Patient Services:

We fund monthly luncheons and holiday dinners for the 32 inpatients and numerous outpatients at
the Jefferson Barracks spinal cord injury unit.  At an average luncheon, we will serve 80-100
people, which will include patients, their families, and unit staff. These occasions are a great
opportunity for veterans who were injured years ago to meet with and provide support to the newly
injured veterans at the spinal cord unit. It also is an opportunity for the family members to meet
and share experiences. The Chapter also provides calling cards for patients to keep in touch with
their loved ones, day room snacks and soda, volunteer's supplies and various other benefits to our
veterans who must spend time in the hospital.

Gateway members serve as peer counselors to newly injured or diagnosed spinal cord disease
veterans in a VA approved Peer Counseling Program. Members with years of experience living
with spinal cord injury or diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, match up with the newly injured or
diagnosed veterans. These newly hospitalized individuals, both men and women, may have been
injured while on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, or several years later long after having been
discharged. The program tries to assign counselors based upon age, injury level, and life
experience. Counselors go through training for their assignments and adhere to strict federal
guidance on patient privacy. The counselors are members who can truly say to the newly injured:
"I know what you're going through".  Two of our Gateway board members sit on the Advisory
Council with professional VA staff, overseeing the Peer Counseling Program.