West Bloomfield jobless man begs to save home and care for dad
O and E Media
Joanne Maliszewski
October 3, 2014
Bob Hollerud of West Bloomfield has been unemployed since last year and has been unable to find a job to avoid eviction and to care for his elderly father, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
(Photo: John Stormzand | Staff Photographer )
When Bob Hollerud of West Bloomfield would see men and women holding signs and asking for financial help or food while perched on the side of a road, he had one thought: They didn’t have a plan.
“Well, I had a plan,” said the U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran, who stood along 14 Mile Road, west of Orchard Lake, Thursday afternoon.
The sign Hollerud held to his chest as traffic backed up on 14 Mile read:
“US Navy veteran. Need a little help. If you can. God bless all. Help me stay in our home.”
Hollerud admits his plan didn’t account for what life unexpectedly threw at him. First of all, he was laid off from his job with an Ann Arbor company last year. Unemployments benefits gave him a bit of a reprieve for 20 weeks. For about one year, he has been working with Veterans Affairs to get benefits for his father, who has Alzheimer’s. Hollerud cares for his father, a World War II veteran, in his home at Haggerty and Maple.
“The money has run out,” he said.
But Hollerud, who dresses in a suit and tie while he asks for help, believes he is not so different than others. “Many are just a paycheck away from disaster.”
He insists he looks daily for new work. But nothing so far. In fact, his former colleagues let him know that when he was laid off on a Friday, a younger person took his place on Monday for a much lower wage.
“It is absolutely my age,” said Hollerud, who is 62.
read more here
Showing posts with label unemployed veteran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unemployed veteran. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2014
Vietnam Veteran Wears Suit and Tie Panhandling for WWII Dad
If this doesn't change your mind about veterans asking for money, nothing will! He is a Vietnam veteran, asking for donations while wearing a suit and tie. He isn't looking for help for himself, but for his Dad!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Learning from Twitter Veterans with PTSD Tweets
One more thing worth thinking about when you read this article about a study on PTSD and tweets is the US military has been cutting troops, leaving them unemployed. That isn't the worst. They lost a part of who they are on top of that.
For far too many, this is all they ever wanted to do with their lives. It was part of who they are. Far more attached to their jobs than anyone else, these career choices came with being ready to die on the job. Military life is part of their identity.
For far too many, this is all they ever wanted to do with their lives. It was part of who they are. Far more attached to their jobs than anyone else, these career choices came with being ready to die on the job. Military life is part of their identity.
Tracking traces of depression and PTSD in tweets
Beta Boston
Nidhi Subbaraman
7 DAYS AGO
Losing a job can take a toll on mental health. That’s a case that’s been made time and again.
For the first time, researchers are showing that this relationship can be seen in the geo-tagged tweets sent by Americans across the country.
At the Joint Statistical Meeting held in Boston last week, researchers from the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center and Johns Hopkins University presented early evidence that counties in the U.S. with higher rates of unemployment also had a higher proportion of Twitter users with depression-signifying language in their tweets.
That isn’t all. In counties with high populations of veterans, more Twitter users showed traces of post-traumatic stress disorder in their public posts. Counties with a lower median household income had a higher proportion of people who had tweets with signs of depression.
read more here
Linked from
Twitter opens a window on depression and PTSD Boston Globe AUGUST 19, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Best Job Interviewee Ever
So, you need to fill a position. You collect resumes, sort thru them and then come up on one that belongs to a veteran. Ok, what do you do? You read about the person attached to it possessing everything you are looking for before you got to that part. Do you give him/her a chance or not? If you answered "yes" then you are good at your job. If you said "no" then you really don't seem too interested in what is best for your company.
The problem is, while you may judge veterans because of what you heard about PTSD, you probably know more about Quantum mechanics than PTSD.
PTSD has hit veterans since the Revolutionary War. People hired them. This country was built on veterans pushing beyond what anyone ever expected out of them. After all, they looked like everyone else. They had the same hopes, dreams, needs, issues, as the rest of the population. They also happened to have proven beyond a doubt that what they are willing to do on a job for their team was worth dying for.
I've been married to a Vietnam Vet with PTSD for 30 years. I've worked with other veterans helping them heal. I can tell you firsthand that if you want a job done, done right, try hiring them considering they are the best interviewee you'll ever sit across from.
The truth is anyone on the other side of the desk could have PTSD since it is caused by trauma and there is a list of causes. You have no idea what that candidate has faced in their lives. The thought of a PTSD veteran may be in your mind when you see the word "veteran" but how about rape victim, car accident survivor, fire survivor, abuse victim, crime victim or any of the other folks walking around the earth you know nothing about.
Oh sure when you finally hear their story, you know enough about them to feel sorry for them instead of fear them and your compassion comes out but before they tell you anything, PTSD was still in them when you knew nothing. Stop judging while knowing nothing about PTSD because while most veterans do not have it but even the ones with PTSD have proven beyond a doubt that they can push through anything.
PTSD started while they were deployed. They still managed to do their job everyday while facing death. They didn't call in sick. They didn't walk away. They pushed passed all of it because their coworkers' lives depended on them.
