05/16/2023 MASHPEE INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE Minutes

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Mashpee Inclusion and Diversity Committee 16 Great Neck Road North Mashpee, MA 02649 th Ms. DeBoer commented there will be an unveiling ceremony on June 17 from 10:00a.m.- 12:00p.m. at the Community Park for the new War Memorial. Guest Speaker: Rebecca Hopwood th Her organization, Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center, is celebrating their 40 anniversary. The program started with Vietnam Vets, how they dealt with the challenges of returning home and they came together and they started support programs for Vietnam veterans. Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center is a nonprofit, they get money through grants and individual donations. She works very closely with the VA and they have a partnership with agencies that connect other veterans and provide services for Vets. These were veterans who have been left to dry, they went to serve and they come back and don’t know how to get back into their normal lives. After Vietnam it was a very different reintegration. The PACT ACT offers additional services, such as supporting individuals affected by Camp Lejeune, because different locations had different toxicity levels. Some people have stage 4 cancer because they were in certain locations at age 30. Ms. Hopwood is based in Hyannis. She acts as the Outreach Coordinator for Mashpee, Falmouth, Bourne, and Wareham, and they offer transitional housing for vets. They have some beautiful homes, one in Dennis and one in Hyannis with 6 and 8 bedrooms respectively, and a shared living area. Vets who need a place to live and financially qualify can live there for up to two years. They also have food pantries in Falmouth, Eastham, Wareham, and Hyannis. Falmouth is open every first and third Tuesday and Hyannis is open weekly. They built out a bigger pantry in Hyannis. She was hired in August with 26 veterans receiving food, now there are 200. A lot of veterans have a hard time taking from someone else. Every veteran can come offset some costs and get food, regardless of financial standing. They work with the Greater Boston Food Bank and they get fresh produce from local businesses like Trader Joes, Roche Brothers, and Stop and Shop. They have a large number of senior veterans, the highest concentration in the state. There is no VA hospital here on Cape, just a clinic. Every veteran aged 25-95 has to travel to Providence, West Roxbury, or Jamaica Plain. The VA provides transport if you are 40% disabled. Her program also offers transportation. Ms. Hopwood told a story about a veteran who was living in black mold and water pooling up in his basement. They were able to help him financially as well as feel more independent in the community while being supported. The big goal is independence. Ms. Wilson receives a lot of calls from veterans. She asked if there was a waiting list for housing and Ms. Hopwood stated there is a ribbon cutting ceremony for one of the homes and that currently has three people for eight bedrooms. Veterans can call and speak with a case 5