Recent news from The MOAA Newsletter. View previous editions of Council and Chapter News here. Send updates about your affiliate’s activities to chapters@moaa.org for possible inclusion in future editions.

2025 Community Outreach Grant Cycle Begins Dec. 1

Next month, The MOAA Foundation will start accepting applications for its 2025 Community Outreach Grants. Grants of up to $5,000 are offered to MOAA councils or chapters providing services to local military and veteran families — either directly or through partnerships with other community organizations — in one of 10 areas of critical military and veteran family need: housing, food assistance, employment, health (including behavioral health), family strength, community reintegration, financial assistance, legal assistance, transportation, and emergency relief. 

Giving Tuesday and MOAA Charities

You can support MOAA Charities (The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Fund) on Giving Tuesday by making a donation Dec. 3 to the MOAA Scholarship Fund and The MOAA Foundation. Your Giving Tuesday donation will ensure our community has the support of our charities every day of the year. Visit charities.moaa.org/2024givingtuesday.

How I Advocate: Col. Monti Zimmerman, USA (Ret), Virginia Council of Chapters

Learn advocacy tips from your fellow MOAA chapter members.

The work of Col. Monti Zimmerman, USA (Ret), vice president of legislative affairs for MOAA’s Virginia Council of Chapters, has made a significant impact on thousands of veterans and their families. A disabled veteran, Zimmerman fought to make more disabled veterans and family members eligible for free college education. This benefited thousands in Virginia and allowed Zimmerman to pursue his doctorate in water pollution mitigation. He shares the following advice he has learned from his experiences advocating:

The benefits of coalition-building. “MOAA’s Virginia Council of Chapters participates in a governor’s politically appointed board named the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, [which] has a legislative and executive branch mandate to lead in development and passage of veteran-specific legislation. It allows us to represent approximately 150,000 veterans in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The power of persuasion. “It is critical to form a good relationship with each legislator’s staffer to ensure the staffer can support our efforts. For a surviving spouse bill, having the surviving spouses able to explain in a short elevator speech about their issues and why the legislation is critical is priceless.”

[RELATED: MOAA Council Leader Recognized for Tackling Military Issues at the State Level]

“How I Advocate” highlights MOAA members making a positive difference for servicemembers and veterans through their advocacy. If you know of a MOAA member who deserves this recognition, tell us at editor@moaa.org, and use “How I Advocate” in the subject line.

Surviving Spouse Corner: A Season to be Grateful

Focusing on the positive can help make the holiday season easier after the loss of a loved one.

By Susan Collins, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council member

Holidays are filled with special family times that include beautiful heartfelt memories. These memories can be sweet and make you all warm inside, but they also can cause sad emotions relating to the loss of a loved one.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it can be beneficial to focus effort and energy on what you are grateful for in your “new life” since the loss of a loved one. I am grateful for:

• The enduring and unwavering support of my family, friends, and community — as a military surviving spouse, these are near and far.
  
  
• My good health that allows me to support my family and grandchildren as they grieve and help others as well. 
  
  
• Being able to enjoy every new day. To be able to walk daily and enjoy meeting people, nature, trails, lakes, the ocean, sunrises, and sunsets.
  
  
• Beautiful memories and our legacy that I can pass down to my children and grandchildren.
  
  
• The strength and all the beauty life has to offer.
  
  
• My resilience to persevere.
  
  
• My faith. I look forward to meeting my spouse again.
  
  
• All life’s experiences. These experiences, whether they are good or bad, shape us throughout this life. They keep us alive.

As the holiday season approaches, I wish everyone good health and happiness and a wonderful Thanksgiving that is shared with family, friends, and great memories.

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Upcoming Important Events, Dates, and Deadlines

Nov. 15-16: In-Person Workshop for Western Region Volunteer Leaders, Reno, Nev. This in-person workshop includes council and chapter presidents, membership chairs, legislative chairs/liaisons, and surviving spouse liaisons from Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as well as up to two officers from virtual chapters who live in the region.

Nov. 21: Monthly chapter leader virtual roundtable, 7 p.m. Eastern: The topic is New Committee Module (CM) and Near Real Time Report (NRT) Training. Please note this is a change of topic from the previously published schedule. Join here at the time of the meeting. (Meeting ID: 933 2653 1320; Passcode: 760516)

From the Field

MOAA chapters give back to their communities through fundraising efforts, community-service projects, scholarship programs, and other initiatives. Here are some recent activities.

The New York Council of Chapters hosted members of national MOAA’s leadership team at its annual convention. During the three-day event, members representing seven chapters received updates about advocacy, membership, and chapter activities and projects impacting members at the local level. New York Council of Chapters President Maj. Ernest "Skip" Bebernitz, USA (Ret), presented keynote speakers MOAA Vice President of Government Relations Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret), and Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), senior director of Council and Chapter Affairs, as well as convention chair Lt. Col. Norma Weissand, USAF (Ret), a token of the council's appreciation for their contributions. 

The Whidbey Island (Wash.) Chapter is continuing its support of Guitars for Vets by recently presenting the organization with five guitars for its veteran participants. The organization provides opportunities for veterans to participate in music therapy, including lessons from volunteer instructions. Read more about the chapter’s previous support of the organization.

National MOAA Travel Schedule

Here are the councils and chapters MOAA leaders will be visiting over the next few months.

• Nov. 1, Greater Cincinnati Chapter, Virginia "Gail" Joyce, Surviving Spouse, board of directors
• Nov. 8, Aloha (Hawaii) Chapter, Dena Kilgore, Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA)    
• Nov. 11, Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, Vice Adm. Fred M. Midgette, USCG (Ret), board of directors (BoD)
• Nov. 13, Potomac (Va.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Nov. 15, Texas Council of Chapters, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Nov. 16, North Carolina Council of Chapters Annual Meeting, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Nov. 16, Washington State Council of Chapters, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Nov. 20, Yuma Chapter (Ariz.), Col. Peter K. Kloeber, USAF (Ret)
• Nov. 20, Suncoast (Fla.) Chapter, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• Nov. 21, Green Valley (Ariz.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Nov. 21, Pensacola (Fla.) Chapter, Gen. Gary T. North, USAF (Ret), BoD
• Dec. 5, Heritage Hunt (Va.) Chapter, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• Dec. 6, Coastal Carolina (N.C.) Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Dec. 8, Columbia River (Wash.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 10, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 11, MOAA Public Health Service Virtual Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Dec. 12, Pikes Peak (Colo.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA