Celebrating Women Veterans - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Some female veterans don't even know they're eligible.  However, if you have a discharge -- even if you didn't see combat or served during peacetime -- the Dakota Sisterhood of Women Veterans says they can help.  They have information on over 20 different services supporting women veterans.  

  The difficult part can be connecting with the vets themselves.  The group is hand-crafting a quilt in an attempt to keep track and provide some recognition.

"There are just shy, or little over, 6,000 women veterans recorded in the state of North Dakota.  And for us, we've been working on this quilt for just shy of two years and it's a growing quilt.  That means, any veteran who served peacetime or wartime can sign a quilt square and put it up," says Stephanie Belohlavek-Geiger, Co-Founder, Dakota Sisterhood of Women Veterans.  Belohlavek-Geiger is also a Marine Corps Veteran.  She says although there are 6,000 women veterans in North Dakota, there are only 198 squares.  The group would like more women veterans to come forward so they can add to the quilt.

Military supporters of all ages are pitching in to help the Dakota Sisterhood get the word out at the Women Veterans' Summit -- where the goal is to educate, fellowship and serve.  And despite the fact women vets have already served, they're still serving.  "We go to the shut-ins, like in nursing homes, take a card or just take cookies someplace and sit and visit with them," says Cindy Munsch, Co-Founder, Dakota Sisterhood of Women Veterans.

The Dakota Sisterhood of Women Veterans is a non-profit organization.  They're not currently receiving any Federal funding, so if you'd like to help, check out their Facebook page.

The month of March has been designated Women's Veterans Month by Governor Jack Dalrymple.