remember last year, when y’all raised an enormous amount of money for Heifer International, and we sent sheep to a community overseas?

This year, I’m hoping you’ll join me again in raising money for another good cause … homeless women veterans.

Whether or not you support the war in Iraq (I don’t); whether or not you believe women should serve in the armed forces (I do); whether or not you believe in Santa (I’m Santagnostic, actually) … the truth is that many women veterans, who have made considerable sacrifices for our country, are not getting a fair shake now that they’re home.

Women veterans seem to get the short end of the very short stick that returning soldiers are asked to hold. (For instance, of the some 1,400 V.A. hospitals and clinics, currently only 27 house inpatient PTSD programs, and of these, just 2 serve women exclusively. almost one in three veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq confronts mental health problems. You do the math.) approximately 4% of the homeless veterans in VA programs are women — and that doubles to 8% in community-based (non-VA) programs. women have special health care needs; many have dependent children.

With women making up 14% of the nation’s combat forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of homeless women vets is rising every day. By donating to the national coalition for Homeless Veterans, we can help develop programs to support women vets as they return home.

So this year I’m hoping we can raise $1500 for homeless women veterans, by Dec 24. (It may not sound like much, but every little bit helps.)

The day we hit the goal, I’ll post a new full-length “Secret Lives of Dresses”, and for every day between Reach-The-Goal Day and Dec 24, I’ll post a secret Lives drabble, just like last year.

To donate, just click on the widgety thingy below. It’s all run by changing The Present; I won’t see who donated or how much. (Credit cards only; if you want to pay by Paypal, email me and we’ll work something out.)

http://www.changingthepresent.org/flash/banners/drives/horizontal_banner.swf?env=production&drive_id=821

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