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  • Military Veterans of Cuenca

  • Veterans Resources  

  • MVOC Charitable Work in Cuenca

    MVOC (Military Vets of Cuenca) is an organization dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of underprivileged children. One of their notable initiatives is a partnership with the Tadeo de Torres orphanage in Cuenca. Through this collaboration, MVOC works tirelessly to ensure that the children living in the orphanage feel special, loved and remembered.
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Monthly Meeting & Upcoming Events
MVOC visits Brigada Portete
MVOC Charitable Projects
Battle of Tarqui
Memorial for Fred
Veteran's Day 2023
Monthly Meeting & Upcoming Events

The first Monday of each month the Military Veterans of Cuenca meet for lunch, socializing and, we usually hear from several very interesting guest speakers. 

7 Oct

 we will meet at noon at Sabatino's Garden Restaurant. ALL who are interested are invited to attend our very informal monthly MVOC meet and greet. Please fill in the form below, even if you are not eating lunch.

Place your lunch order below:

MVOC visits Brigada Portete


MVOC Charitable Projects

05-Aug-2024 

​MVOC donates 524 notebooks to 

​Maria Luisa Moreno Foundation

 

Military Vets of Cuenca (MVOC) donated over $500 to the Maria Luisa Moreno Foundation. This project helps provide notebooks and other school supplies to children in need.

 The Maria Luisa Moreno Fondation is a non-profit entity with more than 20 years of experience, which benefits vulnerable communities through the execution of human development programs with social intervention models, which seek the transformation of human beings. It develops its social work through three strategic lines:

  • Education
  • Humanitarian aid, social welfare
  • Entrepreneurship and productivity. 

Its work has been replicated with foundations and homologous social organizations in countries such as Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, England, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Switzerland. Work has also been done in other countries such as Bolivia and from England and Switzerland, the Foundation managed important aid to benefit vulnerable communities in Cameroon - Africa, as well as for the cities of Bangalore in India and Shanghai in China.

Some pics from the 2023 Maria Luisa Foundation Backpack handout

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Firefighters

In July MVOC (Military Vets of Cuenca) donated much needed supplies to firefighters who were battling the Giron fire.


MVOC followed up with another donation to the firefighters in Aug

​Waters of Life Travel Amazon Project

Military Vets of Cuenca (MVOC) demonstrate their unwavering support for the Waters of Life Travel Amazon Project by extending a helping hand to indigenous groups throughout Ecuador's Amazon region. MVOC recognizes the invaluable importance of preserving and uplifting the unique cultures and livelihoods of these indigenous communities. With their dedicated commitment, MVOC provides essential workers, generous donations, and crucial supplies to ensure the success of the project. By mobilizing their experienced veterans and other skilled individuals, MVOC contributes to the sustainable development of the Amazon, empowering indigenous groups and fostering a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Through their collaborative efforts, MVOC and the Waters of Life Travel Amazon Project make a profound difference in the lives of the indigenous people, preserving their heritage and ensuring a better future for generations to come.

August 2024

We donated and help install water filters in Panintsa village in the jungles of Ecuador. 

It was a very fruitful trip. We were able to deliver four water filtration systems to the people of Panintsa, Tunguintsa, Kambantsa, and Chuindia.

Hogar Infantil Orphanage

MVOC (Military Vets of Cuenca) is an organization dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of underprivileged children. One of their notable initiatives is a partnership with the Tadeo de Torres orphanage in Cuenca. Through this collaboration, MVOC works tirelessly to ensure that the children living in the orphanage feel special, loved and remembered.


One of the ways MVOC accomplishes this is by organizing memorable parties for the children. These parties are a celebration of joy, laughter, and happiness. MVOC volunteers go above and beyond to create a festive atmosphere, complete with decorations, games, music, and delicious treats. The goal is to provide the children with a day filled with laughter and cherished memories. These parties also give the children an opportunity to socialize and interact with others, fostering a sense of community and belonging.

