News & Events
North Montgomery Hog Hunt
TPVA Sports has grown so much that now we even can offer hunting activity in the Conroe / North Montgomery County area in the Sam Houston National Forest. Thanks to partnering with Mr. Richard Robin and the Sunshine Network, TPVA was introduced to a local disabled veteran who lives North of Conroe and has property in the National Forest system.Together we have worked with Mr. Ron Lofton who owns the property and entered into an agreement where we can do some hog hunting each January through April when the weather is decent and the hogs plentiful. The Sunshine Network will help with volunteers who can assist our members. Speaking of volunteers, we must thank Glen Propes, on on-going volunteer with TPVA for designing, building and installing a superb wheelchair ramp on the cabin for access. This should be a fruitful partnership all around.
Kids Fishing for Fun Day
“We had the Texas Chapter PVA Family Weekend in September and had a very good turnout for the three fishing trips and the barbeque. Several big reds were caught and one large stingray. Everyone seemed to have good time fishing and plenty of good food to eat at the barbeque. Lori Lee [John Lee’s daughter] caught a 40 ½” Red, Kate Callahan got a 42 ½” Red and Kathy Bourget caught a 21 ½” catfish. Garland did land his first saltwater fish on his new modified rig. But the most excitement generated was when Alex Diaz de Leon [Gabe Diaz de Leon’s 16 yr old son] caught a big stingray.
On the 16th of October we held our Kids Fishing for Fun Day. We had an excellent turn out this time. Lots of fish were caught and TP&W gave tours and information on what they did at the Marine Development Center. We had hot dogs, baked beans and chips for lunch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I hope to see you all next year for the Family Weekend and maybe some of you could bring your children to the “Kids Day”. I would like to congratulate all of the officers that were sworn in at the Jack Sanders Banquet. God Bless our members and all of the troops.
-- South Texas Satellite Director, John Taylor”
Corpus Christi - June 13, 2010
It all started on Sunday June the 13th 2010 by checking Into Bluff's Landing Resort and Marina in Corpus Christi ,Texas. TPVA members were happy to see old Friends and meet new ones from the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF). We also enjoyed seeing the crew from Huntin' With "The Judge" Julie Mogenis, who filmed our veterans catching speckled trout on the Laguna Madre, which is famous around the world for excellent shallow bay fishing. They also passed out event T-shirts and Bass Pro Shop caps for everyone.
A special thanks to all eleven Captains who donated their guide services. The next day was "Flag Day" and all the boats were flying American Flags in honor of everyone who has served and those who are presently serving our country. After 4.5 hours of hard fishing it was time to return. Volunteers pooled all the fish together and cleaned them for us.
We then delivered the 60lbs. of trout fillets next door to the Laguna Reef Restaurant where we hosted a fish fry with all the trimmings. Good food, great fishing and sharing fish tales it doesn't get any better than that folks.
The TPVA & AFF want to say "Thank You" to all the sponsors and volunteers that made this annual event a great success and look forward to next year. Till Next Time, Alvin Guerrero”
Houston VA Hosts 9th Stand Down for Homeless Veterans
HOUSTON - The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV), in cooperation with the City of Houston-Parks and Recreation Department, City of Houston-Office of Veterans Affairs, Coalition for the Homeless, Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), Harris County Veteran Services, Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, SEARCH, Task Force for Houston Area Homeless Veterans, U.S. Veterans Initiative, VA Regional Office, and Vet Centers, is hosting the 9th Houston Area Stand Down for homeless Veterans on October 7 - 8, 2009, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Emancipation Park Community Center located at 3018 Dowling Street.
"Stand Down" is military terminology referring to the brief period of time a soldier leaves an active combat area in order to rest and regain strength. The Houston Area Stand Down will bring a wide range of specialized resources together to provide homeless Veterans with comprehensive medical and psychosocial services. Stand Down can be an opportunity for the homeless Veteran to access a broad spectrum of services at one convenient location and to create a plan for re-entry into mainstream society.
Stand Downs are one part of the Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts to provide services to homeless Veterans. Stand Downs are typically one to three day events providing services to homeless Veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment.
Agency involvement requires staffing a booth during Stand Down to meet one-on-one with homeless Veterans to assess their needs, educate them regarding community resources available to assist them with their needs, and help them begin the corresponding application processes. Houston agencies that wish to provide immediate services and/or information to Houston area homeless Veterans should contact Michelle Jabbie at (713)791-1414, ext 5870. Those wishing to volunteer may contact Derrick Morrison at (713) 791-1414, ext. 6399 to register.
The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) is one of the largest and most complex medical centers in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Awarded the Robert W. Carey Organizational Excellence Award in 2005, the Robert W. Carey Circle of Excellence Quality Award in 2007, and re-designation for Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services in 2008, the MEDVAMC serves as the primary health care provider for more than 120,000 Veterans in southeast Texas. Veterans from around the country are referred to the MEDVAMC for specialized diagnostic care, surgery, and medical treatment including cardiovascular surgery, liver transplant, and treatment of spinal cord injury and diseases. Including the outpatient clinics in Beaumont, Conroe, Galveston Lufkin, and Texas City, MEDVAMC outpatient clinics logged nearly 900,000 outpatient visits in fiscal year 2008. For the latest news releases and information about the MEDVAMC, visit http://www.houston.va.gov.
H1N1: Texans with Disabilities Prepare for Pandemic Influenza
Texans with disabilities should begin planning and preparation for the fall and the H1N1 flu virus. People with disabilities, their families, and attendants must consider matters of personal preparedness planning for flu at home and work. The survey below and related information and resources has been developed to assist you in your planning efforts. Visit the Office of the Governor website for more information.
Take this Survey
Downloadable, Printable Resources
Texans Preparing for Pandemic Influenza (English PDF)
Texans Preparing for Pandemic Inlfuenza (Spanish, PDF)
Word
Texans Preparing for Pandemic Influenza (English, Word version)
Texans Preparing for Pandemic Influenza (Spanish, Word version)
TPVA's New Website Wins 2nd place in Web Design Competition
The annual Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR)event pairs a web design team with a local non-profit organization with the goal of having the AIR team redesign a website using ADA accessibility standards. A team of web developers from Topspot Internet Marketing, a local internet marketing agency, redesigned the TPVA site. The team competed in the upper division against teams from other companies in town and received 2nd place.
Inaugural American Wounded Heroes Golf Classic
You are cordially invited to participate in the Inaugural American Wounded Heroes Golf Classic on August 11th, 2008 at the prestigious Canyon Springs Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas. All proceeds will go to Texas Chapter PVA, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, specifically for use for sports programs for our injured service members, paralyzed and/or disabled veterans in the South Texas area. For more information, download the information form.
