Women Veterans Network

By Holly Shaffner

For this Women’s History Month, we spotlight a local nonprofit organization that supports women veterans. According to reports from 2019, there are about 240,000 military veterans in San Diego County and of those veterans, approximately 10-11% are women veterans. With around 25,000 female veterans in the county, the San Diego Women Veterans Network (SDWVN) has a big mission that can affect so many women.

It all started with informal get togethers where women vets just wanted to meet their sisters and build camaraderie. Now, ten years later, the organization has become more formalized with planned events (pre-COVID), applied for 501(c)3 nonprofit status, developed a website and social media platforms, and established a collaboration and network of service providers for the women veterans in the county.

The founder and current President of the organization is U.S. Army veteran, Billiekai Boughton. She started the group when she felt that women vets were being ignored and their voices were not being heard.

“We believe women vets are resilient and strong, and they deserve better,” said Boughton.

The network has helped women vets who were living in their car, to helping women transition from active duty to civilian life by connecting them with services for jobs and resumes, to fulfilling their #1 request – to meet other women vets.

There’s three ways the Network brings it all together: • Provide opportunities to create belonging and community for Women Veterans • Provide a forum for service providers to work together to become more effective and more efficient • Organize and host bridge events to bring the women veterans and service providers together

In the past few years, the organization has hosted a Women’s Health Forum, wine tasting and painting events, monthly Women Warrior Walks, walked in the San Diego Veterans Day parade, volunteered with Operation Dress Code to give back to their fellow sisters, and had monthly meetings to develop new events.

One of the best events they participated in (and got certified as peer leaders) was the nationally recognized program called WoVeN (Women Veterans Network). It is an 8-week program designed to enhance wellness, quality of life, family relationships, and career satisfaction by building strong connections among women Veterans. So where is the local SDWVN headed in 2021? Well, a lot depends on the state of the pandemic and State and County Health and Safety restrictions. Prior to COVID, the SDWVN had a career forum planned for female veterans; that event is a goal for when it can safely be held. Their Women Warrior Walks will continue on the second Saturday of each month. The walk is about two hours around Lake Murray; it is family (and pet) friendly and a great way to meet fellow women vets. More info can be found on Meetup at: www.meetup.com/San-Diego-VeteranWomens-Networking-Meetup

“I miss being with my sisters,” said Boughton. “We want to get back to live, in-person events so that we can continue to build relationships and thrive and grow.”

For more information about the organization, go to: www.sdwvn.org or follow them on Facebook @SDVWN.

If you know a San Diego County woman veteran who needs support, contact Billiekai Boughton directly at: billiekai@sdwvn.org or at (858) 822-5450.

For more information about WoVeN, go to:

www.wovenwomenvets.org