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In continuing to serve female members of the armed forces, Lady Veterans Connect has sought to also further develop its overall mission statement as well.

“Our mission is providing hopes, homes, and healing for women veterans,” said Phyllis Abbott, Executive Director and Founder of Lady Veterans Connect. “We’re looking at revising [it] some, because it doesn’t really completely accomplish all that we do.”

Lady Veterans Connect was founded as Sheppard’s Hands by Abbott in 2012, and eventually renamed in 2016.

Through the years, it has dedicated time to assisting and bringing awareness to the issues members of the veteran community have faced.

“Women veterans are the hardest to reach, because you don’t see them on the streets, [and] they don’t wear their caps and jackets that identify that they’re veterans,” Abbott said. “It’s a one-on-one connection trying to reach out to them, and make them aware.”

This has been done through retreats, and events such as a June 25th Music Festival at its location along Irvine Road – known as Anna’s House – that was designed to raise awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Veterans in the community – both female and male – can be supplied with goods as needed, such as food, clothing, or household items.

During the past year, Lady Veterans Connect has sent supplies to western Kentucky and places like Estill County in the aftermath of tornadoes, floods, and more.

While residency at Anna’s House is available, the organization presently doesn’t have a drug and alcohol program to treat individual cases.

“We could have the place full tomorrow, if we accepted drug and alcohol veterans,” said Abbott. “We will work with them to get help someplace else, and then come to our programs if they want to get clean…those are the obstacles we’ve incurred in having individuals understand why we’re not full.”

Regarding other health-related concerns, Lady Veterans Connect does seek to take action that will be helpful.

“A large percentage of the women do not seek help through the [Veterans Administration],” said Abbott. “They don’t even realize that they’re possible for any benefits, so it’s an educational process that we do as well.”

Lady Veterans Connect will host an open house on July 9th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.