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32 | OHCC LIVING | MARCH 2023 | Village Vets The Federal government recently passed a new law, "The PACT Act," that expands VA healthcare and benefits for all Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. The Act adds to the list of healthcare conditions caused by exposure to these substances, helping Veterans and now also their survivors. More information is available at this VA telephone number (800) 698-2411. We have some fantastic and interesting activities and speakers planned for this year, including a barbecue, the Veterans Day celebration and an off-site trip to Camp Pendleton. Our next Village Vets General Meeting is on March 23 in Abravenal Hall at 3 pm. We are planning to have Tommy Moore, a Veteran, Community Outreach Representative, and current active-duty Navy Chief, talk about the Shelter to Soldier™ (STS) organization. STS is a nonprofit organization in Oceanside that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other injuries associated with traumatic service experiences. Every day, 20 U.S. Veterans and one active-duty service member is lost to suicide. This organization is intent on reducing the number of suicides and saving the lives of dogs in local shelters. Their motto is "Saving lives two at a time." We will be making a donation to support the STS program and hope some of our members will also. Tommy is expected to have his certified therapy dog and Canine Ambassador for STS Moose with him. Of course, refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited. Our general meeting on May 25 will be a free barbecue just for our paid members. It will be starting at 12 noon at the Clubhouse. The guest speaker will be Jim Desmond, a Navy Veteran, recent resident of OHCC, and our own County Supervisor. I'm sure you won't want to miss this meeting, our speaker, and the food. Please note the meeting time change from our normal starting time. You don't have to be a Veteran to join the Village Vets as many of our members just enjoy supporting our activities. Our dues are $10 pp and will be accepted at the Clubhouse front desk. If you need a new flag or holder, please contact Bob St. Laurent at (336) 509-8788. He can help. We only ask for a donation to cover our costs. Camp Pendleton Marines and OHCC Service Men 2022 Xmas for Kids

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