Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2017-2018 | Page 133

Sevrine Banks at the Women Veterans One Stop Office building in Sacramento.
She says once you’re out of the mil-
itary, where there is a natural sense of
community, it can be challenging to
connect with others. “Now women are
able to connect to the WVA community
and we are changing women’s lives by
helping them get connected to their VA
benefits and so much more.”
The partnership with the Women’s
Business Center, Washington says, adds
additional quality professional services
and programs to help veterans and their
families. “Women Veterans have been
underserved and unrecognized in the
community for so long,” Washington
says. “This is filling that need in the right
way.”
The depth and breadth of the var-
ious programs offered for veterans
through the two organizations’ part-
nership is expected to expand over
time with plans of continuing its oth-
er resources like Women Veterans Ex-
change, the first online directory for
women veteran-owned businesses.
“It is such an important community,”
Lowe Muramoto says, “and it is one
of our deepest commitments to do
everything we can to serve those who
have served and protected all of us.” n
benefits to advance veterans educa-
tion or purchase of a home, financial
counseling and credit repair, and a
wide array of counseling to meet their
personal needs.”
Melissa Washington, founder of the
Women Veterans Alliance and a Navy
veteran, started the organization out
of the need for a local women veterans
networking resource. “My intent was
for it to be a local community group of
women veterans. It has become great-
er than that,” Washington says. “We are
empowering women that have served
or [are] currently serving through net-
working, career and professional devel-
opment and mentorship. What I have
found that is even stronger is that we
are bringing [them to a] community.”
Cherise Henry is a freelance writer,
editor and journalist based in Folsom.
Read more at www.cherisehenry.com.
On Twitter @cherisehenry.
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