Gulf Coast VA and Veterans Benefits Administration host vet enrollment and benefits fair

Pensacola News Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK
·4 min read

Gulf Coast VA, in partnership with the Veterans Benefits Administration, will host a free PACT Act enrollment and benefits event from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 6 at the Pensacola VA Clinic, 790 Veterans Way.

The Veterans Enrollment and Benefits Fair is being held to educate and inform Veterans about new PACT Act benefits expansions and to provide onsite services, to include VA health care enrollment, toxic exposure screenings, VA claims assistance, and Vet Center resources. Attendees will also have opportunities to meet with state and local political representatives, veteran service organizations, and veteran-owned and supporting businesses.

Representing VBA at the event will be personnel from the Montgomery Regional Office., along with personnel from the St. Petersburg Regional Office.

Gulf Coast VA and the Veterans Benefits Administration partner for a veterans enrollment and benefits event at the Pensacola VA Clinic.
Gulf Coast VA and the Veterans Benefits Administration partner for a veterans enrollment and benefits event at the Pensacola VA Clinic.

Gulf Coast VA leaders encourage local veterans and families to take advantage of this opportunity to enroll for VA health care, submit claims related to toxic exposures, and take advantage of other services.

Veterans and families do not need to sign up or register for this event.

Email carla.thomas@va.gov or jason.boatwright@va.gov for details.

Shorebird nesting season underway at the National Seashore

National Park Service biologists recently discovered the first shorebird nest of the season in the Fort Pickens Area.

Each year, beginning in February and ending in late summer, the Gulf Islands National Seashore provides important habitat for several species of ground-nesting shorebirds including, least terns, snowy plovers, Wilson’s plovers, and black skimmers.

Visitors and locals can help protect shorebirds by proudly displaying the free Gulf Islands Chick sticker and following posted speed limits of 25 mph. Visitors are now able to receive a free chick sticker at Fort Pickens and Perdido Key entrance stations while supplies last.

The sticker helps remind visitors to maintain the mandatory park speed limit of 25 mph. Adult birds and their tiny chicks are sometimes struck by vehicles while crossing roadways to access feeding and resting areas. By observing posted speed limits and watching for birds along the roadway, visitors can help to protect the nesting birds and reduce the number of road-killed wildlife.

Be advised that human intrusion into nesting closures can cause birds to take flight. Adult birds will often dive at intruders to drive them away from the colony as a protection behavior. Alarmed birds may then fly low across the road and into the paths of an oncoming vehicle. Bicyclists, walkers, and joggers are encouraged to be aware of bird behaviors along the roadways near posted nesting areas.

Visit nps.gov for details.

City Parks and Recreation host Wellness in the Park

The city of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department is continuing its partnership with Pensacola wellness studio Breathe Yoga and Wellness Center and offering free yoga classes to citizens throughout 2024, as a part of its Wellness in the Park Series. The latest one-hour outdoor yoga class will take place at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 7 at Bayview Park, 2001 E. Lloyd St.

The program will be led by certified instructors and is open to all ages and levels of experience. Participants must bring their own mat and other accessories. Participants are asked to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated, as water will not be provided.

Participants are encouraged to visit the Breathe Yoga and Wellness Center Eventbrite website to register and sign a liability waiver ahead of every class. Each participant will be required to sign a liability waiver in order participate.

Visit playpensacola.com for details.

Baptist Health Care offers support groups in April

Baptist Health Care will offer the following support group meetings in April to help enhance the quality of life throughout the Pensacola community. More information, including location details, is available by calling the phone number provided for each meeting.

  • Noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 9: Weight-Loss Surgery Support. Register in advance by calling Weight-Loss Support at 448-227-6250.

  • Noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 atBaptist Medical Park – Navarre and April 23 at Baptist Hospital: Stroke Recovery. For details, visit ebaptisthealthcare.org/stroke/events.

  • 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 9: Patient and Family Cancer Support. Register in advance by calling Cancer Support Services at 448-227-6000.

  • 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11: Prostate Cancer Support. Register in advance by calling Cancer Support Services at 448-227-6000.

  • 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 16: Breast Cancer Support Group. Bear Family Foundation Health Center, Suite 1C. For details, call 448-227-6048.

  • 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 and 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, April 24: Postpartum Support Group. Free.

  • 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 25: Diabetes Management Support Group. Call 448-227-6221 or email pharmacotherapy@bhcpns.org for details.

Take part: To make a Causes submission, email giving@pnj.com.

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Gulf Coast VA alongside VBA host Veterans Enrollment and Benefits Fair