May 21, 2013, Chicago, IL—A Safe Haven Foundation and the Union League Club of Chicago Military Affairs Subcommittee’s Yellow Ribbon Council hosted a program yesterday to raise awareness of women veterans’ health post-military service. Representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the City of Chicago, and the Rush University Medical Center discussed the effects Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and homelessness have on returning women veterans.

“The Union League Club of Chicago’s Yellow Ribbon Council is so thankful to the HHS Office of Women’s Health, A Safe Haven Foundation, the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, the Edwards Hines, Jr. VA Hospital  and Rush University for their support of this important and timely program on issues impacting our women veterans and women currently serving in our military,” says Kevin Hull, Chair of The Union League Club of Chicago Military Affairs Subcommittee’s Yellow Ribbon Council.

Erica Borggren, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans, spoke about how lack of childcare and a male-dominated atmosphere alienate women from using VA services. An even bigger issue facing women Veterans, Borggren said, is Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Women who experience MST were nine times more at risk for PTSD and cases of MST continue to grow, with one in five women reporting MST, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

“I’m grateful for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director, Erica Borggren, for her keynote address and call-to-action to support the state-wide Illinois Joining Forcing initiative,” says Dr. Neelum Aggarwal of Rush University Medical Center.

Seven percent of the nation’s homeless veteran population is comprised of women, according to the VA and since 2009, there’s been more than a 2 percent increase in the number of homeless veterans in shelters, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The risk of women vets becoming homeless is four times greater than men.

“It couldn’t happen at a more important time,” says Neli Vazquez-Rowland, co-founder and President of A Safe Haven Foundation. “This is a powerful launch to a campaign that will raise awareness of PTSD, MST and the other traumatic issues facing our women veterans. I invite anyone who feels a personal connection to this cause to join us in this endeavor.”

]]> http://www.asafehaven.org/women-veterans-health-program-hosted-by-a-safe-haven-and-the-union-league-club-of-chicago/feed/ 0 http://www.asafehaven.org/a-safe-haven-foundation-feed6-partner-to-pack-30000-meals-this-mothers-day-weekend-for-hungry-families/ http://www.asafehaven.org/a-safe-haven-foundation-feed6-partner-to-pack-30000-meals-this-mothers-day-weekend-for-hungry-families/#comments Fri, 10 May 2013 14:26:01 +0000 Dena Goldstein http://www.asafehaven.org/?p=1663  May 10, 2013, Chicago, IL—This Mother’s Day weekend, A Safe Haven Foundation is partnering with Feed 6, a hunger relief organization, to package 30,000 meals for hungry and food insecure children, families, veterans and seniors in the Chicagoland area. Over 150 volunteers will package nutritional meals fortified with soy and vitamins on Saturday, May 11 from 1-4PM at A Safe Haven’s main headquarters, located at 2750 W. RooseveltRoad, Chicago.

“We’ve been working with Brian and Neli for a while, [but] this is the first event that we are co-hosting,” says Chris Coyne, Regional Manager of Outreach, Feed6’s sister organization. “We’ve been so inspired by the work of Brian, Neli and their team supporting hungry, homeless people in Chicago. They have an extraordinary reputation; they help people reintegrate into mainstream society with compassion and intelligence.”

In Cook County, 1 in 6 individuals are food insecure, not knowing where or when their next meal will be. For the past year, Feed 6 has donated thousands of meals to A Safe Haven Foundation’s residents and surrounding community members. A Safe Haven Foundation runs a weekly community food pantry, which served over 22,000 families living in food deserts last year.

“This event makes it easy for people in the community to come out and engage in a meaningful, hands-on way,” said Neli Vazquez-Rowland, co-founder and President of A Safe Haven Foundation. “I think everyone involved in the event will have fun and see that they are truly making a difference.”

A Safe Haven emphasizes hunger relief, nutrition, and food access by maintaining two organic gardens, teaching basic nutrition courses to residents, providing residents with three healthy meals a day, and training clients in culinary arts and food service resulting in professional certifications and employment in the industry. As a F.I.T. city certified establishment, A Safe Haven’s culinary arts training program offers Fresh, Innovative, and Tasty menu options to interim housing residents. Feed6 is donating 5,000 of the meals, while A Safe haven is donating 25,000 meals. A Safe Haven and Feed6 are accepting donations of $25 or more: www.runtoendhomelessness.org/feed6.

“It’s a very transformational experience,” says Coyne. “It’s a very hands-on way of expressing care and love for others. A Safe Haven is a wonderful place [to host the event]; there’s such a heart for giving. It feels so right making meals there, not just for residents, but [for the] community.”