They went from high school into combat but you don't want to think about how much they had to learn for that job.
The problem is, while you may judge veterans because of what you heard about PTSD, you probably know more about Quantum mechanics than PTSD.
PTSD has hit veterans since the Revolutionary War. People hired them. This country was built on veterans pushing beyond what anyone ever expected out of them. After all, they looked like everyone else. They had the same hopes, dreams, needs, issues, as the rest of the population. They also happened to have proven beyond a doubt that what they are willing to do on a job for their team was worth dying for.
I've been married to a Vietnam Vet with PTSD for 30 years. I've worked with other veterans helping them heal. I can tell you firsthand that if you want a job done, done right, try hiring them considering they are the best interviewee you'll ever sit across from.
The truth is anyone on the other side of the desk could have PTSD since it is caused by trauma and there is a list of causes. You have no idea what that candidate has faced in their lives. The thought of a PTSD veteran may be in your mind when you see the word "veteran" but how about rape victim, car accident survivor, fire survivor, abuse victim, crime victim or any of the other folks walking around the earth you know nothing about.
Oh sure when you finally hear their story, you know enough about them to feel sorry for them instead of fear them and your compassion comes out but before they tell you anything, PTSD was still in them when you knew nothing. Stop judging while knowing nothing about PTSD because while most veterans do not have it but even the ones with PTSD have proven beyond a doubt that they can push through anything.
PTSD started while they were deployed. They still managed to do their job everyday while facing death. They didn't call in sick. They didn't walk away. They pushed passed all of it because their coworkers' lives depended on them.
They went from high school into combat but you don't want to think about how much they had to learn for that job.
Fear of PTSD hurting vets find job: Poll
APP.com
Ken Serrano
June 18, 2014
Employers see possible post-traumatic stress disorder from combat as a reason not to hire a war veteran, an overwhelming percentage of New Jerseyans said in Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll.
Forty-two percent of those in the poll said PTSD is a major factor for employers seeking to hire a vet.
And while most people polled believe the military provides marketable skills to soldiers, veterans face a tough time translating them into a job offer, according to the poll.
"New Jerseyans see the value in skills obtained through military services but also say that employers feel this experience comes with other issues that could negatively affect workplace performance," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch.
About seven in 10 polled said that at least a quarter of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. That belief falls in line with estimates from veterans organizations and PTSD experts.
read more here
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Chicago-based Veteran Beer Company has a mission
Beer Company Helps to Battle Veteran Unemployment
WSAW News
By: Emily Davies
Jun 10, 2014
They put their lives on the line to protect us, but that doesn't mean America's finest always get what they deserve. Military service members often come home from duty and struggle to find a job, let alone one they're happy with.
Chicago-based Veteran Beer Company has a mission to not only create great beer, but also change the way employers view vets all over the country.
Marc Blue is one veteran who had difficulties getting hired. He was an Army Officer and toured overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He came back from deployment in June of 2012 and "did what everyone else did," try to get a job.
All attempts were unsuccessful and he was without a job for 18 months, despite having a Bachelor's degree and leadership and management skills he gained in service, then he heard about Veteran Beer Company.
"I'm like okay, I'll give my resume, I'll see what happens and sure enough, without any questions asked, they're like, 'Marc you're on,'" he said.
He's now one of five full-time and 44 part-time employees of the B Corp. or Benefit Corporation founded on the mission to hire vets like him. Benefit Corporations like their company as well as Ben and Jerry's and Newman's Own are structured as a for-profit company with a focus on a mission. In this case, when enough money to hire another employee is made, another veteran employee must be hired and 10% of all profits also go to charities that support the veteran community in the areas they serve.
Also, the company is 100% owned and operated by military veterans.
read more here
WSAW News
By: Emily Davies
Jun 10, 2014
They put their lives on the line to protect us, but that doesn't mean America's finest always get what they deserve. Military service members often come home from duty and struggle to find a job, let alone one they're happy with.
Chicago-based Veteran Beer Company has a mission to not only create great beer, but also change the way employers view vets all over the country.
Marc Blue is one veteran who had difficulties getting hired. He was an Army Officer and toured overseas in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He came back from deployment in June of 2012 and "did what everyone else did," try to get a job.
All attempts were unsuccessful and he was without a job for 18 months, despite having a Bachelor's degree and leadership and management skills he gained in service, then he heard about Veteran Beer Company.
"I'm like okay, I'll give my resume, I'll see what happens and sure enough, without any questions asked, they're like, 'Marc you're on,'" he said.
He's now one of five full-time and 44 part-time employees of the B Corp. or Benefit Corporation founded on the mission to hire vets like him. Benefit Corporations like their company as well as Ben and Jerry's and Newman's Own are structured as a for-profit company with a focus on a mission. In this case, when enough money to hire another employee is made, another veteran employee must be hired and 10% of all profits also go to charities that support the veteran community in the areas they serve.
