⚠️Important Message | TVLC | VSO needed for Wednesday | Meeting Reminder
Weekly Report 🎖️
Greetings Outpost 1!
As of 31 May 2026, 1110HRS EST, we still do not have any VSO volunteering to lead the meeting on Wednesday.
It is imperative that Veteran organizations in our local community lead the meetings because we are trying to grow their membership. If Commanders Coalition leads the meeting, that gives Commanders Coalition exposure and detracts from the mission for which we were founded.
The board is considering an amendment to the bylaws which would allow Veteran 501(c)(3) organizations to lead the meetings in the absence of a 501(c)(19). This means more donations in their coffers. More membership on their rosters. More state and national recognition.
Commanders Coalition has catapulted membership, revenue, and local recognition of Veteran organizations in Florida’s Big Bend. We have done all of this without receiving donations from any Veteran organization. We are doing this because every Veteran needs a Veteran organization.
Thousands of Veterans read this newsletter each month. Many of whom joined a post, chapter, or branch of your organization because of the monthly coalition minutes and/or emails sent to their inbox.
Why is Outpost 1 even needed?
I joined 3 different local Veteran organizations in the past 2 years and haven’t received an email or copy of the minutes since the day I joined. If I am not receiving the minutes, that means other members aren’t receiving them either. These are 3, 501(c)(19)s of national Veteran organizations. Despite not receiving ANY news or events from these organizations, I desperately try to give them as much exposure as possible. It is difficult because I have to go and search for the work they are doing for Leon County Veterans. It shouldn’t be difficult to find out this information. It should flow freely AND it should definitely be sent to the membership.
2 of my board members are moving out of state, which means I am going to lose the ability to operate Outpost 1 from New Mexico. We are facing some serious challenges in the coming months. Your support is greatly appreciated.
In your service,
Edward W. Hood
National Commander
Commanders Coalition
Greetings, Team
The walk-in clinic yesterday, Thursday, May 28, included our Team of 20 Volunteers (including 6 attys again) working with 17 Veterans and family members in person and several others by phone (Thursday, 5/28/26) at American Legion Sauls Bridges Post 13. New resources were available for substance abuse, the Tax Collector’s office was available for Driver’s License services, and another law student spent part of his break from Univ of Virginia helping Veterans! Wednesday’s food delivery team: Veteran Sam Adams drove the truck and trailer load to Veterans at HomeFront and other sites around the county, along with others serving on the Food Delivery team (Khalid Shafi, Charles Robinson, Eddie McMillian, Leonard Bell).
This year’s Memorial Day Service Monday was standing room only at the American Legion Hall (rain forced the ceremony indoors); Photo shows the Honor Guard firing out front at Lake Ella.
And Wednesday evening, Judge Nina Ashenafi-Richardson and the Second Circuit Court Admin office hosted a Family Night for participants in the local specialty courts (Veterans Treatment, Mental Health Court and Drug Court); Judge Lashawn Riggins Donald also participated; Matt Parks, from Lakeview Health Treatment Center, was the keynote for the great evening of informal dinner and fun.
The legislature finally passed the budget for the next year (beginning July 1) and included a near record number of local and statewide Veterans’ Projects (including 48 in the FDVA budget alone); See the 550-pger HB 5001E General Appropriations Act at www.flhouse.gov/Budget/2026E ; pending Governor’s review now.
LEON COUNTY VETERANS’ TREATMENT COURT: Your next chance to observe a session of the Court will be Monday, June 8 (3 pm Leon County Courthouse, Courtroom 2E). Maybe you will consider becoming an invaluable Veteran Mentor for one of the other Vets working their way through the program and recovery. Several Veterans are awaiting a Mentor, both men and women.
REDUX: ALARM FOR AREA VETERANS AND SUPPORT AGENCIES: Vet Village, owned by Volunteers of America, Inc, is planning to close at the end of September, for lack of funding! Everyone start brainstorming to see which agencies, govt entities, etc. can maybe lease and continue operating the facility for 54 Veteran beds for “transitioning off the Streets!” Time to be creative and deliberate!
It’s time for an advocacy email from you! These next couple of weeks the Governor will be receiving, reviewing and deciding whether to approve many of the bills that were passed in this year’s legislative session that “ended” last month. His office needs to hear your emphatic support for General Patt Maney’s House Bill 199 which will strengthen Veterans’ Treatment Courts all over the state by increasing the number of Veterans entering the Criminal Court program to rebuild their lives and record, recover from addiction or other behavioral/ trauma personal problems and succeed in moving forward for their families and their future. Even a brief phone message to his office will accomplish the same purpose of showing our support (850/717-9337). The link to the Executive Office of the Governor is: https://www.flgov.com/eog/leadership/people/ron-desantis/contact
One special need: The number of issues with the VA is outstripping our local resources to keep up with the complications, new claims, and VA delays; so, any other attorneys wanting to join our “VA Law team,” we need you, and have training and national legal resources available to bring you into the fray. Were you a JAG? Have you helped with Social Security or other federal agencies that you already have a headstart on picking up VA law?
What else?
Thank you,
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative www.Tallahasseeveteranslegal.com
PO Box 11091,
Tallahassee, Fl 32302,
850/ 570-1967