Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veterans Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
YWCA of Northern New Jersey presents Operation Sisterhood to Senate committee, seeks statewide funding
Summary
Lucy Delgaudio of the YWCA described Operation Sisterhood, a program to help women veterans with housing, workforce training and trauma-informed care, and requested targeted statewide funding to expand services in five counties.
Lucy Delgaudio, a U.S. Army veteran representing the YWCA of Northern New Jersey, briefed the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Operation Sisterhood, a comprehensive program to support women veterans’ transition from military service to civilian life.
Delgaudio said Operation Sisterhood offers resource navigation, trauma-informed counseling, workforce development and emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities. She said the program launched with a grant from Women United in Philanthropy and currently covers five counties — Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic and Morris — with plans to expand.
She cited state and national statistics to underscore the need: “As of 2022, New Jersey is home to approximately 281,000 veterans,” she said, adding that about 27,603 are women in the state. Delgaudio described partnerships and MOUs with veteran service organizations and a relationship with Bergen NewBridge Hospital to provide gender-specific care often not available through standard VA services.
Delgaudio also highlighted homelessness and suicide risks among women veterans and emphasized the need for child-friendly transitional housing and gender-sensitive mental health services.
Committee members asked about funding and program reach; Delgaudio said the YWCA is actively pursuing statewide and national grants to scale the effort and expects MOUs with VSOs and hospitals to support implementation.
The committee thanked the witness and moved on to the next agenda item.
