Last week, the YWCA Northern New Jersey officially launched “Operation Sisterhood,” a program to support women veterans living in Bergen County. The programs and services to be made available will focus on the physical, social and mental well-being of women transitioning from military service.
Last week, a breakfast at the YWCA Northern New Jersey facility on Nov. 13 officially kicked off Operation Sisterhood.
“We want to help women veterans during this life-altering transition,” said Helen Archontou, CEO of YWCA Northern New Jersey and a main driver of Operation Sisterhood. “My experience is that the female veteran population in New Jersey is large and underserved.”
There are about 28,000 women veterans in New Jersey.
“These women veterans often encounter greater obstacles in their transitions to civilian life than their male counterparts,” continued Archontou. “They face higher levels of unemployment and financial distress, as well as mental health challenges including PTSD, suicidal ideation, and often sexual trauma stemming from harassment and assault.”
Archontou, who has a Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University and a BA in Psychology from Montclair State University has been the CEO of the YWCA Northern New Jersey since 2011.
“We will offer our women veterans workforce development programs, job and entrepreneurship training, counselling for sexual assault, and contact with outside resources that can help them,” she promised.
Archontou said her YWCA is strongly positioned to carry out these programs because the staff includes three female veterans and another on its Board of Directors.
“We have to make sure we welcome back our women vets with hope, healing, and practical help, said Bergen County Commissioner Mary Amoroso, who attended the kickoff breakfast, “considering that women are now 11% of the veteran population and are expected to account for 18% of all veterans by 2040.”
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Lucy Del Gaudio works as a volunteer with YWCA Northern New Jersey. She served in the U.S. Army from 1990-98 and supported both Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Del Gaudio was a victim of sexual assault during her time in the service and due to a resulting pregnancy, the Army discharged her into the reserve.
“The discharge was sudden and harsh,” said Del Gaudio. “I struggled after my transition. It was 2014 before I would tell people that I was a veteran. I wish the kind of support we are creating with Operation Sisterhood had been available to me then.”
Del Gaudio acknowledges the help Archontou and YWCA Northern New Jersey provided during her struggles. Del Gaudio will be transitioning to a full-time position with the organization in January.
“The work of Operation Sisterhood needs to be done,” DelGaudio said. “This is very personal to me.”
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Funding for Operation Sisterhood came from Women United in Philanthropy (WUIP), a Bergen County-based women’s giving circle whose stated goal is “to invest in innovative solutions to address the burden that poverty and financial instability places on women and their families, and to support the big ideas that change the trajectory of poverty for these women.”
“We are pleased that this year’s impact grant was awarded to Operation Sisterhood and we look forward to hearing more from our friends at the YWCA about the progress of this important program for female veterans,” said Maxine Frampton of Women United in Philanthropy.
“WUIP generously gave us this grant with the stipulation it be used specifically in Bergen County,” Archontou said. We are doing additional outreach for support from organizations in Hudson, Essex, Passaic and Morris Counties.” During her 14 years as CEO, Archontou has overseen the expansion of the Northern New Jersey YWCA from Bergen into these four other counties.
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DelGaudio has been a powerful advocate for women veterans since leaving the service.
Earlier this year, she was named to the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame. At that time, U.S. Representative Mikie Sherill (D-NJ 11) called her “a fierce advocate for women veterans and an invaluable resource to me.”
DelGaudio is Chair of the New Jersey Governor’s Commission of Women Veterans and Chair of the Women’s Subcommittee of the New Jersey SOS Veterans Stakeholders. She is also serving on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Workgroup on Sexual Harassment and Assault. To learn more about Operation Sisterhood, click here: https://lnkd.in/e7ZNGzJB To donate to Operation Sisterhood, click here: https://ywcannj.org/give/
