Capital Cardiology Supports Women Veterans Through Donation to Christopher House
Capital Cardiology Associates has made a $1,000 donation to the Capital District Women Veterans (CDWV) Christopher House, the first supportive housing of its kind in the Capital Region. The gift will help the organization continue its mission of serving women veterans and their children who are experiencing homelessness.
Christine Rem, COL (R), RN, DNS, Executive Director of CDWV, expressed her appreciation: “Your kind generosity provides the Capital District Women Veterans’ ‘Christopher House’ the ability to continue serving and helping women veterans and their children who are suffering from homelessness and despair. Through your partnership with this donation we will meet our goal of providing our homeless or chronically homeless women veterans and children with both a safe and secure as well as a home-like community housing uplifting their efforts to becoming self-sufficient with dignity and respect.”
Founded in 2015, Christopher House is named in memory of Rem’s late husband, MAJ Christopher Rem. The Troy home was originally purchased by her immigrant grandparents in 1920 and later donated by Rem as the organization’s first service location. Since opening, it has provided supportive housing to women veterans and their children, offering not only a safe environment but also access to healthcare, case management, and a supportive community of peers.
The challenges faced by women veterans are significant. Many struggle with housing insecurity, lack of awareness of their eligibility for veterans’ benefits, or the stigma of not seeing themselves as “real veterans” if they did not serve in combat. In a 2024 interview with the Times Union, Rem explained: “Some of them never left the country. They never went to war. But you only have to serve 180 days on active duty and you are a veteran. I can help them secure their pensions, get healthcare at the VA.”
Since 2022, CDWV has housed eight women and two children at Christopher House. The program is designed as supportive housing, meaning residents may stay as long as they need. Each pays 30 percent of their income toward rent, while utilities, cable, and internet are included. The arrangement creates stability and allows women to focus on health, employment, and independence. “Older women living together, supporting each other, so they have more extra money to spend on having an enjoyable life,” Rem told the Times Union.
CDWV services extend beyond housing. The program provides baseline assessments of health, psychological, and social needs; assists with scheduling and transportation; connects residents with training and employment opportunities; and builds a supportive community among fellow women veterans.
The work is not without challenges. Some residents have battled substance abuse, while others have struggled to accept help. Yet Rem continues to see successes, women who secure VA pensions, access healthcare, and transition to independent living. One Navy veteran, who lived at Christopher House while completing her disability paperwork, later reflected: “That program really, really helped ensure my security. Especially while I was in the process of filling out all my paperwork to get my disability… The fact that she focuses on female veterans is really fantastic because you don’t see that. It seems like we can get lost in the mix a little bit more than our male counterparts.” (Times Union, 2024).
Capital Cardiology Associates is proud to support CDWV and the Christopher Houseinitiative. This contribution will help sustain a program that restores stability, dignity, and independence to women veterans who have served their country and now deserve the support of their community.
To learn more about the Capital District Women Veterans or to support their work, visit cdwv.org or contact Christine Rem at crem13@nycap.rr.com.
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