Also, the company is 100% owned and operated by military veterans.
read more here
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Veterans left sitting by dock of bay instead of working on it
Fight Erupts Over Veteran Hiring on the New York Docks
Shipping Industry Seeks to Diversify Labor Force, but Waterfront Commission Suspects 'Subterfuge'
Wall Street Journal
By YONI BASHAN
April 25, 2014
The New York shipping industry and the agency charged with fighting corruption on the docks are clashing over a recruitment drive to bring military veterans to work in high-paying jobs in New York Harbor.
Facing pressure to root out nepotism and hire more minority dock workers, the New York Shipping Association—an umbrella group for shipping industry employers—and the docks' union, the International Longshoremen's Association, came up with a plan last year to make veterans more than half of its new hires.
Under the plan, the union and shipping association have recruited military veterans and referred them to the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, which regulates hiring at the ports, vets workers and licenses them before they are hired by individual companies.
Longshoremen are well-paid, highly coveted jobs, some of which pay between $100,000 and $200,000 a year. The union and shipping industry have been advertising the jobs, holding job fairs and using recruitment agencies, so people who weren't friends, family or acquaintances of union members had a chance to apply.
But as the veterans plan moved forward last year and this year, the Waterfront Commission discovered a trend: The union and industry were slow to refer many veterans, and some of those who were put up for licenses had close ties to union members—a breach of the spirit of diversifying the workforce.
read more here
Shipping Industry Seeks to Diversify Labor Force, but Waterfront Commission Suspects 'Subterfuge'
Wall Street Journal
By YONI BASHAN
April 25, 2014
The New York shipping industry and the agency charged with fighting corruption on the docks are clashing over a recruitment drive to bring military veterans to work in high-paying jobs in New York Harbor.
Facing pressure to root out nepotism and hire more minority dock workers, the New York Shipping Association—an umbrella group for shipping industry employers—and the docks' union, the International Longshoremen's Association, came up with a plan last year to make veterans more than half of its new hires.
Under the plan, the union and shipping association have recruited military veterans and referred them to the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, which regulates hiring at the ports, vets workers and licenses them before they are hired by individual companies.
Longshoremen are well-paid, highly coveted jobs, some of which pay between $100,000 and $200,000 a year. The union and shipping industry have been advertising the jobs, holding job fairs and using recruitment agencies, so people who weren't friends, family or acquaintances of union members had a chance to apply.
But as the veterans plan moved forward last year and this year, the Waterfront Commission discovered a trend: The union and industry were slow to refer many veterans, and some of those who were put up for licenses had close ties to union members—a breach of the spirit of diversifying the workforce.
read more here
Monday, April 7, 2014
What’s the worst federal agency for hiring veterans? Congress!
Group says Congress should set example by hiring more vets
Army Times
By Leo Shane III
Staff writer
April 7, 2014
What’s the worst federal agency for hiring veterans? Try Congress.
Despite numerous efforts by lawmakers in recent years to spur veterans employment in the private sector, few congressional offices have followed suit. A new survey estimates that fewer than 180 veterans are employed as Capitol Hill staff, a mere 3 percent of the 6,000-plus employees there.
For comparison, in fiscal 2012 nearly half of all Defense Department employees were veterans. One in three Veterans Affairs and Transportation Department workers were veterans that year, and the Education Department — one of the lowest veteran hiring rates among federal agencies — had just under 10 percent.
Now, a network of veterans working in Congress is hoping to change that.
HillVets, formed less than a year ago to connect and assist former military personnel working in the legislative branch, this month announced plans to double the number of veterans in those jobs by the start of the next legislative session, in January 2016.
read more here
Army Times
By Leo Shane III
Staff writer
April 7, 2014
What’s the worst federal agency for hiring veterans? Try Congress.
Despite numerous efforts by lawmakers in recent years to spur veterans employment in the private sector, few congressional offices have followed suit. A new survey estimates that fewer than 180 veterans are employed as Capitol Hill staff, a mere 3 percent of the 6,000-plus employees there.
For comparison, in fiscal 2012 nearly half of all Defense Department employees were veterans. One in three Veterans Affairs and Transportation Department workers were veterans that year, and the Education Department — one of the lowest veteran hiring rates among federal agencies — had just under 10 percent.
Now, a network of veterans working in Congress is hoping to change that.
HillVets, formed less than a year ago to connect and assist former military personnel working in the legislative branch, this month announced plans to double the number of veterans in those jobs by the start of the next legislative session, in January 2016.
read more here
Friday, March 21, 2014
OEF OIF Veterans still looking for jobs
Despite improvement in vets' jobless rate, Iraq, Afghanistan vets still lag
McClatchy Washington Bureau
By James Rosen
Published: March 20, 2014
WASHINGTON — Military veterans are having better luck finding jobs, outpacing their civilian counterparts in many states, but younger former troops who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan still lag behind.
Veterans in North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky are faring relatively well, while those in California, Idaho and Mississippi are having less success finding jobs.
Nationwide, the average unemployment rate last year for all veterans was 6.6 percent vs. 7.3 percent for the country as a whole, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, 9 percent of military personnel who served since the Sept. 11, 2011, terror attacks were without jobs, and in that group the unemployment rate leaps to 21.4 percent among veterans 18-24 years old.
read more here
McClatchy Washington Bureau
By James Rosen
Published: March 20, 2014
WASHINGTON — Military veterans are having better luck finding jobs, outpacing their civilian counterparts in many states, but younger former troops who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan still lag behind.