In addition to hosting parties, MVOC facilitates the donation of various items to the orphanage. They work tirelessly to gather essentials such as clothing, shoes, school supplies, and toys. These donated items not only fulfill the practical needs of the children but also bring smiles to their faces. MVOC understands the importance of ensuring that every child feels cared for and valued, and these donations play a crucial role in achieving that goal.

Moreover, MVOC members make personal visits to the orphanage on a regular basis. These visits provide an opportunity for one-on-one interactions with the children, allowing them to build meaningful connections. The members spend quality time with the children, engaging in activities, listening to their stories, and offering emotional support. Through their presence and genuine care, MVOC members strive to create lasting memories and let the children know that they are not forgotten.

MVOC's collaboration with the Tadeo de Torres orphanage in Cuenca exemplifies their commitment to making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. By organizing parties, facilitating donations, and making personal visits, they work tirelessly to ensure that the children living in the orphanage feel special, loved, and remembered. MVOC's efforts bring joy, hope, and a sense of belonging to these children, empowering them to embrace their potential and create a brighter future.

Battle of Tarqui

MVOC was invited to attend the 195th Anniversary of the Battle of Tarqui, which honored the brave troops of Ecuador and Gran Columbia as they defeated a Peruvian army that had just taken the Port of Guayaquil that was twice their size.

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Gobernor of Azuay Colonel Milton Benitez -Center- MVOC L-R John Oakes-Pat Ventimilla-Clarke Brown

Gobernor of Azuay Colonel Milton Benitez -Center- MVOC L-R John Oakes-Pat Ventimilla-Clarke Brown

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Memorial for Fred

Fred was a veteran of the Korean war and resident of Cuenca for the last 13 years

Veteran's Day 2023

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Veterans HCA Medical Clinic now open in Cuenca 

Dra Kathryn Guillen Astudillo M.D.


Dr. Guillen Astudilllo was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her family has Ecuadorian roots. She is reliable, organized and responsible. She has 15 years of experience in the medical field. She has traveled back and forth from the States and Ecuador for her studies. Dra Guillen studied in Cuenca and in New York. She has experience in Health Information Technology, electronic medical records, and is also a Medical Auditor in the States as well as in Ecuador. She is a Donor Transplant Coordinator in Ecuador. She has  also managed emergency rooms and surgical rooms in order to have a good patient flow. I am very happy and honored to be a part of HCA and I really hope to start my medical career with treating military veterans with disabilities 
FAQ's

Dra Kathryn Guillen Astudillo M.D.


The doctor is a general practitioner and can handle many of the problems that veterans will be asking about. If a specialist is needed Dra. Guillen Astudillo will refer them to an English-speaking physician in the area where the veteran lives.

Health Care Alliance Group operates HCA clinics world wide. Learn more about them here.
You can learn more about Medical Benefits for US Veterans Overseas here.
What you Need

What you need for proper documentation to utilize the HCA Clinic



  • 2) A copy of your ID 
  • 3) A filled out Foreign Medical Program application (if you are not already enrolled) 
  • 4) A copy of your VA service connected disability breakdown letter (you can call 1-800-827-1000 and let them know you want this, and they will email it to you).
  • 5) A copy of your DD-214
  • 6.) Please gather all required medical documentation/service treatment records you may have, or submit a VA request for them.
  • 7.) Please create a login to the VA.gov website

Once you have all these you can email them to Mark. He is a Volunteer (trained) Veterans Service Officer (VSO).  You can reach Mark via email: vso.ecuador.mark@gmail.com. He will create a folder for you and send off your FMP registration.   

Please reach out to Mark Tomlinson (vso.ecuador.mark@gmail.com) he will be happy to respond to you.

Links to VA Resources

Links to VA Resources

* You must have qualified for a service related disability to take advantage of the Foreign Medical Program in Cuenca


Learn about the Foreign Medical Program


* You must have qualified for a service related disability to take advantage of the Foreign Medical Program / HCA clinic in Cuenca


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Join MVOC

Join Cuenca Military Veterans Group

  • Volunteer Availability
  • Volunteer Availability *

MVOC Newsletter Archive

Sep2024
August 2024
Oct 2024
I Did Not Receive the MVOC Newsletter

Included in this article are instructions for checking the spam filter for the major email providers. Additionally at the bottom you will find instructions for ‘white listing’ so that emails from us do not get marked as spam.

