A Child's Advocate: Personal Advocacy Reflection

Friday, July 6, 2012

Personal Advocacy Reflection

I was personally able to be an educational advocate for my friend who I was in the military with. I had previously had a struggle finding resources because when I exited the military I wasn’t given a “proper” civilian transition briefing. I had no idea what resources were available to me or how to continue school with my G.I. Bill. Calling the VA only made matters worse due to switching between call centers, untrained personnel, and law changes due to the war. I finally had to spend loads of time researching and figuring things out on my own. When my G.I. Bill ran out I felt trapped. I had 2 more classes till I was to graduate with my BS degree and no way to pay for it. Again, I had to really hit the pavement to find out where to go, gaining bits and pieces of information as I went. I finally had the answers with the Vocational Rehabilitation Center and was then able to qualify for benefits to extend the G.I. Bill out to finish the 2 classes I had left.

A year later my friend became stuck in the same boat. She was worried and came to me for help about where to turn. She too had tried the VA route and got nowhere. I told her about the Vocational Rehabilitation program and gave her the 1-800 number. From here she was able to qualify and finish out her BS degree. I felt really good that I was able to find out that information and then relay that help to my friend to help her as well. I was angry at first that this information was not easier to find. Education is such a huge part of the military that I was surprised I had to bend over backwards to gain the information. Other areas that were hard for me to gain access to were buying a first time home as a veteran, employment assistance, and disability assistance. In fact after I spent months applying for my VA loan to buy my first home, I was told it was good to go. Only to get a call from my bank a month later saying if I didn’t take action the loan would be dropped. Take action, what action!? According to the VA you have to be married to obtain the loan. No one told me that. A call to a judge and 2 hours later I was officially a Mrs., and all for a house! Although I love being an advocate, I would never advise getting married to buy a home ever again! Ha ha….

3 comments:

Cymantha Channey WhiteJuly 7, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Tina,
:) although i can appreciate the humor in your story, i know all too well that this is a very serious matter and know that hindsite can be 20/20 for both the person who has gone through the situation as well as those who see it from the other side of the fence...i am experiencing similar situations with my own husband (that i wont go into detail about, lol). Anyway, thanks for sharing your story :)
CCWhite
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TeresaJuly 11, 2012 at 8:22 PM
Tina,
I find that many times corporations, military, state systems, believe a toddler could find the resources necessary. However, when an individual is facing a situation that causes a great deal of stress, the common sense drops off and we start wondering how we will put one foot in front of the other. Thank you for sharing your situation with us.
Teresa
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mrsmcgJuly 29, 2012 at 6:58 PM
WOW. what kind of system is that. What is the purpose of making people be married in order to buy a home?? Strange.
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Personal Childhood Web

Terry- A neighbour of mine when I was a teenager. She was like a big sister in a way and treated me like my age instead of like a small child. I could confide in her and she helped me through a sticky situation when I was in high school. She taught me that although things seemed bad at the time and like there was no possible way out, that all things end eventually. That thought has helped me through some tough times in my life.
Chris- My brother. Chris joined the service when I was young, but when I'd visit him he never ceased to congratulate a grade or a new step in my life. He is someone who gives appreciation and shows admiration to everyone. He is intense to learn more about you and to help you feel better about yourself along the way. He carries my favorite trait which is sometimes hard to find- common sense. I hope I have gathered at least a handful of his knowledge and kindness along the way. His open heart and courage to do good is a constant reminder to me that there is more to people than meets the eye.
Kathy- A friend of my mother's, she was and still is someone who tells it like it is. She would never hide anything about the truth to me and she was comical in telling it. If I had a question, Kathy had a straightforward answer. Still to this day Kathy will not hesitate to give meaningful opinions and life lessons to me. I don't call her enough, but I do think of her constantly especially when life throws me a curve ball and I make some kind of joke out of it!
Louise- A friend of my mother's, she was someone I could tell things to that I was afraid to tell my mom. She would comfort me and let me know I was normal and tried to figure out ways to help me in any situation. She stayed calm and optimistic and I always admired those traits about her that I wish I could have found at home. Louise has definitely taught me to stay true to myself and not try to change to meet another's needs. She's also taught me positivity lasts longer and doesn't create as many wrinkles.
Melanie- She was a childhood friend who had a stable family life and was very intelligent. She helped me study and she helped me see past what other's thought to find out what I thought. Melanie is someone who I assume went on to become some kind of life changing scientist. She showed me dedication, and for a young child to see a peer unafraid of committment to something left a lasting impression.