Veterans in North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky are faring relatively well, while those in California, Idaho and Mississippi are having less success finding jobs.
Nationwide, the average unemployment rate last year for all veterans was 6.6 percent vs. 7.3 percent for the country as a whole, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, 9 percent of military personnel who served since the Sept. 11, 2011, terror attacks were without jobs, and in that group the unemployment rate leaps to 21.4 percent among veterans 18-24 years old.
read more here
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Shinseki explains why veterans are hurt by government shutdowns
Shinseki: Advance Funding Won't Solve VA Problems
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Mar 13, 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Wednesday told a Senate panel that advance funding for all VA operations would not solve all the department problems in the event of another government shutdown.
Shinseki told lawmakers previously that he could not say whether advance funding – which the VA now gets for health care programs – would be a good idea. He told the House Veterans Affairs Committee last year the administration would have to look at the impact on other federal departments.
On Wednesday, he told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that advance funding has worked out for VA patients and employees and would seem “to make sense for our other accounts [operations].”
But then he indicated that advance funding probably would not help since other agencies that the VA must deal with do not have the same kind of protection.
“In the case of veteran benefits, we can’t process a claim within our own confines,” he said. “To process a claim, we have to go to Social Security to validate other disabilities, go to the IRS to validate ... threshold income requirements. We deal with [the Defense Department]. We deal with the Department of Education [for] the GI Bill, the Department of Labor on employability issues.”
“The best way for us to be meeting our full mission would be to have a budget for the federal government every year,” he said. “That would make all of our work much easier.”
read more here
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Mar 13, 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Wednesday told a Senate panel that advance funding for all VA operations would not solve all the department problems in the event of another government shutdown.
Shinseki told lawmakers previously that he could not say whether advance funding – which the VA now gets for health care programs – would be a good idea. He told the House Veterans Affairs Committee last year the administration would have to look at the impact on other federal departments.
On Wednesday, he told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that advance funding has worked out for VA patients and employees and would seem “to make sense for our other accounts [operations].”
But then he indicated that advance funding probably would not help since other agencies that the VA must deal with do not have the same kind of protection.
“In the case of veteran benefits, we can’t process a claim within our own confines,” he said. “To process a claim, we have to go to Social Security to validate other disabilities, go to the IRS to validate ... threshold income requirements. We deal with [the Defense Department]. We deal with the Department of Education [for] the GI Bill, the Department of Labor on employability issues.”
“The best way for us to be meeting our full mission would be to have a budget for the federal government every year,” he said. “That would make all of our work much easier.”
read more here
Monday, February 24, 2014
Homeless Iraq Veteran Given Special Wedding Celebration
Matthew 25
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Think about those words for a second. That is how people can show love. They can show it strangers they will never meet. They can show it to people without expecting any personal gratitude because their generosity is blended in with many other caring hearts.
The following story has it all. It is about the generosity of others making sure a couple were able to get married. It is also a story of love lasting through the worst circumstances. This couple, along with their two year old daughter, were homeless. The new husband is an Iraq veteran.
Homeless veteran thanked with free wedding — tux, dress, rings, cake and all
My Conestoga Valley News
By JOE HAINTHALER
Staff Writer
February 22, 2014
Lea Lutman, the 21-year-old bride, was a little nervous.
“I’m holding it together in the heels,” she told her father, Rich, as they waited to enter.
“I hope so,” he said, “because that corner table’s going to laugh if we fall.” His date and a friend were sitting at a table in the corner of the main dining room of the Greenfield Restaurant.
Lutman’s husband-to-be, Pfc. Ryan Sexton, an Army veteran of four years’ active duty including two tours in Iraq, was suffering no jitters.
“The last time I was nervous was when I landed in Kuwait (in July 2007) and they told us to lock and load just in case,” said Ryan, 29, a Solanco High School graduate.
All went well during the noon ceremony held before 30 family members and friends Saturday at the East Lampeter Township restaurant.
“I didn’t fall, didn’t break a heel or nothing,” Lea (pronounced Lee-uhh) said after she and Ryan became husband and wife.
All had not gone quite as well in the three-plus years since the couple met in September 2010 when they were working as emergency responders for the Providence Ambulance Association.
They had financial troubles.
It was difficult making his quarterly paycheck last, Ryan said.
He lost his job.
And then came homelessness.
They were living with a friend of his in York until the friend’s landlord threw them out in October. At that point, the couple and their now-2-year-old daughter, Rylee, joined the ranks of about 2,400 homeless families in Pennsylvania that include a veteran with at least one child under age 18, according to federal statistics.
When Janell Berté, the owner of POSH Bridal in Lancaster, worked with Brides Across America to donate 25 wedding gowns for military brides in November, she and her staff spoke with Ryan and Lea.
read more here
1 Corinthians 13
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Way of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
21,000 veterans lost their unemployment benefits
When it comes to politics, I stay out of it unless it involves our veterans. This is about them!
