February 2026 Newsletter

Moderators
Feb 23
2 min read

Keep the Candle Lit: Hope, Healing & Impact in 2026

The February 2026 edition of the Lady Veterans Connect newsletter highlights a year of growth, resilience, and renewed commitment to women veterans across Kentucky.

2025: A Year of Impact

In 2025, Lady Veterans Connect (LVC) delivered measurable, life-changing support:

4,648 volunteer hours served our community
9 women veterans housed at Anna’s House, with an average six-month stay
92% of participants reported improved well-being
Expanded financial literacy, job readiness, wellness, and healthy relationship programming
10 resource fairs, 242 veterans served through Coffee Times, and 127 hours of ride support
Major appreciation and outreach events serving hundreds of veterans

Looking ahead, LVC plans to:

Expand transitional housing capacity by 26%
Build two cottages for women veterans with children
Grow mental health services through telehealth
Increase donor and volunteer engagement

The mission remains clear: safe housing, comprehensive support services, and long-term independence for women veterans.

Preventing Veteran Suicide: Spotlight on Check A Vet

This issue also profiles CW4 (Ret.) Michael Carmichael, founder of Check A Vet, a national initiative focused on preventing veteran suicide.

After 26 years of active-duty service, including 11 combat tours, Carmichael launched the organization to encourage Americans to routinely and meaningfully engage with veterans. The group has developed a suicide prevention tool addressing PTSD, TBI, and MST, and continues advocating for expanded research into medical cannabis as a potential treatment option for trauma-related conditions.

Regardless of where one stands on policy, the message is universal: suicide is preventable, and awareness, connection, and community matter.

Healing Through Creativity: Poetry From Art

LVC’s Poetry From Art Workshop, funded by the Kentucky Foundation for Women, provides trauma-informed creative space for women veterans. Through collage, journaling, and poetry, participants explore healing in a supportive women’s circle — no prior artistic experience required.

Programs like this reinforce what LVC does best: creating safe, empowering spaces where women veterans are seen, heard, and honored.

American Heart Month: A Reminder for Women Veterans

February is American Heart Month, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reminds women veterans that heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women. Women veterans face elevated risks due to stress, trauma, and service-related factors. Awareness of symptoms — which often present differently in women — can save lives.

Black History Month: A National Conversation

The newsletter also reflects on Black History Month, first federally recognized in 1976 by Gerald Ford. This year brings contrasting federal perspectives, including a proclamation from Donald Trump affirming that Black history is inseparable from American history.

LVC continues to recognize and honor the diverse service and sacrifice of all veterans.

Help Us Keep the Candle Lit

Every connection matters. Every safe bed matters. Every workshop, outreach event, and moment of listening matters.

If you believe women veterans deserve dignity, healing, and long-term support:

👉 Donate. Volunteer. Partner. Advocate.

Visit Lady Veterans Connect to learn more and get involved.

You can download the newsletter to read the full stories by clicking the file below:

Together, we can continue lighting the way forward.