rapidfire

Tom Carroll, in a C-12 plane crash in 1992. The program provides peer- based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, casualty casework assis- tance, and crisis interven- tion for those affected by the death of a loved one serving in, or in support of, the armed forces. Woodruff then recog- nized this year’s seven Community Heroes Award recipients: Canine Companions for Inde- pendence; Fish With a Hero; Operation Helping Hand; The Wounded War- riors of South Florida;

(right) Gen. Charles T. Robertson Jr., USAF (Ret), chair of MOAA’s board of directors, with help from Mickey Mouse, welcomes guests to MOAA’s Community Heroes Award dinner. (below) Canine Com- panions for Indepen- dence members pose with their award.

Lt. Col. Carol Barkalow, USA (Ret), who started and runs Heaven on Earth for Veterans; Roy Foster, founder of the nonprofit Faith*Hope*Love*Charity Inc.; and Sandi Scannelli, president and CEO of Community Foundation for Brevard. (Read their full bios at www.moaa .org/hero.) Each award recipient

received a framed original print of “Peace Through Peers” by artist M.B. Dallacchio, who served as a medic, mental health ser- geant, and retention NCO in the Army for eight years.

Ray of Hope S

hining Service Worldwide is an organiza- tion that supports women in the military through programs such as The Shining Beacon

House, which seeks to establish a transitional home for female veterans and their children in New York City until they are able to transition into civilian life. The home will provide a staffed and structured

environment that will house five families and be maintained under 24/7 security. The families will benefit from social, medical, and mental health ser- vices via a nearby VA medical center. Female servicemembers comprise the fastest-

growing population of homeless citizens, many struggling with substance abuse and mental illness, as well as military sexual trauma and the resulting post-traumatic stress. The Department of Hous- ing and Urban Development found women made up 10 percent of the 141,100 veterans nationwide who spent a night in a shelter in 2011. Their situation is further compounded by the

fact that over 60 percent of transitional housing programs getting grants from the VA do not accept children or place age and number restrictions on the facilities, based on a 2011 report by the Government Accountability Office. Many women simply have no place to go. Shining

Beacon gives women hope. Learn more about Shin- ing Beacon at www.shiningserviceworldwide.com. — Anayat Durrani

PHOTOS: ABOVE, STEVE BARRETT; RIGHT, SHUTTERSTOCK

JANUARY 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 27