Kathie -
On December 28th of last year, over 21,000 veterans lost their unemployment benefits -- and every month Congress delays action to extend them, another 3,000 join their ranks.
These people aren't lazy. They are hard working, job-seeking Americans who desperately need a bridge to their next paycheck.
They're people like Kevin Tierney, a Vietnam Era veteran from Smithboro, NY. Kevin has applied for well over 100 jobs since the college he worked for as a security guard let him go. His unemployment benefits helped keep his family's head "just above water," but now finds himself deciding between what bills to pay since losing his insurance in December.
His letter to VoteVets concluded, "Every day I wake up is a struggle with despairing, after working hard my whole life and raising a family are we going to be homeless? In my wildest dreams I never thought it would come to this. I know we are not alone in this terrible predicament but I feel very much alone."
Kevin isn't alone. Over 30,000 individuals signed VoteVets' petition calling on Congress to extend unemployment benefits for the families like his. Add your name to theirs today.
In my state of Hawaii, almost 6,000 people will be without benefits if Congress doesn't act in the first half of 2014.
Extending these benefits should be a no-brainer; not only do they provide a floor for struggling families, but they stimulate the economy by putting money in the pockets of people who will spend it in our communities.
People like Lori from Enfield, CT who trained as a medical assistant after receiving an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. She was laid off the Saturday before Easter last year and lost her benefits in December. That left her family with $50 a week to feed five people. She can't afford the healthy food they used to get, "only the cheap junk to fill our bellies."
Yet Congress continues to ignore her plea for help. Stand with Lori - add your name to VoteVets' petition before this issue comes up for a vote again.
http://action.votevets.org/unemployment-benefits
I've co-sponsored legislation to extend expiring unemployment benefits in the past, and I won't stop fighting for these families until we extend them again.
Thanks for being a part of this fight,
Tulsi Gabbard
Congresswoman, Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District
Kathie -
On December 28th of last year, over 21,000 veterans lost their unemployment benefits -- and every month Congress delays action to extend them, another 3,000 join their ranks.
These people aren't lazy. They are hard working, job-seeking Americans who desperately need a bridge to their next paycheck.
They're people like Kevin Tierney, a Vietnam Era veteran from Smithboro, NY. Kevin has applied for well over 100 jobs since the college he worked for as a security guard let him go. His unemployment benefits helped keep his family's head "just above water," but now finds himself deciding between what bills to pay since losing his insurance in December.
His letter to VoteVets concluded, "Every day I wake up is a struggle with despairing, after working hard my whole life and raising a family are we going to be homeless? In my wildest dreams I never thought it would come to this. I know we are not alone in this terrible predicament but I feel very much alone."
Kevin isn't alone. Over 30,000 individuals signed VoteVets' petition calling on Congress to extend unemployment benefits for the families like his. Add your name to theirs today.
In my state of Hawaii, almost 6,000 people will be without benefits if Congress doesn't act in the first half of 2014.
Extending these benefits should be a no-brainer; not only do they provide a floor for struggling families, but they stimulate the economy by putting money in the pockets of people who will spend it in our communities.
People like Lori from Enfield, CT who trained as a medical assistant after receiving an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. She was laid off the Saturday before Easter last year and lost her benefits in December. That left her family with $50 a week to feed five people. She can't afford the healthy food they used to get, "only the cheap junk to fill our bellies."
Yet Congress continues to ignore her plea for help. Stand with Lori - add your name to VoteVets' petition before this issue comes up for a vote again.
http://action.votevets.org/unemployment-benefits
I've co-sponsored legislation to extend expiring unemployment benefits in the past, and I won't stop fighting for these families until we extend them again.
Thanks for being a part of this fight,
Tulsi Gabbard
Congresswoman, Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Unemployed Marines headline makes no sense
This was the headline
So basically it depends on their experience and where they live more than anything else. What was the point of the title?
Study: Marine vets from non-combat jobs more likely to draw unemploymentAbout half way into the article there was this.
And although many of those disciplines translate well to civilian jobs, positions may be few and far between in some parts of the country, meaning the Marine Corps may need to focus on helping those Marines relocate to regions with healthy job markets in their specialty, Desrosiers said.
During her research, she found that the unemployment rate in states to which Marines move after leaving active duty have heavy influence on their likelihood of claiming unemployment.
Other factors likely to contribute: being young, nonwhite, female, married and having children. And those statistics are mostly on par with nonveteran populations across the U.S.
So basically it depends on their experience and where they live more than anything else. What was the point of the title?
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
When politicians pretend to care, people pay the price
When politicians pretend to care, people pay the price
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 15, 2014
The controversy surrounding New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has left many in the media focusing on the scandal while avoiding the most important aspect of all. Christie showed compassion after Hurricane Sandy. He also showed that politics meant nothing to him when as a Republican, he showed appreciation for President Obama and put the people first.
That meant a lot to people across the country because frankly, most Americans are fed up with everything being political. Most of us are not focused on politics. Our political differences are in the proper perspective. In other words, they are not at the top of our to do list. Taking care of the country and the people of this nation matter a hell of a lot more than taking political sides.
