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Helpful Links


Organizations

Friends of the Hammond Public Library

Friends of the Hammond Public Library staff a Book Sale Room and snack area at the Library, 564 State St. The room is open during library hours. 564 State Street Hammond, Indiana 46320

 (219) 931-5100


 Indiana Funeral Directors Association 


National Funeral Directors Association


Hospice Care

AseraCare Hospice 

808 Vale Park Road

Valparaiso, Indiana 46383

(219) 531-0869

(888) 868-1957


Blue Skies Hospice 

2714 - 169th Street Hammond, Indiana 46323 (219) 554-0688


Harbor Light Hospice 

1841 East Summit Street Crown Point, Indiana 46307 (219) 661-3100


Hospice of The Calumet Area 

600 Superior Avenue Munster, Indiana 46321 (219) 922-2732


Unity Hospice 

7020 Broadway Merrillville, Indiana 46410 (219) 769-8648


Visiting Nurses Association Hospice 

501 Marquette Street

Valparaiso, Indiana 46383

(219) 462-5195 - Office


VITAS Innovative Hospice

7863 Broadway

Suite 118

Merrillville, Indiana 46410

(219) 791-0561

(888) 232-6111



Grief Support

Cancer Resource Centre 

Cancer Resourse Centre, a support program of Community Cancer Research Foundation, also specializing in Grief Support Programs. 926 Ridge Road, Munster, IN 46321 (219) 836-3349

The Wounded Healers 

1626 Mourning Dove Drive,Munster, IN 46321 (219)-924-5577 

The WOUNDED HEALERS® Grief Support Program offers comfort to people grieving the death of someone special by providing information, resource and the companionship necessary to bring healing, change and restructure to their lives. We provide this program to anyone searching for help while traveling this difficult journey.


Newspapers


Local Interest


Memorials / Charities


Veterans

Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery 

20953 West Hoff Road Elwood, Illinois 60421 (815) 423-9958


Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington, Virginia 22211 (877) 907-8585


Disabled American Veterans 

Fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served.

DAV OFFICIAL MISSION STATEMENT

We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government.

Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically.

Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government.

Extending DAV’s mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local Chapters.

Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.

Eternal Peace, Interment Aboard the USS Arizona 


Honor Flight 

They transport America's veterans to Washington DC to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices at no cost. The mission is helping every single veteran in America, willing and able of getting on a plane or a bus, visit THEIR memorial.

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor 

The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor commemorates the extraordinary sacrifices of America's servicemen and servicewomen who were killed or wounded in combat. The mission of the Hall of Honor is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across generations to ensure that all recipients are represented.

The award known as the Purple Heart has a history that reaches back to the waning days of the American Revolution. The Continental Congress had forbidden General George Washington from granting commissions and promotions in rank to recognize merit. Yet Washington wanted to honor merit, particularly among the enlisted soldiers. On August 7, 1782, his general orders established the Badge of Military Merit:

... The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit directs whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk edged with narrow lace or binding."

This award was open only to enlisted men and granted them the distinction of being permitted to pass all guards and sentinels as could commissioned-officers. The names of the recipients were to have been kept in a "Book of Merit" (which has never been recovered). At the present time there are three known recipients of the Badge of Military Merit: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, 2nd Continental Dragoons; Sergeant William Brown, 5th and Sergeant Daniel Bissel, 2nd Connecticut Continental Line Infantry.

Washington stated that the award was to be a permanent one, but once the Revolution ended, the Badge of Merit was all but forgotten until the 20th century.

General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing suggested a need for an award for merit in 1918, but it was not until 1932 that the Purple Heart was created in recognition of Washington's ideals and for the bicentennial of his birth. General Order No.3 announced the establishment of the award:

"...By order of the President of the United States, the Purple Heart, established by General George Washington at Newburgh, August 7, 1782, during the War of the Revolution is hereby revived out of respect to his memory and military achievements.

By order of the Secretary of War:

Douglas MacArthur

General, Chief of Staff

On May 28, 1932, 137 World War I veterans were conferred their Purple Hearts at Temple Hill, in New Windsor, NY. Temple Hill was the site of the New Windsor Cantonment, which was the final encampment of the Continental Army in the winter of 1782-1783. Today, the National Purple Heart continues the tradition begun here in 1932, of honoring those who have earned the Purple Heart.

The Purple Heart has undergone many changes with respect to the criteria for being awarded. At first, the Purple Heart was exclusively awarded to Army and Army Air Corps personnel and could not be awarded posthumously to the next of kin. In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order allowing the Navy to award the Purple Heart to Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel. Also in that year, the Purple Heart was made available for posthumous award to any member of the military killed on or after December 7, 1941.

Originally the Purple Heart was awarded for meritorious service. Being wounded was one portion of consideration for merit. With the creation of the Legion of Merit in 1942, the award of the Purple Heart for meritorious service became unnecessary and was therefore discontinued. The Purple Heart, per regulation is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917 has been wounded, killed, or has died after being wounded.


Veterans Benefits 


Wounded Warrior Project 

To raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. The mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.



Social Security

Social Security

418 East Douglas Street Hammond, Indiana 46320 (877) 512-3859 1438 East 85th Avenue Merrillville, Indiana 46310 (877) 692-3142 10718 South Roberts Road Palos Hills, Illinois 60465 (708) 974-4370 9715 South Cottage Grove Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60628 National Office (800) 772-1213

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