Paralyzed Veterans of America - Gateway Chapter

Our programs are:membership: Gateway pva has a growing membership, currently around 630 members.patient services: we provide monthly luncheons and holiday dinners for inpatients and outpatients at the va spinal cord unit. We provide snacks and refreshments for inpatients 5 days per week, as well as furnish long distance calling cards for them to keep in contact with their families. One of our most important missions is ensuring our members receive the healthcare they deserve from the st. louis area va facilities.transportation: the Chapter operates our own van to transport members to therapy programs, doctor's appointments, and various events. This service has recently been expanded to 5 days per week and we are now picking up members from area nursing homes.communication: we produce a bi-monthly newsletter to keep our membership and others informed of benefits, events, and issues of interest.peer support: the chapters members provide counseling support for newly injured Veterans beginning within days of the initial hospitilization.advocacy: the Chapter continues to be involved in securing access to the recently renovated alton national Veterans cemetery, which sits on a hillside without access for wheelchairs. We initiated and monitored an online survey concerning the accessibility of air travel for the disabled. As a result, we received and analyzed over 150 surveys and presented these findings to other disability organizations, as well as to congressional committees, in hopes of fully inplementing the air carrier access act. The Chapter has again become active with the Missouri association of Veterans organizations, which works to secure and improve Veterans' benefits in the state of missouri.sports & recreation: Gateway pva provides funding and encourages member participation through community activities such as seasonal trap shoots and wheelchair games.