The Christie scandals go much deeper because all of the accusations along with the outcomes robbed us of the thought someone in office said what most of us believe. We are stronger when we work together.
When we hear a politician say that unemployment insurance coverage doesn't need to be extended for the long term unemployed, that says they don't care if we can pay our bills and take care of our families or not. We also remember during the election we heard the same folks in congress scream about the lack of jobs even though it was there job to come up with bills to put us back to work.
We also heard that they do not even think about the veterans discharged from the military without jobs to support their families afterwards or the fact that many of them are unemployed.
The VA says now the rate of unemployed veterans is 7.3%.
Did members of congress think of them? No. Even though the military is downsizing the ranks leaving thousands of out on their own and will increase over the next few years.
Did members of congress think of the troops when they cut food stamps? No they didn't. It is a safe bet to assume they didn't have a clue how bad it was for them but food banks and charities did. Imagine being in Afghanistan risking your life while your family back home has to live off food stamps and charities to eat.
A Fort Hood area charity just changed its name to reflect their mission. Operation Once in a Lifetime changed their name to Operation Phantom Support.
That is just from one Fort Hood area charity.
When members of congress said they wanted to kill the Affordable Care Act instead of fix it, they told us it didn't matter to them if we were able to go to the doctor without going into bankruptcy. We notice they had plenty of time to fix what was wrong instead of just trying to kill the bill. Now they complain it is bad but never once apologized to us for not fixing what we needed.
They also didn't bother with a tiny detail that while there are over 21 million veterans in this country (21,978,000) 8.76 million are enrolled and only 3.74 million veterans receive disability compensation.
Where do members of congress think these veterans get healthcare from when even they admit most veterans entitled to VA benefits won't go to the VA?
As bad as it has been for average Americans just trying to make ends meet, think of how hard it has been for military families and veterans. None of this has been good but people in Washington decided they just didn't have to care anymore. Much like Christie ended up showing the people of New Jersey that they really didn't matter as much as he pretended they did.
The media fails to see all they have been missing but the public has been shutting off their broadcasts and canceling subscriptions because they don't pay attention to what matters to us either.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 15, 2014
The controversy surrounding New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has left many in the media focusing on the scandal while avoiding the most important aspect of all. Christie showed compassion after Hurricane Sandy. He also showed that politics meant nothing to him when as a Republican, he showed appreciation for President Obama and put the people first.
That meant a lot to people across the country because frankly, most Americans are fed up with everything being political. Most of us are not focused on politics. Our political differences are in the proper perspective. In other words, they are not at the top of our to do list. Taking care of the country and the people of this nation matter a hell of a lot more than taking political sides.
The Christie scandals go much deeper because all of the accusations along with the outcomes robbed us of the thought someone in office said what most of us believe. We are stronger when we work together.
When we hear a politician say that unemployment insurance coverage doesn't need to be extended for the long term unemployed, that says they don't care if we can pay our bills and take care of our families or not. We also remember during the election we heard the same folks in congress scream about the lack of jobs even though it was there job to come up with bills to put us back to work.
We also heard that they do not even think about the veterans discharged from the military without jobs to support their families afterwards or the fact that many of them are unemployed.
Figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the jobless rate for Iraq and Afghanistan vets was 10 percent in October, down slightly from the 10.1 percent rate in September, but the same as the 10 percent recorded on Veterans Day 2012.
The VA says now the rate of unemployed veterans is 7.3%.
Did members of congress think of them? No. Even though the military is downsizing the ranks leaving thousands of out on their own and will increase over the next few years.
Did members of congress think of the troops when they cut food stamps? No they didn't. It is a safe bet to assume they didn't have a clue how bad it was for them but food banks and charities did. Imagine being in Afghanistan risking your life while your family back home has to live off food stamps and charities to eat.
A Fort Hood area charity just changed its name to reflect their mission. Operation Once in a Lifetime changed their name to Operation Phantom Support.
On average, about 600 people a week come through the pantry, impacting about 1,500 people through the food provided.
That is just from one Fort Hood area charity.
When members of congress said they wanted to kill the Affordable Care Act instead of fix it, they told us it didn't matter to them if we were able to go to the doctor without going into bankruptcy. We notice they had plenty of time to fix what was wrong instead of just trying to kill the bill. Now they complain it is bad but never once apologized to us for not fixing what we needed.
They also didn't bother with a tiny detail that while there are over 21 million veterans in this country (21,978,000) 8.76 million are enrolled and only 3.74 million veterans receive disability compensation.
Where do members of congress think these veterans get healthcare from when even they admit most veterans entitled to VA benefits won't go to the VA?
As bad as it has been for average Americans just trying to make ends meet, think of how hard it has been for military families and veterans. None of this has been good but people in Washington decided they just didn't have to care anymore. Much like Christie ended up showing the people of New Jersey that they really didn't matter as much as he pretended they did.
The media fails to see all they have been missing but the public has been shutting off their broadcasts and canceling subscriptions because they don't pay attention to what matters to us either.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Unemployment ran out for veterans too!
A reminder of who the Congress is actually talking about aside from just average folks looking for work.
