Today, Assemblymember Monica P. Wallace (D-Lancaster) announced that she has secured $10,000 in state funding for Veterans One-stop Center of WNY. The funding will be used by Veterans One-stop to bring the Women Veterans Network (WoVeN) to the Western New York community.

“I commend Veterans One-stop for the focus they put on providing services and assistance to the fastest growing group of veterans: women,” said Assemblymember Wallace. “WoVeN takes a peer-to-peer approach to help women veterans returning to civilian life by fostering discussions and building friendships through common experiences.”

“The Veterans One-stop Center of WNY is grateful to New York Assemblywoman Monica Wallace for her efforts securing the funding for WoVeN on behalf of female veterans of Western New York,” said Chuck Marra, President and CEO of Veterans One-stop. “The mission of WoVeN to provide a social network of women veterans to foster connections and build relationships in their local communities closely aligns with the mission of the Veterans One-stop Center of WNY to empower veterans with programs, services, and resources, and connect them to other veterans to ensure that they seamlessly transition from military to civilian life. We are proud to offer a crucial program for the female veterans in Western New York and to bring this national program to Western New York.”

While there are nearly 2 million female veterans in the U.S., there are not many veteran organizations that cater specifically to their needs. WoVeN, founded in 2017, set out to change that. WoVeN provides women veterans with peer support at local and national levels, allowing them to foster connections that are beneficial to their mental health and well-being. “WoVeN, is a safe place!” said female veteran Beth Collins. “Not only did I learn about transitioning from the military to civilian life and how to find balance; I was able to find connections, support and friendships from women who understand the struggles of being a female veteran, wife and mom. WoVeN gave me a space to reflect, speak freely and truthfully, and be heard all without feeling judged. WoVeN is a group of like-minded women who just get it.”

“The WoVeN session provides female veterans with strategies, support, and tips on balance, stress relief, healthy living, etc. to help them build a stronger future and community for themselves, their family, and other female veterans,” said Alyssa Vasquez, PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Program Manager.

“It is an honor to be able to support New York veterans as a member of the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee. We owe a great debt to the men and women who have served our nation, and I’ll always be an advocate for them in state government,” said Wallace.

In addition to the funding announced today, earlier this year Assemblymember Wallace helped pass a state budget that restores more than $1.6 million to programs that help veterans transition back to civilian life. She also recently secured funding for the Lt. Col. Matt Urban VFW Post 7275 to help cover the cost of facility repairs.