The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Women Veterans is holding an enrollment initiative to help educate, connect and empower prior-service members in San Antonio.

The two-day long event at the Henry B. Gonzalez convention center, is one of five regional summits happening across the country, meant to meet women veterans where they are to ensure they are getting access to the benefits that they earned in service to their country.

The mission is access, according to Jacquie Hayes-Byrd, who serves as executive director of the Center for Women Veterans.

“Our major goal is to make sure that we look out for our women veterans,” Hayes-Byrd said. “Often times, women veterans do not see themselves as veterans. It isn’t until we change the dialogue and ask the question ‘did you serve?’ And then the thought is ‘yeah, I did; I am a Veteran.’ So, that change in dialogue helps women veterans understand ‘okay, it is okay for me to go after the services that I earned.'” 

Hayes-Byrd says Texas has one of the largest numbers of women veterans, which is how San Antonio was selected to host the two-day summit featuring keynote speakers and help accessing, locating or applying for benefits.

“We want to make sure that when they do leave the military, the first time they’re finding out about the VA is not five or six years down the road,” Hayes-Byrd said.

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones addresses attendees on day one of the summit, sharing experience navigating healthcare benefits and other services the VA offers.

“San Antonio has the fastest growing female veteran population in the country,” Ortiz Jones said. “As an Air Force Veteran, a proud Iraq War Veteran, I get my own care at the VA, so I know it’s really important that folks, especially women veterans, sign up for those benefits. It’s not just healthcare, it’s also housing, the VA loans, it’s also educational, so there are so many benefits and these are benefits veterans have earned, so it’s really important to sign up.”

You can check out a full schedule of events and more information on the summit by clicking here.