Considering the House has been whining about no jobs when it suits them, they have done nothing to pass any bills to create them. Funding? Well there is another point Boehner missed. They didn't pay for the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan and they sure haven't paid the veterans for their service either. That service has left many out of the military due to cut backs created by congress. Now these folks are unemployed but what makes it even worse is they have to hear jerks telling them they don't deserve help to pay their bills and support their families until they find a job.
John Boehner said he told President Barack Obama a month ago that another extension of temporary emergency unemployment benefits "should not only be paid for but include something to help put people back to work. To date, the president has offered no such plan. If he does, I'll be happy to discuss it, but right now the House is going to remain focused on growing the economy and giving America's unemployed the independence that only comes from finding a good job."
But the unemployment rate for veterans who have served since 9/11 stood at 10 percent, with 246,000 out of work. That's the same rate as it was a year ago, and it's a higher jobless rate than it is for non-veterans, after adjusting for age and demographic factors. That is, even when you factor in the dismal U.S. economy, recent veterans are still having trouble finding work.
The report argues that these problems need to be addressed soon, since the number of veterans is expected to rise sharply in the coming years: "Each year the military separates between 240,000 and 360,000 service members, and as we draw down from the war in Afghanistan, the military is expected to separate a million service members over the next several years." Washington Post, November 11, 2013
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Congress doesn't want to talk about veterans paying debts
Congress doesn't want to talk about veterans paying debts
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 29, 2013
The Defense Budget for 2001 before 9-11 was $329 billion. 2002 it was A $350.7 billion. 2003 $396.8 billion was requested. The money for two wars went up after that. No one thought to pay for any of it. No one thought about the men and women they would be sending to fight these wars or taking care of them when they became veterans. It was all borrowed money along with the lives borrowed to fight.
The VA budget has gone up but what Congress doesn't want us to think about is the simple fact. 22,328,000 veterans in the US as of 9-30-12. As of March of 2013 the VA had 8.76 million veterans in their Health Care System but were only compensating 3.61 disabled veterans.
What happened to the others? What happened to veterans serving this country but do not seek anything in return? Do they get sick? Do they deal with wounds no one can see like PTSD and TBI on their own refusing to go to the VA?
We don't want to talk about military/veteran families on food stamps when Congress cut the budget.
We don't want to talk about veterans being long term unemployed when Congress cut them off. In a report from May of 2013 the Bureau of Labor Statistics had 18-24 year old veterans at over 20% followed by 11% "Post 9/11 veterans" with many of the "long term" unemployed.
We don't want to talk about millions of veterans needing true affordable healthcare insurance when Congress was doing all in their power to kill the Act instead of doing all in their power to make sure it worked.
When members of Congress shut down the government over health insurance, some went to memorials to stage scenes of pretend outrage over them being closed. As we look at the facts of what the Congress does not want us to remember, it is clear the damage done belongs to them. Now they want to make it even worse.
They decided that aside from the cuts they have already done, it was necessary to go after one more. Military Retirement.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 29, 2013
The Defense Budget for 2001 before 9-11 was $329 billion. 2002 it was A $350.7 billion. 2003 $396.8 billion was requested. The money for two wars went up after that. No one thought to pay for any of it. No one thought about the men and women they would be sending to fight these wars or taking care of them when they became veterans. It was all borrowed money along with the lives borrowed to fight.
The VA budget has gone up but what Congress doesn't want us to think about is the simple fact. 22,328,000 veterans in the US as of 9-30-12. As of March of 2013 the VA had 8.76 million veterans in their Health Care System but were only compensating 3.61 disabled veterans.
What happened to the others? What happened to veterans serving this country but do not seek anything in return? Do they get sick? Do they deal with wounds no one can see like PTSD and TBI on their own refusing to go to the VA?
We don't want to talk about military/veteran families on food stamps when Congress cut the budget.
About 900,000 veterans and 5,000 active duty troops face cuts in their food stamp benefits beginning Thursday as $5 billion is automatically trimmed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program for low-income families.
"The coming benefit cut will reduce SNAP benefits, which are already modest, for all households by 7 percent on average, or about $10 per person per month," according to an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
We don't want to talk about veterans being long term unemployed when Congress cut them off. In a report from May of 2013 the Bureau of Labor Statistics had 18-24 year old veterans at over 20% followed by 11% "Post 9/11 veterans" with many of the "long term" unemployed.
We don't want to talk about millions of veterans needing true affordable healthcare insurance when Congress was doing all in their power to kill the Act instead of doing all in their power to make sure it worked.
When members of Congress shut down the government over health insurance, some went to memorials to stage scenes of pretend outrage over them being closed. As we look at the facts of what the Congress does not want us to remember, it is clear the damage done belongs to them. Now they want to make it even worse.
They decided that aside from the cuts they have already done, it was necessary to go after one more. Military Retirement.