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For more information on A Safe Haven and programs available for the homeless, underserved, and food insecure, visit www.asafehaven.org

Feed 6 collaborates with Outreach, a non-profit organization, which packages and delivers tens of million of meals to the hungry in the US and around the world annually.  For more information, visit http://www.feed6.org/ 

April 16, 2013, Chicago, IL—The American Red Cross will honor Neli Vazquez-Rowland as a Community Impact Hero, along with 12 other individuals in separate categories, at the annual American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast this Wednesday morning. Vazquez-Rowland, co-founder and President of A Safe Haven Foundation, is recognized as a ‘Community Impact Hero’ for her leadership in addressing homelessness and poverty. CBS 2 Chicago’s Kate Sullivan and Rob Johnson will emcee the American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast at 7:00 a.m. on April 17^th at the Fairmont Chicago, 200 N. Columbus Drive.

The honorees, including Vazquez-Rowland, have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of others. Community heroes are being honored in the categories of Adult Good Samaritan, Blood Services, Citizenship, Community Impact, Disaster Relief, Emergency Medical Assistance, Firefighter, Law Enforcement, Military, Nurse and Youth Good Samaritan.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be recognized with the other 12 distinctive American Red Cross heroes,” says Neli Vazquez-Rowland, Co-Founder and President of A Safe Haven Foundation. “This recognition represents the efforts of so many individuals who I am blessed to work with and collaborate with on a daily basis. Together, we work to make a substantial impact in the lives of the homeless in Chicago and its surrounding neighborhoods and I am proud to lead this organization.”

Vazquez-Rowland and her husband Brian Rowland established A Safe Haven in 1994 as a holistic, sustainable and comprehensive program that assists thousands of people dealing with homelessness, hunger, addiction, chronic unemployment and other issues. A Safe Haven collaborates with private and public sectors to deliver individualized and comprehensive social services, such as transitional and supportive housing, addiction treatment, adult education, and job training and placement. Vazquez-Rowland not only serves as an expert speaker and panelist for both domestic and international government, academic and business forums, but she also is an ardent advocate for programs that help the homeless and has promoted programs that combine the collective effort of individuals, government and the business community in addressing this social problem.

“At A Safe Haven, we believe that nothing can replace the importance of empowering people with social and economic stability, which in turn will help them break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient,” says Vazquez-Rowland. “When we invest in reducing poverty we get a return on our investment measured in additional tax revenues from employment, decreased crime, a decrease in substance abuse, higher graduation rates, and stabilized families and communities.

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A Safe Haven helps people aspire, transform, and sustain their lives from homelessness and provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable model. For more information on A Safe Haven, visit www.asafehaven.org.

Download PDF here

April 15, 2013, Chicago, IL—A Safe Haven Foundation partnered with the Women’s Business Development Center, the Illinois Veterans Administration, and other businesses and foundations to host an Entrepreneurship Program for women veterans, the fastest growing sub-group of veterans in the country.  Since a new generation of female veterans is emerging—78% are under the age of 40—the “Women Vetrepreneurship Program,” offers a series of workshops to meet the employment needs of this segment of the population. The event series was hosted today at A Safe Haven Foundation.

“The collaboration between the Women’s Business Development Center, the Illinois Veterans Administration and A Safe Haven is a wonderful opportunity for veterans to get services they need to start their own business,” says Liz Gardner, Director of Community Relations and Corporate Initiatives at Women’s Business Development Center. “I encourage everyone to participate in the program.”

In Illinois, there are 67,290 women veterans. The WBDC, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs (IDVA), created the program to provide resources to women veterans in pursuit of self-employment or business ownerships as a pathway to economic security. The program aims to meet both business development and social service needs of women veterans.

“It is a perfect opportunity for women veterans that are interested in starting their own business to come and learn about the available services and resources uniquely designed to help women veterans realize their dreams,” said Neli Vazquez-Rowland, President of A Safe Haven Foundation.

The program highlights include business development training programs and services, direct lending to eligible program participants to start or grow a business, and no-cost childcare services during program participation. Women veterans and representatives from the business community, Cook County, the City of Chicago, and federal agencies such as Small Business Administration and the United States Veterans Administration are also involved in the program.

“The event provided me with a healthy thought process to learn that I’m not alone in my entrepreneurial goals,” says Maryland Anthony, an Army Veteran. “I now feel positive in my outcome, if I make the first step!”

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A Safe Haven helps people aspire, transform, and sustain their lives from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable model. A Safe Haven’s visible social and economic impact unites families, stabilizes neighborhoods, and creates vibrant, viable communities. For more information on A Safe Haven and programs available for the homeless, underserved, and food insecure, visit www.asafehaven.org.

Download PDF

April 10, 2013, Chicago, IL—In partnership with the United States Veterans Administration, A Safe Haven Foundation and Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center celebrated the grand opening of the Community Resource and Referral Center (CRRC). The CRRC, a collaborative, multiagency program, was created for the purposes of streamlining access to housing, mental health support, and other social services needs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has taken decisive action to end Veteran homelessness by 2015. The location of the CRRC at A Safe Haven headquarters will result in greater efficiencies in delivering housing and services and will also yield greater success in achieving our goal of ending veteran homelessness.

