November 11, 2024 - By Jeff Jardine - Veterans Day is our annual national day of gratitude for those who have defended our country and our Constitution.

But at CalVet, thanking veterans is a year-round, continuous honor, duty, and privilege. In fact, is it our vision that California’s veterans become the nation’s most connected, most protected, and most respected veterans, and this happens in many ways.

We connect veterans and those about to separate from the military with their federal education and healthcare benefits. We link them to career training opportunities.

Our Home Loans Division has been helping veterans and their families realize the great American dream of home ownership since 1921.

Our eight Veterans Homes of California offer elder care, and the majority of them offer skilled nursing care. In fact, our 140-year-old Yountville Home, the nation’s oldest and largest state-run veterans home, will soon open a new 240-bed skilled nursing facility.

We also protect at-risk veterans through mental health support systems and help provide permanent supportive housing for our at-risk veterans.

Some examples:

Connected

Vietnam War veteran Daniel wondered if his decades-long dream of home ownership would ever come true. For three years, CalVet Senior Home Loans Agent Eric Myrdal stayed connected with him to make sure it did. After finally receiving the 100 percent disability rating that gave him the qualifying income, Daniel got his CalVet Home Loan and moved into his home earlier in 2024.

“Eric continually checked on me to see how I was doing,” Daniel said. “He was always saying don’t worry we’re going to find you one — always assuring and confident, a blessed brotherhood relationship built over time. He was there every step of the way!”

“I did 30 years in the Naval Reserve and I’m home ported permanently,” Daniel said.

Consider it just one of the many ways CalVet helps veterans stay connected.

Protected

Quincy is a 28-year-old Air Force veteran who feels protected living at Windsor Veterans Village. The complex provides permanent supportive housing through CalVet’s Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention program. After being medically discharged in 2015, he spent years surviving on the streets or living in cheap motels. Eventually, he connected with Nation’s Finest, a nonprofit partner organization that operates the village, and moved there in October 2022. “It’s been life changing,” Quincy said.

Windsor Veterans Village homes.

“So much encouragement and support,” Quincy said. He’s now taking classes at a local junior college with hopes of becoming a medical assistant. Safe, secure, and supported through programs that help a struggling veteran regain footing.

Respected

At CalVet, we believe the greatest way we can respect our veterans is to fulfill the promises we made to them when they swore an oath to defend our nation and its Constitution. Beyond the aforementioned connected and protected elements, CalVet honors outstanding California women veterans as Trailblazer Awards recipients each year. We’ve highlighted our own employees who are veterans serving veterans. And we honor those who volunteer their time to serving veterans in our homes.

Because at CalVet, respecting our veterans is our honor, duty, and privilege every day of every year.

Would you like the opportunity to serve veterans in your work? Join the CalVet team! We are dedicated to ensuring that veterans from every era, along with their families, receive the state and federal benefits and services they have earned and deserve due to their selfless and honorable military service. See our current career opportunities at calcareers.ca.gov/CalVet.
Source: CalVet