California post addresses challenges, opportunities for women veterans

Ronald Reagan-Palisades American Legion Post 283 in California opened its doors to the community on March 2 for a celebration and networking event that recognized Women’s History Month.

The free event, “Women Veterans – Challenges & Opportunities,” featured a lunch, raffle prizes, remarks by military women advocates, and provided resources and vendors that supported employment, education, healthcare, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and wellness for women veterans. Those represented were “some of the things that I would wanted to have had when I first got out of the military,” said retired Army Maj. Ranee Rubio, a West Point graduate and Post 283 member who helped organize the event. “These are the people I would have wanted to see. When I first moved (to California) I knew we (women veterans) had resources, but I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t feel connected yet. I met a lady at the event who traveled three hours to the post because she was trying to find a place where she belonged. I think we contacted the right partners to be there.”

A few of the women veteran resources included representatives from the VA, CalVet, Hire Heroes USA, Pepperdine University, Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN), Healing Waters, Job Division Success, California Highway Patrol, Mindful Veteran Project and NEW Women’s Business Center, as well as a veteran service officer.

“When I got out of the Army, I didn’t reach out to the VA medical system right away,” Rubio said. “I waited two years, I think, because I was hearing stories about the VA shortcomings and how you could wait forever for an appointment. But when I finally went to the West LA VA Medical Center, within a day or two I already had an appointment with my primary care provider. And I didn't realize they had their own women's clinic in there. That makes a big difference for us to be heard and to be seen. My doctor (at the VA), you could tell her everything. She will help you. Even when I met with her, she didn't question any of the things I was saying. I feel very blessed to be in there and wanted to provide that knowledge to other women veterans.”

Rubio placed the VA women’s health provider and the veteran service officer next to each other by a conference room to provide a safe place for women to have one-on-one conversations if needed.

Girl Scout Troop 223G joined for the speaker portion of the program, which included Col. Mia L. Walsh, commander of Space Base Delta 3 at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, and keynote speaker Virginia Wimmer, a retired Air Force veteran and the Deputy Secretary for Women Veterans Affairs at the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Following her remarks, she answered questions from the women present.

“It became a little bit sensitive, but I'm glad their issues were heard and that they were connected to the people that they needed to be connected to,” Rubio said. “And I’m glad the deputy secretary heard them and heard their challenges and she's taking them with her to Sacramento to help resolve these challenges and help the women overcome their adversities.”

The vendors onsite were all women-owned businesses that sold artisan jewelry, baskets and other items from around the world, decorated recycled bottles, candles, soaps and more. Women entrepreneurship is important to Rubio, who connected previously with NEW Women’s Business Center with questions regarding fashion trademarks and patents. The organization provides resources and tools to help women entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles area with small business ownership, so Rubio wanted them as a resource for the women veteran’s event.

“They had just always been in the back of my mind, and I thought this would be perfect for us because I don't think every city has this resource that specifically helps women entrepreneurs,” she said. “A lot of women veterans are probably thinking of entrepreneurship, but they don’t know where to start. I wanted others to learn about this incredible resource.”

A partner of the event was CalVet, who provided cotton swag bags to the women veterans. When Rubio and Post 283 office administrative Deloris Artis opened the boxes filled with the bags, Quintana paused from the words written on them – “I am a veteran. I am not invisible.”

“It took her breath away,” Rubio said. “She was just so proud that those words were on the bags. She’s not a veteran, but she is a very big supporter of veterans. She realized that there’s people out there that care because I am not invisible. Some people don't realize that that a lot of women serve in the military. They think that we're the spouse and that we did not serve; that we're just there as the dependent. We are not invisible.”

Support for women veterans was visible not only with the resources, vendors and bags, but also the all-women ROTC color guard from the University of California Los Angeles, and women servers from the lunch catering company.

“What I saw was a lot of women uplifting women,” Rubio said. “There was so much hugging and photo taking. I was just so happy to see that. I think we are on our way to doing more of these in the future.”