Giving of oneself is really the best way to celebrate the Lenten season and members of the congregation of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church did just that through the church’s Be Rich campaign. The campaign, now in its third year, partners with non-profit organizations to help others through donations and service. “The program is inspired from 1 Timothy 6:18 which says, ‘command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.,'” said Aaron McCullough, the church’s Be Rich campaign coordinator. “A church in Atlanta first came up with the idea and made resources available to other churches. This happened around the same time as our church leadership was looking for some sort of outreach program to bring us all together (all ages) in serving outside our walls,” he added. St. Luke’s partnered with Military Veterans Resource Center (MVRC), The Ohio State University Star House, Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition (CORRC), Faith Mission, Lutheran Social Services Champion Food Pantry and My Very Own Blanket for the 2017 campaign. “Helping veterans has been near the top of our list for some time, so we decided to take it on this year,” McCullough said. The campaign revolved around three themes: “Give, Serve, Love.” Members of the congregation donated a previously identified item of the week for the campaign which lasted from March 1 through April 4. “Our team looked for items we thought we could really stock up on. We’ve found we make a […]

Moving can be stressful for some people and a downright pain for most. But for WWII veteran Dominic Pulito, the whole experience gave him a fresh look on life. “He is a completely changed person, since he moved,” his caregiver Berdina Payne said. “He is more talkative…so much happier,” she added. The 96-year-old Pulito, who was living in a cramped apartment near Dublin, was moved in less than three hours by about a dozen volunteers from Post 4719 of the VFW, American Legion Post 800 and the staff of the Military Veterans Resource Center. The team of veterans and civilians moved Pulito from Claremont Retirement Village near Dublin to a stand-alone ranch-style house on the near East Side of Columbus. Pulito, a veteran of World War II, flew the P-51 Mustang in the US Army Air Corps. The P-51 escorted heavy bombers (B-17s) on massive daylight bombing raids over Germany. Long-range bomber escort became necessary as many unprotected bombers were coming back to base heavily damaged, when they came back at all. “Everytime the bombers went on runs, more than half were shot down for awhile, ” Pulito said. “So they called us up to go over there to protect the bombers. We provided close air support up to their bomb runs and after,” he added. According to aviation-history.com, The P51 Mustang had an astonishing success rate. Its ratio for kills to losses was said to have been 19 kills for every one Mustang lost. The P-51 helped turn the […]

The proposed 2018 military pay charts reflect a 2.1 percent pay increase set forth by the Trump Administration which is the same increase approved by the President Obama in Fiscal Year 2017. 2018 Military Pay Scale (years 2-8) GRADE 2 OR LESS OVER 2 OVER 3 OVER 4 OVER 6 OVER 8 O-10 (*1) $- $- $- $- $- $- O-9 (*1) $- $- $- $- $- $- O-8 (*1) $10,368 $10,708 $10,933 $10,996 $11,278 $11,748 O-7 (*1) $8,615 $9,015 $9,201 $9,348 $9,614 $9,878 O-6 (*2) $6,533 $7,178 $7,649 $7,649 $7,678 $8,007 O-5 $5,446 $6,135 $6,560 $6,640 $6,905 $7,064 O-4 $4,699 $5,440 $5,803 $5,883 $6,220 $6,582 O-3 $4,132 $4,683 $5,055 $5,512 $5,776 $6,066 O-2 $3,570 $4,066 $4,682 $4,841 $4,941 $4,941 O-1 $3,099 $3,225 $3,899 $3,899 $3,899 $3,899 O-3 (*3) $- $- $- $5,512 $5,776 $6,066 O-2 (*3) $- $- $- $4,841 $4,941 $5,098 O-1 (*3) $- $- $- $3,899 $4,163 $4,317 W-5 $- $- $- $- $- $- W-4 $4,270 $4,593 $4,725 $4,855 $5,078 $5,299 W-3 $3,899 $4,062 $4,228 $4,283 $4,458 $4,801 W-2 $3,450 $3,777 $3,877 $0 $4,170 $4,518 W-1 $3,029 $3,355 $3,442 $3,628 $3,847 $4,169 E-9 (*4) $- $- $- $- $- $- E-8 $- $- $- $- $- $4,223 E-7 $2,936 $3,204 $3,327 $3,489 $3,616 $3,834 E-6 $2,539 $2,794 $2,917 $3,037 $3,162 $3,443 E-5 $2,326 $2,483 $2,603 $2,725 $2,917 $3,117 E-4 $2,133 $2,242 $2,363 $2,483 $2,589 $2,589 E-3 $1,925 $2,046 $2,170 $2,170 $2,170 $2,170 E-2 $1,831 $1,831 $1,831 $1,831 $1,831 $1,831 E-1 > 4 mos $1,633 $1,633 $1,633 […]

MVRC Columbus will be hosting Quantum Health for a hiring fair TODAY from 1-4 p.m., for Patient Services Representatives and various nursing positions. Bring your Resume and dress to impress! Patient Service Representatives (PSRs) Patient Service Representatives (PSRs) have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives every day, while working in a collaborative, employee-centered environment focused on caring for our members.  We are looking for empathetic, energetic, smart & service-minded healthcare warriors to join our team. As a PSR, you are the first point of contact for our members and their healthcare providers.  Whether answering a seemingly simple question, or unraveling a complicated billing issue, the primary role of the PSR is to serve as an advocate for our members.  By working directly with members, as well as providers, caregivers and other vendors on the member’s behalf, we take the confusion out of the complex healthcare system. Roles and Tasks: Provide exceptional customer service through inbound & outbound calls with our members, their providers, and other vendors, regarding everything from benefits coverage to claims and billing issues Coordinate care by working directly with patients, providers, claims payers, pharmacies, and any other parties relevant to the healthcare of the patient Ask probing questions to identify and escalate issues relevant to a member’s healthcare journey Advocate for our members through education regarding their health plan and available benefits, and connecting the needed resources or parties to support & streamline their healthcare journey Utilize Quantum Health’s systems and technology to accurately […]

David Kidd, a Vietnam Veteran and Transcendental Meditation (TM) facilitator with 43 years experience will be offering a free four-day TM workshop for veterans at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Dublin. Don’t know what TM is or if it’s the right thing for you? Kidd will be hosting two more information sessions at the Four Points Sheraton Polaris from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. Meet in the meeting room at the hotel, located at 8505 Pulsar Place, Columbus. The information sessions are also free and registration is not necessary. The sessions will explain what TM is, the benefits of TM, and how it works. TM is the most scientific method of self-development available today, with more than 600 studies proving its benefits. More than 3 million Americans have learned TM to date. More about TM can be found at www.tm.org. This program is paid for by grants from the David Lynch Foundation and the Resurrecting Lives Foundation. The course normally costs about $720. Space is limited to 12 veterans for the October workshop. For more information, contact Kidd at dkidd@tm.org or 330-417-3888 (cell).