May Chaplains and Tea Event
On Monday, May 19, 2025, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) Chaplain Services held a ‘Chaplains and Tea’ event in the lobby of the Spark Matsunaga Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) in Honolulu.
This month, Chaplain Services was joined by the Caregiver Support and Social Work programs. Light refreshments and spiritual care materials were provided, along with information.
“We’re not a hospital, and we don’t have our own Chapel,” said Chief of Chaplain Services Dr. Richie Charles. “That’s why outreach is an important component for us in the Pacific Islands. Veterans don’t come to us, so we must reach out to them.”
Veterans do not need to be of a particular faith to access Chaplain Services. Any Veteran can call 808-433-0271 to speak with a Chaplain. Additionally, they can email VHAHONChaplain@va.gov. Chaplains can provide spiritual advice, assist in conflict resolution, provide grief care, and much more. Caring for the whole Veteran is a theme in VA care because Veterans are more than symptoms, diagnoses, and medication. They are people who need support to achieve overall wellness.
“Caregiver support joins Chaplain Services at these events because it seems a natural fit for us,” said VAPIHCS Caregiver Support Program Manager Dawn Carlock. “We want to connect with Veterans and their caregivers and ensure that they get the support they need.”
The VAPIHCS Caregiver Support program provides a variety of resources such as support groups, educational materials on medical conditions and symptoms to look out for, and much more. For qualifying caregivers of Veterans with a disability rating of 70% or higher, the program may even be able to provide financial compensation. Visit their website to learn more about who qualifies and how to enroll.
This month, Chaplain Services was also joined by VAPIHCS Social Work program. Primary Care Social Worker Linda Sue Stevens had a table set up to help Veterans navigate a variety of VA services. Less than a month ago, VAPIHCS social workers highlighted national ‘health care decisions day;’ a day to talk with Veterans and their families about their wishes regarding end-of-life care. Stevens explained why this is important.
“If you never talk with your family about your wishes, then you could have a stroke or be in a car accident, and your family might have no idea what you want,” Stevens said. “When you fill out an advanced directive, your health care team and your family can see what your feelings are about living on a ventilator, being kept alive in a coma, and other hard choices that they might not know how to make for you.”
Veterans may not know about all the programs available to support them. That’s why outreach events like Chaplains and Tea are so important. As Veterans come in for their appointments, they notice the tables set up in the ACC lobby, and they come over and talk about the things they need help with. VAPIHCS has a Chaplains and Tea event every third Monday of the month unless the third Monday is a holiday -in which case- it moves to the fourth Monday of the month.
“This is a great way to connect with Veterans, and sometimes it can turn into a deeper connection,” said Chaplain Charles. “We’ve been able to get Veterans hooked into programs they need and even do counseling sessions when needed. That’s’ why outreach matters, because we help Veterans getting plugged in with what they need.”