Maya Gwynn
With KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn with Black Perspectives IE, a show where we learn about the amazing things members of the Black community are doing in the Inland Empire. My guest today is Daisy Tate Esq., Co-Founder of Veterans Supplemental Support Network. Thank you so much for being here.
Daisy Tate
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Maya Gwynn
Of course, I'm very excited for this conversation. We're gonna start kind of at the beginning. Can you share what specifically about your background led you to want to work with veterans and their family?
Daisy Tate
Absolutely, born into a veteran family, just enjoying the lifestyle of active duty and then moving in and transitioning as a veteran, but then also looking at some of those pain points, access to services, and often what's invisible, which is near and dear to my heart, which is spouses. So, when VSSN, Veteran Supplemental Support Network was started, co-founded by myself and another JAG officer, Tom Lewis, we started with the need of supporting those families that had incidents through TMO, which is the - basically The Moving Organization, and they coordinated moves and PCS's and so forth, and a lot of families lost items and so forth. So, we came in and we built a network of business partners and community partners to provide some of those supplemental items that were lost. We supplement what cannot be accessed through VA or through our federal government services. Meanwhile, we began to see even a deeper need around social determinants of health and what was missing and how VSSN could be a part and supporting behavior health care and navigation, when you're navigating from whether you're changing your duty station, you're transitioning from a service branch. So we began to set up the nonprofit to, again, look like direct behavior healthcare and peer navigation.
Maya Gwynn
Wow. That is incredible. Specifically to the IE, what unique challenges do veterans in the Inland Empire face when it comes to accessing behavioral healthcare? And how does your organization address broader factors like housing, employment and financial stability?
Daisy Tate
Some of the key pieces that we've seen, in particular, is just understanding what benefits are. And every veteran looks and their life is different, and every veteran family and military family life is different because we're all different. We're humans, right? So, then our journey is also different and it depends on whether you serve for a decade or under a decade, whether you are honorable, dishonorable, other than, this that and the other, it all looks different. And understanding what your benefits means to you and your family, their family that have those other members with exceptional family needs. So, what does that benefit look like? What does your college benefit? So, there's so many, I think, especially in the IE, there are so many great resources available. But, to understand and navigate what resource best fits my situation is where I believe that we as a whole and community can do a better job navigating our veteran and veteran families there, and I'm happy that VSSN has stepped up to do so.
Maya Gwynn
Do you see a difference in how black veterans are treated from other races?
Daisy Tate
That's a good question too. You know, I see the difference in the education and access to information. And what that means is sometimes it's assumed that we should know, meaning Americans of African descent or another minority group, should know what's available, and that's not always the case. So, I think the culture side of it gets overlooked or would they assume, meaning the overall community possibly, could assume that people have accesses to resources because that resource exists, but there's not a pathway to.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah. And VSSN talks a lot about compassion and connection, which I really love that you emphasize that on your website. How do you keep the human touch at the center of your work as the organization grows? Especially, when we're dealing with specific population then- I feel like has been neglected.
Daisy Tate
How do we keep the human touch - is to continue to say hello. I think the first thing when we train our staff and volunteers, it just start with hello. We- at the heart of what we do is our event, and our events is our outreach, and that keeps us in the community, keeps our eyes and ears to the ground. Yes, there's some data that is collected so that we can understand where the need is and how to better serve and program design, whether it's designing initiative, but it truly is at the hello and the hello starts at our events. Whether that's our Winter Wonderland, which is the largest veteran military holiday giveaway in the Inland Empire, over 7000 people attend. That kicks off our holiday giving season, where we give over 20,000 toys away and five or six hundred trees away. Hopefully, we're moving the artificial trees, just to say for sustainability. But, yeah no, again, that's the heart of our events, whether it's a pop-up Daisy Walk event for military veteran suicide awareness, Service Day event like Lawntopia. Those are some of the signature events that we have, so that we can continue to stay connected with those we serve in the community around us.
Maya Gwynn
Seeing people for where they're at.
Daisy Tate
That's right. So important.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah. We're gonna move to our rapid fire portion. If your work had a theme song, what would it be?
Daisy Tate
"We Gonna be Alright" by Kendrick Lamar.
Maya Gwynn
That's been the most popular song on here.
Daisy Tate
Seriously?
Maya Gwynn
Yeah, oh yeah. Every popular Kendrick song. If you had to teach a master class or give a TED talk on a random skill you have besides what you do for a living, what would it be?
Daisy Tate
Discipline and commitment.
Maya Gwynn
Wow. And what is your favorite IE restaurant or landmark that reminds you of the Inland Empire?
Daisy Tate
Riverside National Cemetery, and that's because it has the National Wall of Honor, which is absolutely gorgeous. It really has some of the most beautiful monuments there, the POW/MIA monument. Forgive me, but I believe that is the only one in Riverside and San Diego counties. There's a- such a beauty and a reverence and reminds of strengths and stories within that establishment.
Maya Gwynn
That's a great answer. My grandma and grandpa are buried there because my grandpa was in the Air Force. So yeah, and how can people keep up with you and support your work, like the events that you mentioned, how can people attend these?
Daisy Tate
Absolutely, Instagram is vssnvets. Online is vetsupportnet.org. You can follow us on all of those social media, Instagram and Facebook. Also Eventbrite, a lot of people follow us on Eventbrite. So, if you want to catch an event, and just to let you know, all of our events are free to military veteran families. Shameless plug to all of our sponsors, Dunkin Donuts, Cinnabon, Yard House, that provides free food during those events. Handel's Ice Cream, which is great. So, when you get to an event expect to be fed. Expect to be fed for free if you're military veteran linked. And if you're a community member, expect resources and fun, and we just really try to keep everything lively and celebrating the lives and stories of those who served and are still serving.
Maya Gwynn
Thank you so much. This is a great interview. Thank you so much for being here.
Daisy Tate
I appreciate you. Thank you.
Maya Gwynn
Daisy Tate, Esq. is Co-Founder of the Veterans Supplemental Support Network. Find this segment and others at kvcrnews.org/bpie. Support for this segment comes from The Black Equity Fund at IECF, advancing racial equity and supporting long term investments in black-led organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Join us again next week for Black Perspectives IE. For KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn. Thank you.