                                                

Checking your Spam / Junk Mail Folders

                                                

MSN Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com | Yahoo! Mail | AOL Mail | Gmail | Apple me.com, iCloud.com, mac.com


Our sending email address is: info@mvoc.ec

                                                

MSN Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com
  • Log in to the webmail version of your email account HERE
  • To check your Junk Folder, simply click the Junk folder link on the left.

                                                

How to add us to your Safe Senders / Whitelist for MSN Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com.

                                                

                                                

Yahoo! Mail

                                                

  • Log in to the webmail version of your email account HERE.
  • To check your Spam Folder, simply click the Spam folder on the left. [You may need to click ‘more’ to see it]

                                                

How to add us to your Safe Senders / Whitelist for Yahoo! Mail.

                                                

                                                

AOL Mail

                                                

The Spam Folder uses special icons to indicate each message type, such as e-mail from bulk senders or e-mail from people you don’t know. It also displays the date the e-mail was received, the sender’s e-mail address, and the e-mail’s subject line.

                                                

To check the spam folder:

  • Sign on to the AOL® webmail service HERE.
  • Click the Mail menu, then click Spam Folder.
  • Your Spam Folder will open and display a list of any messages designated as spam.

                                                

AOL Help on Spam, Privacy and Whitelisting

                                                

How to add us to your Safe Senders / Whitelist for AOL Mail.

                                                

                                                

Gmail

                                                

  • Log into your Gmail webmail account HERE
  • If the Spam folder does not appear on the left, click the “more” option just above contacts
  • Select Spam to view messages in the spam folder


Note: Gmail’s spam filters also work in your IMAP client by automatically diverting messages that are suspected of being unwanted messages into ‘[Gmail]/Spam’ and keeping them out of your inbox. Sometimes it’s easier to find the offending email by searching for it using the search box at the top of the screen.

                                                

How to add us to your Safe Senders / Whitelist for GMail.

                                                

                                                

Apple me.com, iCloud.com, mac.com

                                                

  • Log into your iCloud webmail account HERE
  • Select Junk/Spam to view messages in the spam folder
  • Search for and select the email falsely marked as spam and click ‘Not Junk’ in the notification bar.

                                                

How to add us to your Safe Senders / Whitelist for Apple me.com, iCloud.com, mac.com.

                                                

                                                

                                                

                                                

                                                

White Listing or adding us to your Safe Senders list

                                                

Whitelisting a sender will make sure that messages from a specific email address are always sent to your email inbox.

MSN Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com | Yahoo! Mail | AOL Mail | Gmail | Apple me.com, iCloud.com, mac.com

                                                

                                                

Our sending email address is: info@mvoc.ec

                                                

MSN Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com

                                                

Add the From address you want to receive mailings from to your MSN Hotmail, Outlook.com, Live.com Safe List:

                                                

  • Open your mailbox HERE and go to Settings then Options (upper right hand corner).
  • Under the “Junk E-Mail” section, you’ll see “Safe Senders”.
  • Click the “Safe Senders” link.
  • Add our email sending addresses or domain into the dialog box.
  • Click the “Add” button next to the dialog box.

                                                

Tip: If the mailing is in your “Junk E-Mail Folder”, open the email and click the “Not Junk” button.

                                                

Note: You should also check that the mailing’s email address is not in your Blocked Senders list.  You can find your Blocked Senders list by following the directions above and going to “Blocked Senders List” instead of “Safe List”.  If you see the mailing’s from address on this list, select it and click the Remove button.

                                                

                                                

Yahoo! Mail

                                                

Set up a filter to redirect the mailing you want to receive in your inbox:

                                                

  • Open your mailbox HERE and click on “Settings” (upper right hand corner).
  • Then select “More Settings” and then “Filters” on the left hand side.
  • Click the “Add” button on the Filters page.
  • In the “From header:” row, make the drop down “contains” and put our email sending addresses in the box.
  • At the bottom of the page Click the “Choose Folder” pull down menu and select “Inbox”.
  • Click the “Save Filter” button.

