08/26/2026
Blessings, Love and Light,
VAC Directors, Partners, and Community Leaders,
As we prepare for this month’s Veterans Advocacy Council CDC Monthly Meeting, our focus is clear:
Veterans must know what is happening before policy becomes their personal consequence.
Across Nevada and the nation, decisions are being made at the federal, state, and local levels that directly affect veterans, military families, healthcare, housing, benefits, public safety, mental health, economic stability, and the communities we serve.
VAC is strengthening our role from advocacy alone to advocacy, legislative intelligence, oversight, implementation, and accountability.
FEDERAL & STATE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT
This month, we will present our developing oversight of Nevada’s federal and state representatives who are currently voting on legislation and shaping public policy.
Our directors and leadership will address:
Current federal and Nevada policy affecting veterans and our communities-ACTION NEEDED
Voting records and legislative actions of elected representatives-OVERSIGHT REVIEW
Bills that have been passed, rejected, or vetoed-OVERSIGHT REVIEW
Misinformation surrounding legislation and what those bills actually contained-ACTION NEEDED
Policies affecting veterans’ benefits, healthcare, housing, mental health, civil rights, public safety, and economic stability-OVERSIGHT TO ACTION REVIEW
How community organizations can engage before a vote, rather than reacting after policy has already been decided
How we move from policy → community education → implementation → measurable impact
This is about accountability without partisanship.
Who voted? What did they vote for? What did they vote against? Who benefits? Who is affected? And what happens next?
Those are questions an informed community deserves to have answered.
MILITARY, VETERANS & BENEFITS
Our directors will also address current concerns involving the military and veteran community, including matters surrounding the USS Abraham Lincoln, while reinforcing support for our active-duty service members, veterans, and military families.
We will continue helping veterans understand their rights, protect access to earned benefits, and distinguish verified information from misinformation.
We pose legislative action as needed to address those on active duty, providers serving our active duty and their needs and the families facing new nuances as this war has left many questions as to whether the many that deployed outside of "wartime" orders while still being at war and what benefits we need to start discussing as they will not receive the same access to care if they are not on official orders.
We face this with guard services members often. That's why we have veterans that are accredited VSO to address this and we will start necessary policy to ensure they are not fighting in vain.
CRISIS RESPONSE & SU***DE PREVENTION
Our coalition efforts have responded to approximately 20 crisis calls involving su***de prevention, violent-crime concerns, crisis intervention, and prevention support since our last meeting. Ideations can range from su***de to homicidal ideations we are here to ensure clinicians can support these serious mental health challenges faced by the community.
Individuals were referred and connected back to appropriate VA services and community partners for continued support.
VAC Peer Support is still active in courts across the valley weekly serving upward of 20 per week.
These are not simply numbers.
Every crisis intervention represents a person, a family, and an opportunity to prevent a potentially devastating outcome.
HOUSING SUPPORT
Housing stability remains central to veteran wellness.
This month, two housing referrals were connected to Kline Veterans Fund for additional veteran housing assistance and support. We also ensured several veterans were referred to CHASE Bank to correct credit and establish a plan for new home buyers. We also have secured a new advisor for land development when we are back at the table to help with housing development this coming year.
The goal is not simply to give someone another phone number.
Our responsibility is to help build the bridge between the veteran and the organization capable of providing the appropriate assistance.
FOOD SECURITY & RISING COSTS
Our partnerships with Medicare social workers continue to see increased activity as rising costs place additional pressure on veterans, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families. Whispers of Hope handled 10 critical cases for our senior care also providing wrap around services to housing.
Referrals to the Just One Project a community food-security organization we have been partnered with since 2023 has increased for food delivery and pop-up assistance with program assistance.
Food insecurity, housing instability, healthcare costs, and mental-health stress do not exist independently. They compound one another, which is why our community-development model must address the whole person.
SMALL BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
We made five small-business support referrals, including access to pro bono executive business-development assistance. These pro bono services are valued at over $2k to ensure small businesses are structured correctly and they are able to build with the community's needs.
Economic stability is wellness.
Helping veterans and community members strengthen businesses, develop sustainable operations, access resources, and create opportunities is another form of prevention.
WOMEN VETERANS
We are expanding opportunities for women veteran entrepreneurship through our relationship with Ms. Corporate America Nevada Chapter, creating additional pathways for leadership, professional development, visibility, connection, and community.
Women veterans deserve spaces that recognize both their military service and the leadership they continue to bring to our communities.
Many women veterans do not consider themselves veterans even if we ask "did you serve". We are doing our best to expand what it means to meet women veterans where they are and provide extended community connections. We also understand the need for support with federal legislative changes that will impact women and minority groups.
VAC would like to put a solution to that new issue. WE build together. Thank Tiffany Ward for including all women to expand with incredible women and connections. Their next monthly meeting will be at Flemmings in Summerlin...stay tuned ladies. Lets Build.
FAITH, MENTAL HEALTH & COMMUNITY HEALING
Our VAC Faith Initiatives remain active with support from the Black Leadership Collective, bringing faith and community leaders together around mental-health awareness and access to resources. Bishop Rimson President of the Collective with the Wealthy Place Ministries and Nehemiah Ministries hosting events for community leaders to create a power packed coalition of faith led leaders.
After our powerful mental health community event held at Nehemiah Ministries, we are also working toward additional Mental Health First Aid education and training to strengthen the ability of trusted community leaders to recognize warning signs and connect people to appropriate professional resources.
Additionally, our Community Healing Initiative, activated with the First Friday Foundation, was a team building hosted by Living Free Souls LLC, Christina continues to demonstrate that advocacy and healing belong in the same community ecosystem.
AFTER-HOURS COMMUNITY SERVICE IN PERSON
Our monthly meeting is becoming more than a meeting.
Through our partnership with Nevada Partners, NANLV, and Nevada Legal Aid Night, we are strengthening an after-hours community service model where veterans, families, grassroots leaders, and residents can connect around:
Veterans • Legal Matters • Community Development • Mental Health • Resources • Policy • Implementation
People should not have to navigate ten disconnected systems to find help.
We are working toward bringing the systems into the same building at one time. That address conservation to those with work and those that have to drive across the valley.
OUR NEXT PHASE
VAC will continue strengthening oversight of federal and state representatives while tracking how policy decisions translate into real-life outcomes for veterans and communities at grassroot levels.
We are moving from reaction to preparation.
From misinformation to legislative intelligence.
From referral to connection.
From policy to implementation.
From crisis to prevention.
And from individual organizations working alone to coordinated community power.
Our monthly meeting is where those pieces come together.
Last Thursday of Every Month
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Nevada Partners
690 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
North Las Vegas, NV 89030
The meeting is ADA accessible, and everyone committed to veterans, families, community development, policy, accountability, and solutions is welcome. We do take security seriously and we have security onsite.
We don't just talk change. We build it.
With purpose and service,
Christina “Chris” Thomas
President & Founder
Veterans Advocacy Council CDC
Veterans Advocacy Council Foundation
theveteransadvocacycouncil.com
[email protected]
Peace and Blessings,
Christina "Chris" Thomas
President, Veterans Advocacy Council CDC
Veterans Advocacy Council Foundation
Non-profit EIN 33-3537155
www.veteransadvocacycouncil.com
www.veteransadvocacycouncil.org
