Schedules
Post Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7pm
Post Members meet every Monday at 8:30AM for coffee and/or breakfast in the downstairs hall. Cost is DONATION only.
Ladies Auxiliary meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month at 7PM in the Main Hall.
COOTIES meeting will be the 1st Sunday of every month located in the downstairs hall. Potluck at 1PM, meeting at 2PM.
The Post Canteen will be open each Monday from 8:30AM-2:00PM for Cards, Commardarie and FUN!
Benefit lays groundwork for female veterans’ housing
A gala was held at the Wilton Library Saturday night to benefit Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes, a charity launched by Wiltonian Shalini Madaras to build housing for homeless female veterans. At the event, are, in the top row from left, Ms. Madaras, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Wilton High School volunteers Rob Serenbetz, Taylor Elmasry, John Hoag, Amanda Ricca, Carly Forcade and Barrett Garbus. Front row, from left, Daphne Wertz, Colleen Deardoff, Lauren Salla, Haley Kolier and Becky Culp. —Pamela Wertz photo
A gala was held at the Wilton Library Saturday night to benefit Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes, a charity launched by Wiltonian Shalini Madaras to build housing for homeless female veterans. At the event, are, in the top row from left, Ms. Madaras, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Wilton High School volunteers Rob Serenbetz, Taylor Elmasry, John Hoag, Amanda Ricca, Carly Forcade and Barrett Garbus. Front row, from left, Daphne Wertz, Colleen Deardoff, Lauren Salla, Haley Kolier and Becky Culp. —Pamela Wertz photo
Sgt. Maj. Caterina Veronesi returned from a highly decorated 18-month tour of Iraq to find she had to re-interview for her job, from which she was later laid off. “It felt like a betrayal,” said SGM Veronesi, speaking to a crowd of more than 200 who attended “Unlocking the Possibilities,” a gala benefit for Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes at the Wilton Library Saturday, May 1. Her list of military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal.
“Female veterans stand alongside our male brethren and make great sacrifices,” she said.
Yet their homecoming is often traumatic. According to Wiltonian Shalini Madaras, the founder of Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes, of the more than 200,000 female soldiers who have served in combat from 2001 to 2008, an estimated 8,000 are homeless. A woman who has served in the military is four times more likely to be homeless than a non-veteran woman, according to the Congressional Research Service Report.
The goal of Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes is to open “a new facility in Bridgeport which will accommodate 17 individuals with accommodations for mothers and handicapped residents,” Ms. Madaras said.
“The transitional housing program designed specifically for female soldiers is the most critical gap that needs to be filled,” she said.
Speaking at the gala, which included a live and silent auction and a comedy performance by Wiltonian Charles Grodin, Ms. Madaras expressed gratitude for the support of her project. “All of you here tonight are a special group of heroes who have come together to support another special group of heroes: our homeless female veterans,” she said.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal also addressed the gathering, saying, “The needs of our vets must always be uppermost in our minds. All too often they become invisible. This shelter is more than bricks and mortar. It is about remembering and honoring those who served and whose wounds may not be visible, but the result of psychological and emotional trauma.”
Other officials who attended included U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th), former U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, and First Selectman William Brennan.
Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes is an offshoot of Kick for Nick, which the Madaras family started to collect and distribute soccer balls to the children of Iraq, in memory of their son, Nick, who was killed in Iraq in September 2006. Kick for Nick has spread throughout the world, and to date has collected 29,234 soccer balls.
For their efforts with Kick for Nick and Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes, Ms. Madaras and her husband, Bill, were recently named to the list of 20 national finalists by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation for the Citizen Above Self Honors award.
At the gala, Ms. Madaras paid homage to “the American people — whose spirit, support and generosity is unmatched anywhere in the world and which is the true strength behind the military might of our armed forces,” she said. “During World War II these heroes collected tin cans and scrap metal to supply our war effort. Today you are their modern-day equivalent, supporting our troops with your donations of soccer balls to help them build relations with the local people and improve their own security, and continuing to support them when they return home.”
After the gala, Ms. Madaras told The Bulletin the event’s success was “beyond our expectation … Most remarkable was the energy in the room, and the incredible generosity we experienced from everyone.”