Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2017-2018 | Página 132

n
Success story
Threads
of
Honor
BY Cherise Henry PHOTOGRAPH BY Ken James
S
TWO LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS
JOIN FORCES TO
EMPOWER THE
WOMEN VETERANS
COMMUNITY
132
CAPITAL REGION CARES 2017 | comstocksmag.com
evrine Banks served in the
U.S. Army for 20 years, re-
tiring as a Sergeant First
Class. Once retired though,
she missed the close-knit
community that the military
brought her, so she became a mem-
ber of the new and local Sacramento
chapter of Women Veterans Alliance, a
professional organization dedicated to
impacting and empowering the lives
of women veterans. Today, Retired Ser-
geant First Class Banks serves as the
Sacramento chapter director for WVA.
“The organization has supported
me emotionally, knowing I have some-
where to go for anything,” Banks says,
adding that through the organization’s
in-depth partnership with the Califor-
nia Capital Women’s Business Center,
she has attended educational class-
es to pursue her own business ideas
along with having a mentor take her
under their wing for guidance.
The California Capital Women’s
Business Center is a nonprofit orga-
nization that provides programs and
services to small businesses through-
out the state. In collaboration with the
Women Veterans Alliance, the Women
Veterans One-Stop Resource Center
was created to specifically address the
needs of women veterans, their spous-
es and families.
“Veterans routinely call in for
some type of assistance, and we will
match them with the appropriate
resources or service,” says Deborah
Lowe Muramoto, director of the Wom-
en’s Business Center. “Melissa Wash-
ington [Women Veterans Alliance]
has formed an amazing collaborative
of resource partners who stand ready
to provide assistance on accessing VA