Sarasota MOAA: August 2013

August 2013 Luncheon Photos From the Breeze

A holistic approach toward hiring our nation’s heroes

The Patterson Foundation Blog Network

A holistic approach toward hiring our nation’s heroes

by Linda Gould

Recently, I read a Tweet from the President of the United States, “If you’ve done the job on the battlefield with bullets coming at you, you can sure as heck do the job back in the U.S.”

Our nation is rallying behind our veterans and their spouses to help them find and keep jobs. Employment is a vital key to self sufficiency, but finding employment, while not easy, is not the only issue. A holistic approach is necessary, requiring our entire community to join forces to provide assistance in eliminating obstacles to employment, namely issues with: Housing

Healthcare

Education

Transportation

Childcare

Starting at the national level, the White House created Joining Forces, which is an initiative dedicated to connecting our servicemen and women, veterans and military spouses with the resources they need to find jobs at home.

From the world of entertainment, iHeartRadio is promotingShow Your Stripes, which is a movement supported by Military.com and Monster.com assisting in the job search and skills needed to get hired.

Here in our local community, Legacy of Valor partners are committed to helping veterans and their families find employment. Goodwill Manasota and Suncoast Workforce are partnering to provide a surge effort in a time when veterans need their help the most.

Two Veterans-focused Jobs and Services Fairs will take place in Sarasota County at Ed Smith Stadium, the spring training home of yet another Legacy of Valor partner, the Baltimore Orioles!

Events at A Glance

Thursday, August 22, 2013 - Goodwill Manasota Pre-Job Fair Workshop - update resumes, prepare for interviews

Wednesday, August 28, 2013 - Goodwill Manasota Pre-Job Fair Workshop

Saturday, September 7, 2013 - Goodwill Manasota Jobs and Services Fair

Friday, February 7, 2014 - Suncoast Workforce Jobs and Services Fair

Veterans should register for these workshops as soon as possible! Businesses with job openings should register immediately. Let’s get our Heroes Hired! Get Involved. VisitFreedomPassItOn.org.

Linda Gould | August 20, 2013

URL: http://wp.me/p28bFy-17S

THE AMERICAN VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES INITIATIVE

THE AMERICAN VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES INITIATIVE

By Tom Piazze

Statistics tell us that more than 234,000 new Veterans will soon be looking for work after their discharge. There are many agencies and organizations that address Veterans’ issues: The Department of Defense (DOD), Veterans Affairs (VA), Health and Human Resources (HHS), and the US Department of Labor have excellent initiatives in place to address a variety of problems facing Veterans. Unfortunately, these services are generally discreet, uncoordinated and represent a very specific niche and are currently being stretched thin with the influx of returning Veterans.

Goodwill Industries was one of the first organizations to anticipate and respond to the multitude of challenges faced by returning Veterans and their families. In doing so, Goodwill Manasota has developed a comprehensive and localized employment and case management program that enables partnerships with federal, state and community resources and service providers. From the viewpoint of Goodwill Manasota, hiring Veterans is not charity; it is an investment in our community. Millions of dollars are spent to train the amazing men and women of our Armed Forces and Goodwill Manasota feels that by not reemploying or assisting these heroes, our communities are failing them during the most critical portion of their transition to civilian life.

Bob Rosinsky, President and CEO, Goodwill Manasota, and Christopher Davis, Director of Veterans Services, joined us at the July Luncheon to present information on The American Veterans and Their Families Initiative and to extend an invitation to MOAS members to volunteer their unique skill sets in support of this highly effective program.

The Initiative focuses on job training, placement and employment services for American Veterans, their spouses and families. However, in addition to providing Veterans with the behavioral and employment training required to transition into the civilian work force, the program also offers Veterans and the families’ comprehensive case management and referral services. Case managers from Goodwill Manasota, many of which are Veterans themselves, assist Veterans and their families’ address barriers to employment, disabilities and mental health issues to maximize vocational opportunities for Veterans.

Opportunities exist for MOAS volunteers to help Veterans move into the civilian workforce and address several barriers to self-sufficiency. The single most requested service is through the Goodwill Manasota’s Job Connection Services. The Job Connection service matches the right employer and job opportunity with the right Veteran candidate; the one who possesses the best mix of technical and leadership skills for the position. A variety of other opportunities exist for MOAS volunteers as well. The most critical needs are legal representation, especially in the area of family legal services; financial planning, from help preparing household budgets to providing advice to individuals interested in pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors and peer advisors for either Veterans or their spouses who are struggling with the impact of PTSD and transitional stress.

For more information about how you can lend a hand, please contact either Tom Piazze at tepiazze@gmail.comor (941) 761-1278, or Christopher Davis at christopher.davis@gimi.orgor (941) 840-4503.

Coast Guard 223rd Birthday

New post on The Patterson Foundation Blog Network

We celebrate local heroes as Coast Guard marks 223rd birthday

by Ryan Simonson

This past Sunday marked the 223rd anniversary of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and it is a day we all should celebrate.

But first, a little history.

The Coast Guard traces its roots to the Revenue Cutter Service, which was created by congressional act in 1790. It had the first formally recognized mission of preventing the trade of slaves from West Africa. Based on exceptionally meritorious action, the mission of the USCG was continually expanded and eventually linked to the task of not only protecting the United States from Ocean-borne threats, but also protecting the ocean itself. The United States Coast Guard Academy was officially designated and recognized in 1915 as a significant source of the USCG Officer Corps.

Flashing forward to 2013, the USCG has grown to more than 90,000 active duty, reservists, civilian employees, and volunteers. They maintain a fleet of 1,776 vessels dedicated to protecting our waterways and shores as well as safeguarding and policing the same.

Last year, the USCG conducted almost 20,000 search and rescue missions resulting in 3,560 lives saved and more than $77 million in recovered property. They screened 436,000 vessels and 29.5 million embarked crew members before permitting these vessel access to U.S. Ports. The USCG also investigated 3,300 reported water pollution events to ensure compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act.

In conjunction with the Legacy of Valor's drive to honor veterans, inspire patriotism, and embrace freedom, hear from our region's own Anibal Martinez, a Maritime Enforcement Specialist with the United States Coast Guard. He has spent the past six years dedicating his life to service.

Legacy of Valor - Behind the Scenes - Anibal Martinez fromFreedom. Pass It On. on Vimeo.