Recent news from The MOAA Newsletter. View previous editions of Council and Chapter News here. Send updates about your affiliate’s activities to blaird@moaa.org for possible inclusion in future editions.

Apply for a Community Outreach Grant

Providing backpacks filled with school supplies to military children in need. Repairing the homes of veterans. Purchasing computers for a veterans’ homeless shelter. Educating the military community about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. These are just a few of the programs Community Outreach Grants support.

Each year, The MOAA Foundation awards grants to active MOAA councils and chapters providing services to local military and veteran families — either directly or through partnerships with other community organizations — in one of 10 areas of critical military and veteran family need: housing, food assistance, employment, health (including behavioral health), family support, community reintegration, financial assistance, legal assistance, transportation, and crisis relief.

Since the Community Outreach Grant program began in 2017, The MOAA Foundation has awarded nearly 150 grants totaling over $450,000 to MOAA councils and chapters across the U.S.

This year’s grant application opens Dec. 1 and closes Feb. 28. Councils and chapters interested in applying can find grant criteria, reporting requirements, and the application at MOAA.org/communitygrant.

MOAA Welcomes New Virtual Chapter

Military judge advocates can find career networking and educational and advocacy opportunities through MOAA’s newest virtual chapter. The Judge Advocate Virtual Chapter was approved by MOAA’s board of directors at the association’s annual meeting in Kansas City in October.

Maj. Peter “Brooks” Rose, USAF, chapter president, said any judge advocate — active, Reserve, Guard, and retired — from all branches of service are able to join. The chapter already has about 50 members from across the U.S.

Those eligible and interested in joining the Judge Advocate Virtual Chapter can email Moaajavc@gmail.com.

Read more about the chapter and its mission.

Surviving Spouse Corner: Benefits of Pet Adoption

If you’re looking for companionship from a pet, here are five reasons why pet adoption might be the right choice.

By Nancy Mullen, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council member

According to the ASPCA, well over 6 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters every year and just under 1 million are euthanized each year. Thankfully, that number has been declining in recent years due in part to more publicity around adoption as well as ease of technology tools like social media and microchips that can help to reunite a lost pet with its family.

You might have thought about pet adoption and perhaps have some misgivings, and it is true that pet ownership is not right for everyone. After all, it can be a commitment of up to 20 years. Here are some adoption myths and why pet adoption might be right for you.

• "Why adopt, not shop?" Adoption is cheaper, and you can save a life. Look into your local pet rescues and animal control shelters. Many will offer low cost adoption days or assistance with adoption fees and spay/neuter costs. Buying a pup from a pet shop may encourage the use of “puppy mills” or overbreeding. True, there are very reputable breeders that take great care of their animals, but consider all the animals that currently need a loving home that you could provide.
  
  
• "I can’t get a purebred from a shelter." You’d be surprised at what you can find through your local rescues and shelters. If you want a specific breed, reach out to your local rescue organizations and shelters, and fill out an application listing your preference.
  
  
• "Shelter pets have behavioral issues." Some do, some don’t, and there is no guarantee of an animal’s disposition even if you buy one from a breeder. Most rescues want to see a successful placement so they will try their best to match an animal to a potential family based on their breed and observed demeanor. Want an energetic pup? They have it. Want a cuddly cat? They have those, too. Housetrained pet? Yep. No time for pet training? Many will offer that as well. Just remember that you and your shelter pet need an adjustment period to get used to a new routine.
  
  
• "I’m older. What if the pet outlives me?" First, as many of us know, tomorrow is not guaranteed and as such, regardless of our age we should all have a care plan for who will care for our pets when we no longer can. Second, consider adopting a senior pet or fostering through a reputable rescue.
  
  
• "I can’t afford it." Yes, pets can be expensive. If this is a concern, check into long-term foster programs where costs may be covered in part or in full. You might also want to consider pet insurance. (MOAA Insurance even offers a plan.)

My two senior pups recently passed away, and when I was ready, I reached out to a few rescues in my area. I am now the dog mom to a 2-year-old, lazy, fully housebroken 45-pound, ridiculously cute, mixed-breed bundle of love and couldn’t have asked for a better pup.

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Did You Know?

Online Resources: National MOAA offers many resources and training opportunities for chapter leaders and members. Find archived videos of past webinars, roundtables, workshops, and more on MOAA.org.

