Message from the Director – January 2022

To my fellow Veterans, families, and supporters:

Happy New Year!

Before I share exciting announcements about events coming up in the New Year, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention two major events that happened in the waning days of 2021.

First, congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of our new PFC David “Nick” Crombie CNA Training Academy at the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home (SNSVH) in Boulder City. This 4-week training program prepares participants for the CNA State Board of Nursing Examination. Participants who pass the Certification Exam will be provided an opportunity to apply for CNA positions within SNSVH and I expect they will soon become very welcome additions to our home. If you want to learn more about the Crombie Academy or when the next class occurs, click HERE.

Next, we closed out the year with tremendously successful Wreaths Across America events at both the Northern and Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemeteries. In Fernley, nearly 1,200 people turned out to participate. The cold and clouds didn’t dampen their spirts as they laid almost 8,000 wreaths on each gravesite within 45 minutes. In Boulder City, nearly 1,500 volunteers also made quick work of laying wreaths at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery. It was clear from the turn-out that everyone was eager to get out among friends to honor and remember our fallen.

Speaking of honoring and remembering, I highly encourage you to submit a nomination for either a Veteran of the Month or Veteran Supporter of the Month in 2022. Go HERE for information on submitting a Veteran of the Month and HERE for Veteran Supporter of the Month. So many great people and organizations across Nevada support our Veterans and their families—let’s shine a spotlight on their work!

As we look forward to 2022, we want to raise awareness about our Patriot Employer Program (PeP). This program provides Nevada businesses with the tools they need to learn about the benefits of hiring Veterans, how to retain their Veterans, and tax benefits associated with hiring Veterans. The Governor formally recognizes companies and businesses who participate in the PeP. Click HERE to learn more.

You will also be hearing more in the year ahead about Nevada’s Specialty License Plates for Veterans. Purchasing these plates through Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles allows you to demonstrate your pride in your U.S. Military branch of service. However, your purchase of specialty plates does so much more. Part of the proceeds of your license plate purchase is used to support programs and services that benefit Nevada Veterans and their families. We could not do the work we do without your support!

Finally, over the next few months we will be sharing information about Veterans education benefits, employment opportunities, justice reintegration, as well as health and wellness initiatives including our Heroes for Heroes Program and suicide prevention initiatives. We launched the online version of our Nevada Military Transition Assistance Program NVTAP to assist our military members in their journey back into our Nevada communities as civilians once again. Because there is a lot of new information to share, I highly encourage you to register with our Nevada Veterans Benefit Registry. That is the best way to stay on top of new information that may impact you or your family.

In closing, there are many new and exciting events ahead in the New Year. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you and hope to see you soon. 

Have a wonderful New Year!

Respectfully,

Kat