The Keystone Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (“Keystone PVA”) is an authorized chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the national headquarters of which is at 801 18th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-3517. This gives Paralyzed Veterans quick access to the central office of the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Congress. Also carried out or coordinated from the D.C. offices are advocacy, hundreds of sports and recreation events for veterans, meeting planning, legal counsel, fundraising, information publication and management, and medical issue management.
Paralyzed Veterans also has 61 National Service Offices, each staffed by a trained service officer who works directly with paralyzed veterans to insure their health care quality is maximized and benefits are obtained. Members of the Keystone chapter are served primarily by service officers based in Pittsburgh (Kurtt Robinson, NSO, and Darlene Mead, administrative assistant) and Philadelphia (Violet Graham, Accredited Administrator).
The 33 chapter offices, including Keystone, and chapter members, support the work of the service officers by working with them and as closely as possible, in an advocacy role, with personnel at VA hospitals, especially the staffs of spinal cord injury clinics and centers.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America traces its founding to 1946 (happy 72nd birthday!). The Keystone chapter was founded in 1960.