Empowering military consumers – all year long

Empowering military consumers – all year long Joint blog by the Department of Defense (DoD), the FTC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Now that Military Consumer Month has come to a close, it's time to think about how we can support service members all year long. Seven years ago, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched Military Consumer Protection Day to highlight fraud affecting service members.  Since then, the observance has grown into a national, year-round campaign. Militaryconsumer.gov provides service members and their families with resources from partner agencies like Department of Defense (DoD), the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to boost their financial readiness. Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/08/empowering-military-consumers-all-year-long This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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MassVetsAdvisor.org launches Memorial Day weekend: Services and support for ...

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

MassVetsAdvisor.org launches Memorial Day weekend: Services and support for veterans just a click away with new web portal

via Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services by Paulette Song on 5/25/12

By U.S. Army Reservist Kyle Toto
I joined the U.S. Army Reserves because I wanted to give back to my country and to carry on a tradition that had been in my family for three generations. After being in the reserves for three years, my civil affairs company was mobilized for a year-long deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. It wasn't easy to leave my family and friends, as well as my commitments to work and grad school, but I felt that it would be worth it. After a long year in Afghanistan and countless times outside the wire, I was thrilled to go home and reconnect with family. When I got back I was focused on catching up with friends and enjoying all the comforts of home. My benefits were the last thing on my mind.

That's why I'm proud this Memorial Day to help the Patrick-Murray Administration's Department of Veterans' Services, Massachusetts Broadband Institute and the Home Base Program launch a new website to help veterans and their family members access over 200 state and federal benefits in one location.

MassVetsAdvisor.org is the perfect resource for veterans to easily access their benefits from the comfort of their own homes, on their own time.

As the new Community Manager for Broadband Adoption, I'll be working with veterans and Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) across the Commonwealth to help them utilize the website and connect to all of the benefits and services they have earned.

MassVetsAdvisor.org is just one more way that the Patrick-Murray Administration has continued to make Massachusetts the the nation's leader in providing services and outreach for our state's veterans.

If you are a veteran or a family member of a veteran please check out www.massvetsadvisor.org

If you are a service provider and would like training on the new veterans portal, feel free to contact me via email at toto@masstech.org, by telephone at (508) 870-0312 x 604, or through the mail at: Massachusetts Broadband Institute, ATTN: MassVetsAdvisor, 75 North Drive, Westborough, MA 01581.

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A great "Holiday Care Package" idea for the members of our Armed Forces in Afghanistan or Iraq

First, I hope that this message finds you and your families in good health and spirits.

Second, as we approach the holidays, I ask that you give some thought to performing a random act of kindness for a member of our military serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. You can perform this random act of kindness by:

1. Sending a Holiday Care package to a member of our Armed Services

or

2. Making a donation to the USO (http://www.uso.org/).


For the first option, a holiday package can be sent via the USPS to one of the Chaplain addresses found at http://www.cjtf101.com/files/CJTF101%20com%20RST%20MAILING%20ROSTER%20(2).pdf (skip the “Redeploying soon” addresses).

For example, my wife and I know someone at FOB Gardez so we are sending Holiday Care packages to:

Chaplain
Chaplain Section,
FOB GARDEZ,
APO AE 09354

with a note asking the Chaplain to distribute the gift to a Service Member who may not receive a holiday care package from home. 

However, you can select one of the other addresses and use the above format. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find addresses for a US Marine base but perhaps a reader of this can share a Marine base address.

The Holiday Care packages that Beth and I are sending includes Xmas candy (chocolate bar and jelly beans), socks, trail mix bars, a small packet of Oreo cookies, soap, and a Xmas card. The Xmas card is addressed to “A member of our Armed Services at FOB Gardez” and signed the Kelliher Family. We are not addressing the card to “a Soldier” because members of the Army, Air Force, and Navy are all stationed at the base and the term soldier would be inappropriate for members of the Air Force or Navy. In addition, we are packing the items in a Holiday theme gift bag before we place the bag in the box so that the idea of a Holiday gift is reinforced.

Incidentally, the large Priority Mail Flat-Rate box, only costs $12.50 to send to a overseas military zip code like 09354 and the box can be filled with a nice collection of candy, socks, soap, and other items.

Please utilize the list http://www.cjtf101.com/files/CJTF101%20com%20RST%20MAILING%20ROSTER%20(2).pdf to pick another base. We would like to show our appreciation at more than one base.

Please share the “Holiday Care package” suggestion with your friends, relatives, and co-workers.

Regards and Season’s Greetings,

Charlie Kelliher



Franklin, MA