SACRAMENTO: Forgotten Angels...CALL FOR SUBJECTS /PARTICIPANTS for Active & Retired Military Women

FORGOTTEN ANGELS - A Matter of Honor is a Fine Art Photography Exhibition and Documentary Film which is scheduled to Premiere March 1st-June 12th 2012 in Washington D C at The Women In Service to America Memorial Museum at Arlington

SWORDFISH is looking for additional women to be interviewed in photography and film Award winning Writer/Director/Producer Ann P Meredith grew up in Sacramento and is completing her 25 year project here in the area.

If you are willing and able to meet with us - Ann and Linda - to tell you story please contact us directly at 415 623 9048 or email FORGOTTENANGELS7@gmail.com to set up a half hr/45min appointment.

Interviewees needing to remain anonymous will be accommodated.

We are looking for women of all races, ages and military experiences including all ranks and job titles. ANGELS need a well to interview women of Hispanic and Asian heritage, anyone who is an amputee, and anyone who is an MST/military sexual trauma survivor.

We want to meet you and hear your stories that can be shared with others as the show travels nationally. ANGELS' Vision is to help give a real face and a voice to women in the military.

Ann's Aunt Martha Jane Adkins served in Korea as a Navy radio operator

Ann's father was a career man in the Air Force, retiring at Mc Clellan AFB

and Ann, herself is a survivor of MST

Please Call us!

BE A PART OF HELPING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES & THE WORLD

Thank you,

Ann P Meredith

SWORDFISH Productions

mobile 415 623 9048

www.forgottenangels.biz

forgottenangels7@gmail.com

Sacramento Veterans Service Office SAVED!!!

HEY GUYS WE DID IT,

THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISIORS RE-INSTATED ALL 4 VET REPS AND 1 CLERICAL. THANKS TO ALL YOU VETS THAT CAME ON TUESDAY AND SHOWED THEM YOUR SUPPORT

AND WE THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pass the word The Sacramento Veterans Service Office is HERE TO STAY!!!!! Congratulations to JAN, JOSH, BRUCE, DEL AND RICHARD!!

6/17/10

Close to forty veterans showed up with their caps on to persuade the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors last Tuesday to keep the VSO office intact.

A staffer said that seeing a boatful of veterans in the chamber was quite impressive. It has been a long time since that has happened in a Sacramento public hearing. We are proud and thankful to everyone that showed up.

We also share our gratitude with the Project Team:

Don Harper: Lead

Bud Lee

Col Jim Krump

Gary Ross

Barbara Ross

Tell Sacramento County NO to cutting Veteran Services on Tuesday, June 15th at 1pm

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Sacramento County will hold its Budget Hearings for Dept of Human Services. There is a Proposal to CUT Veterans Services in Sacramento County. YOU CAN TESTIFY or at least SHOW UP to support veterans.

PLEASE ATTEND and Stand up for our Veterans ...

June 15, 2010 @ 1 PM - 700 H Street, Sacramento 95814-1298 (Mapquest.com for directions)

Pass the word. Let our 115,000 Veterans in Sacramento County know there will be a hearing ON THIS DAY.

PLEASE PASS ON THE INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES:

From the Director of DHA Sacramento County:

In my most recent update to you, I mentioned that the County has to fill a $120 million budget gap in the coming fiscal year. As part of that effort, DHA has identified the impact of cutting another $7 million from our General Fund.

Deciding which of our remaining and equally critical programs to cut is a very difficult task. To guide my decisions, I relied on the creativity of our staff and management team and on some guiding principles formulated by stakeholders with whom we met earlier this month (see my March 18 update for details).

Meet our mandates first, particularly those that provide cash aid and benefits to children and families and to indigent adults. Our proposals do not cut CalWORKs, Food Stamps, or Foster Care, and they keep in place our ability to meet mandates in General Assistance and CMISP.

Look for ways to reduce overhead costs. We continue to look for ways to reduce our General Fund lease costs. For example, we will be moving some non-General Fund programs to the Senior Nutrition building in West Sacramento, which will save significant General Fund costs and preserve other client services and County jobs.

Reduce and consolidate management – I have proposed deleting 3 management positions – one immediately and two after we fully transition Mather Community Campus and Senior Nutrition to new sponsors, no later than this fall. This is in addition to the Deputy Director position I am deleting on June 1. All Division Managers will report to the remaining Program Deputy.

Cut funding to discretionary programs with the highest General Fund attached. I am proposing to eliminate most of the remaining discretionary General Fund we have left:

• Senior Nutrition Services – I am proposing to eliminate all General Fund support effective July 1, when we expect a new provider to take over the program. (Annual General Fund Savings - $1.3 million)
• Homeless Programs – I am proposing to eliminate all General Fund support effective October 1. We are working to find other funding to pay for the staff needed to complete next year’s funding application for the Homeless Continuum of Care, without which Sacramento County risks losing 3,000 shelter beds. (Annual General Fund Savings - $2.2 million)
• Veteran’s Services – I am proposing to eliminate all Veteran’s Service Representatives in this program. This will be very difficult for the many veterans in our community, but counties are only mandated to have a single Veteran’s Services Officer. We are exploring other possible sources of funding for these positions. (Annual General Fund Savings - $200,000)

Look at flexible mandates – In General Assistance, Food Stamps, and CMISP, we are proposing to provide services in new ways that will allow us to save General Fund costs and still meet our mandates. We will be discussing these changes with your Represented Employee Organizations (REOs). (Annual General Fund Savings - $4.5 million)

Maintain discretionary functions that minimize risks and liability, or that prevent higher costs in mandated programs – GA Employment Services is a discretionary program that makes possible a time limit on benefits, without which our General Fund costs would be much higher than they are. We are proposing changes to this program that will reduce our General Fund costs and still allow us to meet our mandates relative to time limits. Details will follow our discussions with your REOs.

Fund discretionary programs and functions that save General Fund by collecting revenues, reducing liability, or helping people get off aid. - We are proposing changes to Disability Case Management and Sanction Control that will reduce our General Fund costs and still allow us to get clients on programs other than General Assistance. We are also preserving Program Integrity, which does not have significant General Fund cost and has demonstrated cost savings to all of our programs.

Preserve discretionary safety net services for the most needy and vulnerable – We are working diligently to find sustainable service models for our crucial community service programs, with success at Mather Community Campus and with promise in Senior Nutrition and Homeless Programs. We are also exploring alternative financing sources for Veteran’s Services and hold out hope for success.

Below are the details for recommended position deletions, by program. In total, I am proposing cutting 51.4 full-time equivalent positions. We anticipate being able to transfer about 16 others from Homeless Services, Senior Nutrition, Veteran’s Services, and CMISP to various existing programs. We will also be proposing programmatic changes to General Assistance, Food Stamps, GA Employment Services, Disability Case Management, and Sanction Control that will allow us to transfer another 98 or so employees out of the General Fund. We will be discussing these changes with your Represented Employee Organizations.