“Our success will serve as a national model. A Safe Haven programs are scalable and we are currently working with leadership in other cities to replicate and
expand our footprint. This strategic collaboration is a way to significantly reduce stubbornly, reportedly high wait times for benefits among returning veterans,
which is a contributing factor to the disproportionate rate of homelessness among veterans.” says Neli Vazquez-Rowland, President and co-founder of A Safe Haven Foundation.

The 2010 Census reported that on any given night, 62,619 veterans are homeless. Former service members are eleven percent more likely to develop life-threatening diseases than non-veteran homeless people, according to the National Survey of Homeless Veterans. With $85 billion in sequester cuts, veteran supporters are concerned that the federal government’s budget proposal may affect veterans. A Safe Haven Foundation and the VA are creating a solution-oriented approach, which prioritizes veterans and expedites social-service delivery.

“After four years of advocating, planning and anticipation, I am thrilled to see the resource center come to fruition. With the help of our public and private
partnerships, ending veteran homelessness is within reach,” says Vazquez-Rowland.

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A Safe Haven helps people, including veterans, aspire, transform, and sustain their lives from homelessness and provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable model. A Safe Haven is co-founded by Brian Rowland, a Veteran. A Safe Haven employs 200 people and veterans make up over 12% of the staff. Neli Vazquez-Rowland, co-founder and president of A Safe Haven Foundation, was named one of 12 White House ‘Champions of Change’ at Rotary Day in DC last week. For more information on A Safe Haven and programs available for veterans, visit www.asafehaven.org.

Download PDF here. 

Rotary Day at White House honors Neli Vazquez-Rowland, President of A Safe Haven Foundation, as one of its “Champions of Change” 

Exemplary U.S. Rotary club volunteers to be recognized at D.C. event April 5 

Chicago, Il (April 3, 2013) – The White House on April 5 will honor, Neli Vazquez-Rowland, along with 11 other Rotary club members from across the United States as Champions of Change for her volunteer work to improve the lives of others during the second annual Rotary Day at the White House.

“Today we welcome twelve amazing Rotarians to the White House. Each of these men and women have spent countless hours helping communities both here in the U.S. and abroad. Collectively, these Rotary Club members have touched the lives of thousands of people—whether by improving health and providing health services, preventing hunger, supporting our poor communities, empowering unemployed, addicted, or homeless adults, or caring for students. The Rotarians we honor today truly exemplify the Rotary Club motto: “Service above Self” and in doing so show that the American spirit is a generous one,” said Paulette Aniskoff, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Neli Vazquez-Rowland, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago, along with her husband Brian Rowland established A Safe Haven in 1994 as a comprehensive program that assists thousands of people dealing with homelessness, hunger, addiction, chronic unemployment and other issues. Programs offered by A Safe Haven include mental health and addictions treatment, education, housing, job training and placement, life skills training, financial literacy classes and a myriad of other services that assist the homeless population. A Safe Haven’s model applies the concept of individualized case management to provide new or chronically homeless individuals with the direct services they need to obtain and maintain housing and employment.

Along with her duties as President of the organization, Neli is also an ardent advocate for programs that help the homeless and has promoted programs that combine the collective effort of individuals, government and the business community in addressing this social problem. At a recent meeting in Chicago Neli was quoted …..“At A Safe Haven, we believe that nothing can replace the importance of empowering people with social and economic stability, which in turn will help them break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient. When we invest in reducing poverty we get a return on our investment measured in additional tax revenues from employment, decreased crime, a decrease in substance abuse, higher graduation rates, and stabilized families and communities.”

Upon being advised that she was being honored as a Rotary Club Champion of Change Ms. Vazquez-Rowland said…”I am truly humbled by this award and am honored to be recognized with the other 11 distinctive Rotary members. This award represents the efforts of so many individuals who I am blessed to work with and collaborate with on a daily basis. Together, we work to make a substantial difference in the lives of the homeless in Chicago and its surrounding neighborhoods and I am proud to lead this organization. I am also proud to be a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago, an organization that continually reaches out to make our city and our world a better place.”

A Safe Haven Foundation is a 501 C (3) organization that helps people aspire, transform and sustain their lives from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven Foundation provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic, scalable model. A Safe Haven Foundation’s visible social and economic impact unites families, stabilizes neighborhoods and creates vibrant, viable communities. Visit us at www.asafehaven.org to learn how you too can make an impact on ending poverty. 

Download PDF here

Their unique approach includes supportive housing, addiction treatment, education, affordable housing and job training and placement.

This model empowers individuals to transform their own lives and contribute to society. It also keeps families together while the primary parent receives treatment and housing. The success of A Safe Haven has made it a model for individualized treatment plans that treat clients with dignity and respect.

Read full Make It Better article here.

Read full article here.

The Chicago-based nail polish line makes a red carpet entrance Friday night as part of the swag bag for the Grammy’s pre-party philanthropic event, the annual MusiCares Person of the Year. The honor goes to Bruce Springsteen this evening, with host Jon Stewart and performances by Elton John and Kenny Chesney.

Read the full Sun-Times article here.