More than 24,000 female veterans live in Kentucky, and within the next five years that number is expected to double.
That means there’s a growing demand for services specifically designed for these women to assist them in the transition back to civilian life, from networking with other veterans, to applying for government benefits, to resume writing and job searches.
But a critical issue for many former military service members is housing. In fact, female vets are two to three times more likely to be homeless than any other population of adults in the United States.
Lady Veterans Connect is a Winchester-based non-profit that provides transitional housing and other supports to women who have concluded their service, especially those who have endured military sexual trauma. LVC renovated a former elementary school into a facility that can house 32 female vets.
“They put their lives on the line to serve our country and we need to help them,” says Phillis Abbott, founder and executive director of LVC.
Originally Abbot thought her organization would primarily serve newer veterans between 30 and 40 years of age. Instead, she says their youngest client is 48 years old, and the oldest is 73. She says vets in need of safe shelter can stay for a few weeks or up to a year. LVC also provides free training sessions on job skills, nutrition, family relationships, and other topics in addition to social gatherings.
“A lot of them just want connection and doing something fun,” says Army veteran and LVC board member Addie Mattox. “Then you’ll see the conversations happen, you’ll see the hugs, you’ll see the tears.”
Mattox says veterans who are at risk of being homeless are often too proud to ask for help or may not be aware of the range of services available to help them. She says many women vets won’t got to homeless shelters, preferring instead to sleep in their cars, a vacant building, or on a friend’s couch.
LVC also partners with other non-profits as well as government and military entities to provide additional services to their clients.
“We know all those agencies and contacts, so if we can’t help them, we definitely know people who can,” says Mattox.
Abbott, who is not a veteran, says she wants LVC to continue to grow and reach more former service members. She says the hardest part of the job is simply getting the women to seek their services.
“So we need people out in the community, if they find a woman veteran that has a need, please send them to us,” says Abbott.
A Trip of Appreciation, Love, and Gratitude
Honor Flight is a national, non-profit organization that takes World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans from across the country on day-long, all-expenses-paid trips to see the various war memorials around Washington, D.C. A journey last year hosted by Honor Flight Kentucky took 134 local women on the group’s first all-female flight to the nation’s capital.
“It’d never been done before in Kentucky,” says Ashley Bruggeman, flight director of Honor Flight Kentucky. “Women deserved that special event to bond with each other in this multi-generational trip to honor their service.”
In Washington, the group toured the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery and witnessed a changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. From there they visited the Lincoln Memorial as well as the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Memorials. They participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and saw a 21-gun salute at the Iwo Jima Memorial.
“It’s been the most amazing, well-planned, thoughtful day ever,” says Linda Cunningham, an Army veteran and certified financial social worker in Lexington. “I’ve been able to spend it amongst all these amazing women with their own amazing stories.”
When they arrived back at Lexington’s Bluegrass airport late that June night, they were greeted by hundreds of well-wishers who applauded the women and thanked them for their service.
Mattox was on that flight and still gets emotional thinking about the experience that she describes as “jam packed full of appreciation, and love, and gratitude.” She says the trip last year created a bond among those women that continues to this day.
“By that event, we’re all holding hands around Kentucky and we are doing things together now more,” says Mattox. “And because of that, we’re able to help each other more.”
She says female veterans, just like their male counterparts, simply want to be acknowledged and appreciated for the service they provided all Americans.
“We don’t want to be invisible,” says Mattox. “They just want to be heard and they just want a thank you.”
