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ing Together Roanoke. Twice yearly, the program provides critical repair work to low-income homeowners — including many veterans and their surviving spouses. Col. Thomas Dalzell, USMC

(Ret), who ran a construction com- pany after retiring from the Marine Corps, leads the chapter’s group of volunteer laborers. This spring, chapter members teamed up with members of other local veterans’ groups to repair a Navy widow’s mobile home. Volunteers replaced water-damaged flooring, installed new mobile home skirting, and re- paired wooden porches and ramps before power-washing the wood and sealing it against the elements. They also installed a safety outlet near the kitchen sink to prevent a potential electrical shock. Rebuilding Together Roanoke al-

lows chapter members to meet the homeowners — veterans and surviv- ing spouses — they help and forge a more personal connection than they might derive from writing a check. “I know the people we help really

do appreciate it,” Dalzell says. According to chapter member

Capt. James Karlen, USN (Ret), most veteran homeowners lack the skills and funds to fix their homes, which tend to be older and require more complicated repairs. Karlen says he’s not the most skilled vol- unteer, but he truly enjoys helping other veterans. “A lot of the veterans we help have

reached a point in their lives where they’re doing well to just take care of themselves,” Karlen says. “At the end of the day, when the work is done, you can just see how grateful and ap- preciative they are.”

PHOTO: SEAN SHANAHAN

Back to Work in Home Districts

August has arrived, signaling the end of summer vacations. This month, many of us will try to squeeze in one last getaway, and our elected officials are no different. Many legisla- tors have already returned to their home dis- tricts to vacation with their families and visit with constituents before they resume the challenges that await them back in Washington, D.C. Once again, during the August congressional recess, MOAA is asking for support from our council and chapter members. Each year during the August congressional recess, we ask our mem-

bers to coordinate office calls with their legislators in their home districts. These visits provide a great opportunity for our members and their spouses to discuss the challenges and hardships the nation’s veterans and those currently serving face and help bridge the gap of understanding with their elected officials. Our elected officials continue to ask our cur- rently serving all-volunteer force and their families to endure hardships that too often are not appreciated or understood. MOAA’s goal is to have our members’ voices heard in all 435 congres- sional districts. The association has more than 400 councils and chap- ters in all 50 states, which allows us to coordinate our efforts and focus on key issues facing servicemembers, veterans, and military families. This month, MOAA’s council and chapter members will participate in a

concerted effort to visit with their legislators and members of their staffs when they return to their home districts. Their efforts will be arranged through our council and chapter legislative chairs and liaisons. MOAA’s Government Relations team, led by Col. Mike Hayden, USAF

(Ret), in conjunction with personnel in MOAA’s Council and Chapter Af- fairs Department, recently provided fact sheets and a draft letter on MOAA’s key issues. This information is posted on MOAA’s website at www.moaa.org/augustrecess. We encourage chapter members to use the fact sheets and draft letter as they reach out and engage their legislators this month and throughout the year. These resources explain why ad- equate military pay and housing allowances and low TRICARE fees are im- portant and can help you illustrate how recent proposals will affect many servicemembers and veterans. It has been said that “politics is a contact sport,” and I tend to agree. We

must maintain contact with our political leaders through constant communi- cation year-round to have our voices heard. Your participation, at all levels, helps MOAA’s voice stay strong and pow- erful. I hope to see you in the future at a chapter meeting. — Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), director, Council and Chapter Affairs

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