Potomac Chapter's Gold Star Wives Visit the Armed Forces Retirement Home

On Monday, several members of the Potomac Chapter of the Gold Star Wives visited the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC. This event was organized by Potomac Chapter member, Helga Knapp and included chapter members Eva Golleher, Lemel Studevent and Hildegard Hatcher. The chapter members distributed gift bags consisting of socks, cookies and chocolates to the residents. In addition, the Gold Star Wives presented a check for $500 to the retirement home for the benefit of the residents.

 From left to right: Eva Golleher, Lemel Studevent, Hildegard Hatcher, Steven Briefs and Helga Knapp.

Potomac Chapter's Gold Star Wives Visit DC's VA Nursing Home

Last week, several members of the Potomac Chapter of the Gold Star Wives visited the VA Nursing Home here in Washington DC to meet with the residents and offer them our friendship and support.

From left to right:  Helga Knapp, Stephanie Burns (Director for Volunteers at the VA Medical Center), Siobhan Esposito, Ella Delisio, Karen Butler (Programs Clerk at the VA Medical Center) and Hildegard Hatcher.

This event was organized by Potomac Chapter member Ella Delisio and included chapter members Helga Knapp and Hildegard Hatcher. In addition to meeting with the veterans, our chapter members passed out gift certificates to the veterans and made a $500 donation to the retirement home in furtherance of its mission. 

Bob Geiger: 'The Disgrace of War Widows Fighting for Benefits'

Author Bob Geiger reports on Potomac Chapter member Kristen Fenty's 'Widow's Tax' advocacy at The Huffington Post.

Here's an excerpt:

Kristen Fenty knows a thing or two about pain and struggle.

Like all Gold Star Wives -- women whose spouses have died or been killed while on active duty in the U.S. military -- she has learned to live with the grief of losing her life partner, the disintegration of the life she imagined and, like so many war widows, the burden of instantly becoming a single parent and shepherding a child through the loss of her father.

What Kristen Fenty didn't expect was six years of getting raked over bureaucratic coals in simply trying to receive and keep the benefits to which surviving military families are entitled. . .

Please read the full story here.

Also, I strongly encourage all our chapter members to comment on this story at the Huffington Post website. It's quick, easy, and a great way to let readers (and congressional leaders) know that there is deep public support for seeing this issue resolve in favor of surviving spouses.

You can comment about your own personal story, share the story of someone you know, or just give a simple "thumbs up."

Also, please consider forwarding this story on to friends and family. The more people who know about this injustice and are willing to take action to change it, the more likely Congress will act to pass this much-deserved reform.

and family. The more people who are know about this injustice and are willing to take action to change it, the more likely Congress will act to pass this much-deserved reform.