CAL-EANGUS helps service members connect with a world of opportunity and benefits
By Staff Sgt. Melanie L. Nolen, 195th Wing and Sgt. First Class Amanda H. Johnson, 40th ID Public Affairs Chief – CAL-EANGUS Members
Each year, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States works towards the collective goals and legislative issues brought forth from the 50 states and 4 territories of EANGUS chapters across the country. This is born from the hard work and collective efforts of these associations throughout the year starting at the foundational level of the state.
This year, California’s EANGUS board of members decided to generate a new state conference forum to build from.
“Throughout my travels and meeting community partners who support Veterans, I routinely would ask, ‘do you know about this person or this other supportive program that benefits Veterans?’ and they typically would not,” said CAL-EANGUS President Josh J. Baker. “My thought was to bring them all together at the conference and treat them as conference attendees so they can learn and share their programs and create synergy towards caring for California’s Veterans.”
In a change of regularity, all attendees and speakers were asked to arrive at the same time in the morning, to socialize over coffee and plan to stay for the entire day to listen and observe the other presenters. In the past, briefers typically arrive and depart according to the posted agenda, or are separated from the audience and away from the other presenters during their presentations, said Baker.
Each vendor and partner was given a time window to speak and answer questions, both during their presentations and through the day at their display booths placed inside the meeting space. This relaxed atmosphere created more personal connections as people could stop by on a break or ask further questions after the speaker finished.
Attendees gathered at The Crowne Plaza at Ventura Beach, California, on October 6-8, 2023, which provided a seaside venue to learn the State of the Association along with the programs CAL-EANGUS has supported and the causes they have lobbied for in both state and national legislation.
During her presentation, Cal Guard Family Programs Lead Soldier & Family Readiness Specialist Christina McMann-Gonzalez spoke about the ways their organization has benefited from their partnership with CAL-EANGUS and said, not only was CAL-EANGUS supportive with immediate needs like gas and grocery gift cards, that service member was able to take advantage of the resource offered by We Care for America’s Grant and Loan program.
“Doing a warm handoff or referral to the VSO, CalVet, to whomever you are, there are so many network partners in here that I have had the pleasure to work with over the last ten years I have been a part of this program,” said McMann-Gonzalez. “You guys are phenomenal. Family programs couldn’t have done what we do without all of you.”
Local and regional representatives from a variety of veteran service organizations and CAL-EANGUS sponsors came together to share, to learn, and to have conversations about how we can better serve our veterans and guardsmen. They addressed issues and opportunities such as food insecurity, transitional housing, SM rebates when purchasing a home, family services, networking and events for socializing, higher education, certification scholarships, and employment opportunities.
“As someone who did not know about this resource beforehand, I think it’s really important, because it’s more about [helping] the whole person,” said Capt. Jasmine Haw, a first-time conference attendee and a supervising nurse with the Cal Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing. “It’s like a conglomeration of all the information you wish you knew when you first came in, but you didn’t know. And you didn’t know where to go to get that information.”
With an audience consisting of California Army and Air National Guard members, senior leaders, and community partners, this new forum harnessed the unique knowledge of each person and created synergy to empower one another as pinnacle guest speakers.
Cole Mitchell, a home specialist for Homes for Heroes, addressed the attendees in the afternoon and said, “I’m very grateful to be here, just listening to all of you, seeing what everybody is doing. A lot of times, when I go to do briefs, I feel like I am by myself because I don’t see a lot of these different organizations. Knowing that you are all out there is so cool.”
As attendees learned at the EANGUS National Conference this past August, our organizations are stronger when they come together because they have common goals.
By focusing on connection and communication, California’s 2023 state conference brought this to a state level to create a true synergy between partner organizations and the people CAL-EANGUS serves.
