Archive for March, 2013

Virginia Lieblein has been appointed as the new Director of Wellness for the Soldier On Women’s Program Wellness Center.  Virginia comes to Soldier On after serving as Director of Wellness for Emerson Hospital for 8 years.  With a strong background in creative program management and development as well as networking and proficient computer skills, Virginia has both the skill level and experience to bring the Wellness Center dream to reality.

Virginia will be working closely with the Soldier On Women’s Program team to bring health and wellness experiences to the women veterans who reside in our transitional program.  Encompassing “mind, body and spirit” the program will enhance the residents’ lives by giving them the chance to try different exercise experiences including yoga, walking, running and aerobics.  Classes offering a wide array of creative experiences such as jewelry design, painting, silk screening, scrap-booking and wood burning will be offered.  Virginia’s main goal will be to analyze each resident’s schedule and give her the opportunity to try new experiences that will open doors for employment, reengagement with family and general all-around happiness and fulfillment.

Please join the Women’s Program team in welcoming Virginia to the Soldier On family.  We can all benefit from embracing a life of health and wellness!

Virginia Lieblein has been appointed as the new Director of Wellness for the Soldier On Women’s Program Wellness Center.  Virginia comes to Soldier On after serving as Director of Wellness for Emerson Hospital for 8 years.  With a strong background in creative program management and development as well as networking and proficient computer skills, Virginia has both the skill level and experience to bring the Wellness Center dream to reality.

Virginia will be working closely with the Soldier On Women’s Program team to bring health and wellness experiences to the women veterans who reside in our transitional program.  Encompassing “mind, body and spirit” the program will enhance the residents’ lives by giving them the chance to try different exercise experiences including yoga, walking, running and aerobics.  Classes offering a wide array of creative experiences such as jewelry design, painting, silk screening, scrap-booking and wood burning will be offered.  Virginia’s main goal will be to analyze each resident’s schedule and give her the opportunity to try new experiences that will open doors for employment, reengagement with family and general all-around happiness and fulfillment.

Please join the Women’s Program team in welcoming Virginia to the Soldier On family.  We can all benefit from embracing a life of health and wellness!

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WGGB) — Transitioning homeless veterans into homeowners. Tonight, we introduce you to John Downing, one of this year’s Difference Makers.

John Downing’s passion is serving our nations veterans by making them feel at home.

As the president of Soldier On, Downing has worked tirelessly to restoring the diginity and purpose of our nation’s homeless veterans.

“In our program, we have no rules. Our job is to make you successful to the degree that you want success and to the degree that you want to return to the center of your life. So what we have been able to do and started to do was we deliver services where you live,” Downing says.

And many of the veterans that Solider On works with are now just be shuttled into shelters. They are being offered the chance to own their own home.

Downing adds, “If you could own where you lived, you probably wouldn’t leave. Now, that magical fact worked for us so what we decided to do was figure out how we could build affordable housing that you could own and that will have sustainability and ‘controlability’ for the rest of your life.”

Soldier On builds condos and works with veterans to help them have an actual ownership stake, all the while bringing much needed services right to there door.

And in this era of budget cuts and austerity, Soldier On is proving that their model reduces the long term costs.

“With the model of home ownership and services being delivered where you are drives down – over the lifetime of a homeless veteran – the long term medical care costs by 300 percent.”

Downing works alongside a dedicated staff of young people who share his commitment to those who have served our country and being there whenever they are needed.

“You can’t do this work on an 8 to 5 basis. This is a seven day a week, 24 hour a day challenge. Our people are homeless 24 hours a day. Their lives have been broken for years. They need us to be there when they need us,” Downing notes.

To view video and read the entire story, visit http://www.wggb.com/2013/03/20/2013-difference-makers-john-downing/.

 A campaign in support of Soldier On & New England Public Radio, made possible by Berkshire Bank.

 Soldier On is partnering with New England Public Radio in a radio campaign that will support the 16 unit transitional housing building for women veterans and their children that we are breaking ground on in the fall. For every donation that you make to the radio campaign, Soldier On will receive a 2×4 to go towards the construction of our building. Visit nepr.com/contribute or call 1-800-639-8850 to give. The campaign is ten days long, lasting from March 6 to March 16. Tune in to NEPR, 88.5 FM or 640 AM, or contact Maggie Porter, mporter@wesoldieron.org, to learn more! A special thank you to Berkshire Bank and the Berkshire Bank Foundation for their support and for making this radio campaign possible!