C kills more people than HIV each year and the vast majority of people with Hep C do NOT KNOW they have it. Come out and volunteer to be screened. Results will be given to the individual at the meeting.”

Don’t forget that it’s a new year and it’s time for Individual and Organizational dues. Individual dues for a year are just $10. Organizational dues — which include one Individual membership — are only $50 for the year.

In case of inclement weather, call our voicemail at 773-243-2335 and we’ll let you know if the meeting has been changed.

UPDATE: Instead of coffee and donuts, we will have pizza and cheesecake for everyone’s pleasure!

Come out and support CVO!!

The next meeting of CVO will be this Wednesday, February 15th at 7 PM at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S. Damen in the 2nd Floor Conference Room. We are going to refocus CVO on fighting efforts to privatize the VA. The current Secretary of the VA has stated that he’s for a “hybrid” VA – party private, part public (as it is). This is an effort to further privatize the VA!
We need to fight this!

We are asking all Organizational Members to send a representative to this meeting to coordinate our efforts. Of course, all Individual Members should attend as well.

There are a number of other things on the agenda as well. Dues are due! Only $10 a year for individuals; $50 for organizations. Nominations for the Board of Directors will be in March; elections in April. Join now so you can nominate and vote in the elections.

Parking will be validated.

We’re having pizza!! Come and join us!

The next meeting of CVO will be held at 7 PM on Wednesday, March 15th in the 2nd Floor Conference Room at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S Damen.

The Anti-Privatization Campaign will be on the Agenda. Also, Nominations for the CVO Executive Committee will be made at this meeting. Elections will be held in April.

Three days later – on Saturday, March 18th – is the VAC Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner. Be sure to attend!

See you at the CVO meeting!