                                                

Tip: If the mailing is in your Yahoo Spam Folder open the email and click the “Not Spam” button.

                                                

Note: You should also check that the mailing’s email address is not in your “Blocked Addresses” list.  You can find your “Blocked Addresses” list by clicking “Settings” then “More Settings” and then “Security & Privacy” on the left hand side.  If you see the mailing’s from address on this list, select it and click the “Remove Block” button.

                                                

                                                

AOL Mail

                                                

Add the “From address” you want to receive mailings from to your AOL address book:

                                                

  • Click the “Mail Options” menu and select “Address Book”.
  • Inside the “Address Book” window, click the “Add” button.
  • Inside the “Address Card for New Contact” window add our email sending addresses [or the domain] you want to whitelist in the “Other E-Mail” field.
  • Make our From address the “Primary E-Mail” address by checking the associated check box to the right of it.
  • Click the “Save” button. I

                                                

Tip: If the mailing is in your SPAM Folder, you can open the email and click the This Is Not Spam button.

                                                

                                                

Gmail

                                                

To make sure Gmail never filters as spam mail from a certain contact or domain:

                                                

  • Click the Settings gear icon on the top right in Gmail.
  • Choose “Settings” in the menu and then select “Filters & Blocked Addresses” along the top.
  • If there’s a list scroll to the bottom and click “Create a new filter”.
  • Type our email sending addresses under From:
  • The click ‘Create Filter from Address’ and choose “Never Send To Spam” then save by clicking “Create Filter”

                                                

Tip: To whitelist an entire domain (all mail from an address ending in 'example.com', for example), type the just the domain name or the domain name preceded by '@'. To whitelist 'example.com', for instance, type '@example.com' (not including the quotation marks). You do not have to create a separate filter for each address. Separate addresses with '|' in the From: field instead. To whitelist both 'jenny@example.com' and 'jelani@example.com', enter 'jenny@example.com | jelani@example.com', for example.

                                                

                                                

Apple me.com, iCloud.com, mac.com

                                                

To make sure any Apple webmail never filters our email as spam:

                                                

  • Log into your iCloud webmail account HERE
  • Click the ‘Actions/Settings’ gear icon, usually in the sidebar
  • Click ‘Add a Rule’
  • Set the filter, if a message is from our email sending addresses then move to your inbox.
  • Click ‘Done’

                                                

                                                

Our sending email address is: info@mvoc.ec


Burn Pit Registry

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – 06-Aug-2024

The Department of Veterans Affairs is advancing efforts to address issues associated with military-related toxic exposure by launching a redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, known as the Burn Pit Research Registry.

Join MVOC


Join Cuenca Military Veterans Group

  • Volunteer Availability
  • Volunteer Availability *

Health Insurance Options for Military Veterans

August 2023 Monthly Meeting Recap

Bryan Vidal from CATSA travel attended our August MVOC meeting and let us know about the 50% airline discounts for those of us over the age of 65. CATSA has been in business for 10 years here in Cuenca. They have many Expat clients and are available to you during your entire trip in case any problems arise. 

Bryan Vidal speaks English and is ready to serve you! Being some of us live in Ecuador lets pitch in and support local businesses.Address: Address: Av. 12 de Abril and José Peralta Edf. Paseo del Puente Ofc. 5 . Contact information: bryanvidalb@gmail.com 099 492 3033

Bryan Vidal CATSA Travel

Tipti Store and Supermarket At Home Delivery Service

At our August meeting, representatives from TIPTI. TIPTI is an online shopping and delivery service for Ecuador. Here is a link to the Google Play Store and here is a link to the Apple App Store . TIPTI representatives attended and explained what they do and helped us install their app on our phones. 


They also handed out a bag of goodies to each attendee.


CEO of Zylker Sharon C. Lint

We also had the owner of a mule service company, Bodega Sudamericana, call in from New York to tell us how to get things from the US to Cuenca and for how much. bodegasudamericana@gmail.com    

Ecuador whatsapp +593999988424 

US whatsapp & telegram +19142337320 

Click to view more info