Alexandria, Virginia- Pamela Pfeiffer, president of The Empowerment Society of the United States of America honors U.S. Department of Defense Army Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Manager Herb Schwartz and Harold Erickson. The DoD has distributed information to their offices worldwide recognizing ESUSA as a Featured Transition Assistance Program for the women of the United States Army. ESUSA is also working as a follow up program for separating female military members of the U.S. Navy and Marines.

 

 

Local OBC resident to assist returning female vets

Oyster Bay Cove's Pamela Pfeiffer, the Founder of the Empowerment Society of the USA, a non for profit organization.

This month, at the Point Mugu California Naval Base, Ms. Pfeiffer was invited to coach returning female veterans to address civilian transition issues, and helping them to thrive in their new environment. Participating with Ms. Pfeiffer was Naval Reserve Lieutenant Luann Swanberg who joins the Empowerment Society as a military consultant.

"Our veterans have given so much while in uniform," said Ms. Pfieffer, "It's my privilege to help them at this time when they make the change to civilian clothes."

For more information on the Empowerment Society and its mission contact: Pamela Pfeiffer, office # 516-922-7134

 

 

Sergeant Valentin By Pamela Pfeiffer Saturday March 13, 2004- On Thursday morning, Feb. 26th, I awoke as usual to the sound of my clock radio. Only this morning it was not playing the usual “get up and go” music. Instead what I heard was the choked up voice of Sergeant Betsy Valentin of the US Army. Sergeant Valentin proceeded to tell the listening audience that after nineteen years in the army reserves, she was deployed to active duty in Iraq back in Feb, 2003. On Feb. 19th 2004, she was sent home on emergency leave. She was shocked to find the life she had left in tact a year ago was now in shambles.

Her husband of seventeen years is now in jail, charged with sexually harassing a minor. Her bank account was empty. All of her active war-zone duty government paychecks which were automatically deposited into her bank account were gone, along with her life savings. Not only was she now penniless, but she was informed that her home was in the final stages of foreclosure because her husband failed to make the mortgage payments since she left the country. There’s more.

Sergeant Valentin’s husband, the father of her three children, told their children that she had been blown up and was dead!

By now I was sitting straight up in bed staring at the clock radio with my jaw dropped wide open. All I could think of was, “Dear God, what can I do to help this woman?”

I immediately dialed the radio station. I told the DJ that I was Pamela Pfeiffer, president of The Empowerment Society of the United States of America. We are a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to helping women overcoming crises. I gave them our number and later that day Sergeant Valentin contacted us. After a long conversation, Betsy knew that she was not alone in this situation and we had a plan of action.

WPLR and Webster Bank in Connecticut had already set up a “save the house fund” for anyone who was willing to donate money to save her home from foreclosure. A lawyer had stepped foreword to sort out the legalities and protect her from the repercussions of her absence.

The Empowerment Society headed to Randolph, NJ that Saturday to attend The Woman’s Symposium: A Work in Progress. Hundreds of women gathered together holding a common belief that women empower women through friendship, kindness and love. By the end of the day we had collected $416.00 to help this brave woman who served and protected us in the heat of the war zone in Iraq. The women of Morris County came through with flying colors for our sergeant!

On behalf of Sergeant Betsy Valentin and The Empowerment Society of the United States of America, I would like to make a special thanks to Pam Small for allowing me to bring Betsy’s story to the attendees. And much thanks and gratitude for the generosity of all who listened, contributed and wrote notes of encouragement.

For more information about Sergeant Valentin or The Empowerment Society please contact us at: 516-459-4735 or
The Empowerment Society of the United States of America
PO Box 51
Oyster Bay, NY 11771

Blue Heron Vision—Volume 1, Issue 3
As we journey through life, most of us want to have many possibilities and options available to us so that we can manage the situations, decisions, and challenges we face. None of us likes to be...