Chapter Articles: To read about how MOAA chapters are giving back to their communities, visit the news page on MOAA.org and select “chapters” in the “filter by” dropdown menu, or click here.  

MOAA National Visits to Council and Chapters: MOAA councils and chapters are encouraged to request visits from national MOAA. Councils are eligible for annual visits, while chapters are eligible for visits every two to three years. Our volunteer leaders are encouraged to make use of this visit program, especially since the 2022 and forward Levels of Excellence Award process will consider visit reports in the judging process. To request a visit, complete and submit this form.

Revitalization Meetings: Are you worried about the future of your chapter because of recruiting, retention, and/or leader succession challenges? Contact chapters@moaa.org to brainstorm ideas and possibly schedule a revitalization meeting. We have resources dedicated to this program to help struggling chapters.

Upcoming Events

Monthly Chapter Leader Virtual Roundtable: Join us Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., Eastern time, for an end-of-year review/discussion. Join here at the time of the meeting.

Find a complete list of Council and Chapter Affairs events online.

From the Field

MOAA chapters give back to their communities through fundraising efforts, community-service projects, scholarship programs, and other initiatives. Here are some recent activities. 

The Green Valley (Ariz.) Chapter presented 30 junior enlisted servicemembers from the 162nd Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard with $50 gift cards for the commissary. The gift cards were funded by the chapter’s Food for the Troops collection and 50-50 raffle at Quail Creek on July 4 plus the generosity of many chapter members.

The Olympia Area (Wash.) Chapter is once again helping to make the holiday season brighter for local children in need by supporting Santa’s Castle at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Since 1994, Santa’s Castle has provided gifts to the children of Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserve families experiencing financial difficulty. The chapter donates between $1,200 and $2,000 annually, and members also volunteer as elves during toy-distribution days to assist servicemembers and spouses shopping for their children at the castle.

Additionally, for the past five-plus years, the chapter has been collecting sports balls to donate. This year, the chapter collected nearly 500 sports balls. Read more about the chapter’s support of Santa’s Castle.

Members of the Star Fort (S.C.) Chapter recently volunteered their time with two community efforts. Members worked with volunteers from other local veterans’ organizations to build a ramp at Tranquility Point Veterans Retreat. Additionally, several members assisted with putting up emergency number signs on docks on Lake Greenwood that will help 911 operators identify the location on the lake for emergency services.

Get Newsletter Content From National MOAA

Need some content to supplement your chapter’s newsletter? The White Label Newsletter Template includes information, articles, and helpful tips from national MOAA that already are formatted for inclusion in your newsletter. The content is updated every month to ensure you are receiving timely, relevant information.   

National MOAA Travel Schedule

Here are the councils and chapters MOAA leaders will be visiting over the next few months.

Contact the associated chapter if you would like to attend any of the following scheduled visits:

• Dec. 1, Indiana Council of Chapters officer installment, virtual, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA)
• Dec. 1, Ventura County (Calif.) Chapter, Camarillo, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 3, Western New York Chapter, Depew, Capt. Kathy Thorp, USN (Ret), MOAA board of directors (BoD)
• Dec. 4, Judge Advocates Virtual Chapter, virtual, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 8, Pikes Peak (Colo.) Chapter, Colorado Springs, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 10, Whidbey Island (Wash.) Chapter, Oak Harbor, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 17, Fort Campbell (Ky.) Chapter, virtual, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Dec. 17, Upper Potomac Chapter, location TBD, Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), president and CEO
• Jan. 6, Florida Council of Chapters Leadership Seminar, Orlando, Gen. Gary L. North, USAF (Ret), BoD chairman, and staff
• Jan. 7, North Carolina Council of Chapters, virtual, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 7, Prince George’s County (Md.) Chapter, Clinton, TBD
• Jan. 10, Grand Strand (S.C.) Chapter, Myrtle Beach, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 13, Low Country (S.C.) Chapter, Beaufort, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 14, Cape Fear (N.C.) Chapter, Fort Bragg, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 18, Olympia Area (Wash.) Chapter, Olympia, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 18, Susquehanna (Md.) Chapter, TBD, CWO4 Lelia Jackson, USMC (Ret), BoD
• Jan. 18, Virginia Council of Chapters, virtual, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• Jan. 19, Georgia Mountain Chapter, Cumming, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 20, Ark-La-Tex (La.) Chapter, Shreveport, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• Jan. 26, Virginia Peninsula Chapter MOAA, Williamsburg, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA