Covenant Health is pleased to be a sponsor of an upcoming event for women veterans: the area’s first Freddie J. Owens Women Veterans Summit, to be held Thursday, Oct. 4, at Redemption Church, 3550 Pleasant Ridge Drive in Knoxville.

The event is presented by Vet to Vet Tennessee with support from a variety of organizations, including Covenant Health, East Tennessee Military Affairs Council, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and Vietnam Veterans of America, among others.

The summit is a tribute to Freddie J. Owens, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a community leader in developing support programs for veterans and their families. Owens passed away last year, but had vowed to focus his efforts on recognizing the contributions of women veterans in our area, both during and after military service.

Tish Breeding, Covenant Health Integrity-Compliance officer and a U.S. Navy veteran, will serve as master of ceremonies for the summit. Cindy Winterberger, LMSW, a social worker at Covenant HomeCare and Hospice, will present a session on the Covenant Hospice “We Honor Veterans” program, which supports veterans and their families who are receiving end-of-life care. It also encourages veterans to consider becoming hospice volunteers to provide friendship and a helping hand for veterans in hospice.

Winterberger said the purpose of the summit is both to recognize women veterans and to share information from the Department of Veterans Affairs and community organizations devoted to the care and needs of veterans.

“We want to be sure that our veterans at Covenant Health – both men and women – are aware of this event. It will provide valuable information regarding VA benefits and programs as well as community resources for veterans,” she said. Presentations also will include topics such as veteran/military-friendly congregations, physical and mental health resources, and suicide prevention training.

The Women Veterans Summit will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. More information and online registration is available at www.womenvetssummit.tnvhc.org. Attendees also may register at the door. Cost is $20, however, women veterans working at Covenant Health are invited to attend the Summit at no charge. (If registering online, women veterans should choose the “Student” ticket option, which does not have a fee.) All women veterans will be honored at the beginning of the event and each woman will receive an embroidered scarf recognizing her military service.

If you have additional questions, contact Cindy Winterberger, cwinterb@covhlth.com.