VFW Post 7265 Livermore, California

09/10/2026

What can YOU do for Su***de Prevention Month?
More than you think.

You don't need a clinical background to save a life. Here's where ordinary people make real impact:

🎧 Volunteer for a crisis line — right here in Alameda County

Crisis Support Services of Alameda County runs our local 988 line and trains volunteers with **no experience required** — 90 hours of training in active listening and crisis counseling, minimum commitment of one 4-hour shift/week.
📞 (925) 258-2400 (main office) | 🌐 crisissupport.org/volunteer

*Note: The Veterans Crisis Line itself is staffed by paid VA responders, not volunteers — but CSS of Alameda County is a great way to serve your community in this space, and VA does post crisis-line jobs at va.gov/jobs if you have relevant clinical background.*

🩹 Learn QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer)
Think of it like CPR for a mental health crisis. Find your local Vet Center for free trainings va.gov/find-locations.

🤝 Actually check in (and mean it)
Skip "how are you?" Try: "I've noticed you've been quiet lately — what's going on?"

🍲 Show up in ordinary ways
Isolation is one of the biggest risk factors. Invite someone to coffee. Follow up after the holidays, after a deployment, after a divorce.

📣 Talk about it publicly
Silence is what stigma feeds on. Post the crisis line number. Normalize saying "I'm not okay right now."

💛 Support the orgs doing the work

TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) — volunteer as an event support, mentor, or at their national seminars
📞 1-800-959-TAPS (8277) | ✉️ [email protected]

Crisis Support Services of Alameda County📞 (925) 258-2400 | 🌐 crisissupport.org/volunteer

Nobody needs a badge or a degree to be the reason someone reaches out instead of giving up.

Get trained. Get involved. Get loud about it.

What resources do you recommend?

📞 Veterans Crisis Line: **988**, press **1**
💬 Text: **838255**
📞 Crisis Support Services of Alameda County (24/7 crisis line): **1-800-309-2131**

***dePreventionMonth

09/10/2026

Military Ceremony To Mark 25 Years Since 9/11 In Pleasanton will take place at the Alameda County Fairgrounds Amphitheater at 4501 Pleasanton Avenue on Friday, September 11th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Guests must be seated by 9:30 a.m.
The memorial ceremony is free and open to the community.

https://patch.com/california/livermore/s/kowoy/military-ceremony-mark-25-years-9-11-pleasanton

The ceremony at the Alameda County Fairgrounds will include speeches from local leaders, people affected by 9/11, a r***e salute, and more.

09/09/2026

09/09/2026

resources for Veterans

FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
THIS IS A VA EVENT.

Hey Alameda County Veterans!
You're invited to attend an in person
Veteran outreach event.

This event will offer an opportunity to connect with community resources and get assistance accessing VA benefits you've earned.

Access VA mental health resources.
Concerns about your toxic exposure while in service?
Find out what resources you are eligible for.
Interested in income-based benefits for war-time Veterans and survivors?
Need help applying for a Veteran ID card?
Need help submitting a VA disability claim?
Need housing or worried about becoming homeless?
Ready to enroll in VA health care?
Want to check the status of your disability claim or appeal?
Want to connect with resources available in your community?
Want to learn more about VA health care options for women?
This is an exclusive event for Veterans and their families in the Alameda County area. Don't miss this opportunity to get the benefits you've earned.

Friday, September 25, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Event Location:
Fremont Elks Lodge #2121
38991 Farwell Drive
Fremont, CA 94536

09/08/2026

📋 What the 2004 Report Actually Recommended for Livermore

Digging deeper into the CARES Commission's 2004 findings, here's the specific rationale for Livermore:

The Commission agreed to transfer sub-acute beds to the Palo Alto VA Medical Center and shift outpatient care to community-based clinics, but recommended the nursing home stay put as a freestanding unit. This wasn't a straightforward "shut it down" decision; it was a partial realignment.

Worth noting: compared to the other sites discussed ( like Pittsburgh, Waco, and Altoona), which got extensive scrutiny and pushback in the Senate hearing on this report, Livermore barely came up. The record shows just a brief, one-paragraph mention with no debate captured.

The Commission applied six factors to every site nationwide:
1-impact on veterans' access to care,
2-impact on quality of care,
3- veteran/stakeholder input,
4-economic impact on the community,
5- impact on VA's broader mission,
6- and cost to taxpayers.

The larger logic driving CARES: most VA facilities were 40–50 years old, veteran populations had shifted geographically, and the Commission argued that eliminating duplicate services and cutting overhead could free up resources for direct patient care.

Full hearing record: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-108shrg21314/html/CHRG-108shrg21314.htm

09/07/2026

Did you know the VFW has an adaptive sports program?

09/06/2026

The national legislative team

09/05/2026

Mark your calendars for the VFW and Auxillary Western conference

09/04/2026

Protecting veterans who already have ratings does not solve the problem.

There will always be another veteran filing a first claim tomorrow, next year, or ten years from now.

A system that protects only those who got there first is not good enough.

Take action and tell Congress to oppose any version of TCAVA that cuts veterans’ earned benefits: https://www.votervoice.net/VFW/Campaigns/138781/Respond

09/04/2026

The fight is about sleep apnea and tinnitus. The VFW says what happens next could affect VA disability benefits far beyond both.