THE SERENADE FOR STRENGTH · MARCH 31, 2026
The night a community said
YES to her healing.
More than 200 people gathered at the Music Center at Strathmore — healthcare leaders, government officials, Grammy Award-winning artists, and advocates — to honor women veterans and commit to their healing. Watch what happened.
"The community is the medicine. Brick-and-mortar clinics are essential, but they are not sufficient. Healing — true, whole-person healing — happens through relationships, through belonging, through a community that refuses to let her journey go unwitnessed."
— D R . E V E LY N L . L E W I S , M D, M A , FA A F P, DA B DA · P R E S I D E N T & C H A I R , V H W F
2025 IMPACT
A decade of work. A year of milestones.
THE CHALLENGE
Women veterans are rising. The systems that serve them are not keeping pace.
Women are the fastest-growing veteran population in the United States — nearly two million strong — and among the most underserved. VHWF exists to close that gap.
Elevated Suicide Risk
Women veterans face a significantly higher suicide risk than civilian women — demanding accessible, gender-sensitive mental health care.
Military Sexual Trauma
A significant proportion experience MST, often leading to PTSD, depression, and long-term trauma requiring specialized, trauma-informed care.
Healthcare Access Gaps
Many require gender-specific, exposure-informed care not consistently available in existing VA or community healthcare systems.
System Fragmentation
Benefits, mental health, and housing resources exist in silos with no unified entry point — and no one to navigate it on her behalf.
Homelessness & Transition
Women veterans are among the fastest-growing homeless populations, frequently navigating family responsibilities alongside financial instability and transition barriers.
SERENADE FOR STRENGTH · MARCH 31, 2026
A night that proved the community is ready.
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Government Recognition
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich issued an official Proclamation honoring women veterans — calling the entire community to action.
National Leaders Honored
Steve Schwab (Elizabeth Dole Foundation CEO), Dr. Carolyn Clancy (VHA Assistant Under Secretary), and Virginia Delegate Delores McQuinn were among the honorees.
Grammy-Winning Artistry
Three-time Grammy winner J'Nai Bridges performed alongside conductor Victor Simonson and violinist Stephen Spottswood — world-class music in service of the mission.
200+ Gathered
Physicians, attorneys, nonprofits, community leaders, elected officials, and veterans came together — a room that reflected the breadth of this mission's reach.
Partnership in Action
CHC: Creating Healthier Communities copresented the inaugural Vital Ground Award — a living demonstration of mission-aligned organizational partnership.
A Posthumous Honor
Dr. Renee Allen — veteran, Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, beloved community figure — was honored posthumously, her award accepted with love by her sister.
WHAT WE DO
Three programs. One mission.
Every program VHWF operates is built on a single conviction: no veteran should have to navigate her post-service journey alone.
01 — Connect
VetConnect360™
An always-available, trauma-informed platform combining real human support with curated digital pathways — helping veterans find benefits, mental health support, peer connection, and employment resources in one place. Built by people who've served, for people who've served.
02 — Educate
Healthcare Provider Training
VHWF develops and delivers evidence-based military cultural competency training for physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals. In 2025, we trained 9,761 providers — influencing an estimated 1.95 million veteran patient encounters nationwide.
03 — Navigate
VA Bene!ts Navigation
A nationwide navigator network providing personalized, one-on-one guidance through the VA benefits and disability claims process — at no cost to veterans. From first consultation to approved claim, no veteran walks this road alone.
2025 POLICY WINS
Changing the law. Protecting millions.
OUR FOUNDER
Dr. Evelyn L. Lewis
MD, MA, FAAFP, DABDA · PRESIDENT & CHAIR · 25-YEAR NAVY VETERAN
Dr. Evelyn Lewis did not found the Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation because she was looking for a cause. She founded it because, after 25 years of service as a Navy medical officer, she watched too many veterans — especially women — struggle to access the healthcare and benefits they had earned. She could not look away.
In October 2014, she assembled a team of fellow veterans and healthcare experts and built what did not yet exist: an organization at the intersection of clinical expertise, legislative advocacy, and community-centered healing.
Since then, VHWF has trained nearly 10,000 healthcare providers, championed three landmark laws, launched a national navigation platform, and stood at the Strathmore on March 31, 2026 — proof that a community committed to women veterans can fill a room and move a nation.
JOIN THE MISSION
The serenade has begun.
May it never end.
"The women in this room — and the thousands more we have yet to reach — are counting on a community that shows up long after the music fades."
$50
MENTAL WELLNESS RESOURCE KIT FOR ONE VETERAN
$150
ONE MONTH OF PEER SUPPORT CIRCLE ACCESS
$500
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKSHOP FOR 10 VETERANS
$1K+
NAMED SPONSOR OF THE HEALING HER JOURNEY INITIATIVE
To build, educate, and maintain resource networks to support the complex physical, social, and emotional health needs of Veteran communities across the nation.
© 2026 Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation · Rockville, Maryland
501(c)(3) nonprofit · All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law