That item would produce some $6 billion in savings by shaving a percentage point off annual cost-of-living adjustments, and it would apply only to military pensions. Not all military pensions — just the retirement paid to veterans younger than 62.First they sent troops into Afghanistan and then into Iraq but didn't fund the wars. Now they don't want to fund what these men and women thought was part of the deal. Why did congress do it? Because the debt was so high and someone had to pay for it. So yet again, it is the citizens of this country stepping up to fight the battles and veterans paying the price for doing it.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Congress goes on vacation, veterans go hungry
Congress goes on vacation, veterans go hungry
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 12, 2013
Congress is getting ready to head out of Washington again. Frankly few will even notice considering their total lack of delivering on doing their jobs to take care of this country. The troops and veterans however did not get excuses. They didn't get to go home on the weekends or get paid for not working most of the time. Members of congress seem to fear political opponents more than they take pride in their work on behalf of Americans. It is a shame but the dirty rotten shame is how little they notice their hatchet approach to the needy in this country include veterans.
Unemployment rate for veterans who have served since 9/11 stood at 10 percent, with 246,000 out of work.
About 900,000 veterans and 5,000 active duty troops face cuts in their food stamp benefits beginning Thursday as $5 billion is automatically trimmed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program for low-income families.
Department of Veterans Affairs claims waiting to be delivered on adds to these numbers. As of December 7, 2013 693,857 veterans have pending claims and wait for the money to live on. 395,358 are waiting in the backlog with 40% of those claims coming from veterans waiting with their original claim.. OEF and OIF veterans are 22% of the backlog and 21% of the original claims. Gulf War veterans are 21% of the backlog and 23% but Vietnam veterans are the majority of both claim groups. 37% of the total and 38% of the backlog.
Remind members of congress that while they are too afraid to do the right thing, the veterans never feared to go where congress sent them to fight the wars. If members of congress cannot do the right thing for this country they risked their lives for, which includes everyone, then these politicians need to be in the unemployment line.
UPDATE
I almost forgot that 100,000 recent war veterans have been kicked out under bad paper discharges too. They get nothing.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 12, 2013
Congress is getting ready to head out of Washington again. Frankly few will even notice considering their total lack of delivering on doing their jobs to take care of this country. The troops and veterans however did not get excuses. They didn't get to go home on the weekends or get paid for not working most of the time. Members of congress seem to fear political opponents more than they take pride in their work on behalf of Americans. It is a shame but the dirty rotten shame is how little they notice their hatchet approach to the needy in this country include veterans.
(Huffington Post)
If I got preachy on the right thing to do for all, this would take all day. I am just going to let the numbers speak. These are the numbers they don't want you thinking about when they whine about the need to cut social services like food stamps and unemployment. We're heading into Christmas but also a harsh winter. Keep that in mind for the rest of this.
Unemployment rate for veterans who have served since 9/11 stood at 10 percent, with 246,000 out of work.
About 900,000 veterans and 5,000 active duty troops face cuts in their food stamp benefits beginning Thursday as $5 billion is automatically trimmed from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program for low-income families.
Department of Veterans Affairs claims waiting to be delivered on adds to these numbers. As of December 7, 2013 693,857 veterans have pending claims and wait for the money to live on. 395,358 are waiting in the backlog with 40% of those claims coming from veterans waiting with their original claim.. OEF and OIF veterans are 22% of the backlog and 21% of the original claims. Gulf War veterans are 21% of the backlog and 23% but Vietnam veterans are the majority of both claim groups. 37% of the total and 38% of the backlog.
Remind members of congress that while they are too afraid to do the right thing, the veterans never feared to go where congress sent them to fight the wars. If members of congress cannot do the right thing for this country they risked their lives for, which includes everyone, then these politicians need to be in the unemployment line.
UPDATE
I almost forgot that 100,000 recent war veterans have been kicked out under bad paper discharges too. They get nothing.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Michelle Obama encourages businesses to hire veterans in Disney speech
Michelle Obama encourages businesses to hire veterans in Disney speech
Workshop helps to find work for vets
WESH 2 News
By Gail Paschall-Brown
Nov 14, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. —First Lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker at the Disney Veterans Institute on Thursday to talk about veterans and jobs.
Michelle Obama will be speaking at the Veterans Institute Workshop in Orlando on Nov. 14.
It was a one-day seminar where the theme park giant and other leaders shared information to help companies build their own veteran-hiring programs.
read more here
Workshop helps to find work for vets
WESH 2 News
By Gail Paschall-Brown
Nov 14, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. —First Lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker at the Disney Veterans Institute on Thursday to talk about veterans and jobs.
Michelle Obama will be speaking at the Veterans Institute Workshop in Orlando on Nov. 14.
It was a one-day seminar where the theme park giant and other leaders shared information to help companies build their own veteran-hiring programs.
read more here
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Starbucks putting veteran families first on hiring
Starbucks Is Latest Company Aiming To Help Vets Land Jobs
NPR
by ASHLEY GROSS
November 06, 2013
In recent years, companies ranging from JPMorgan Chase to Walmart to Boeing have announced special hiring programs for veterans. Seattle coffee giant Starbucks is the latest.
All of these companies are trying to bring down a stubbornly high unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But to succeed, companies have to take the time to understand the skills of service members.
For 37 years, Carrol Stripling served in the U.S. Army, both active duty and reserves, mostly as a paralegal. She retired from the military in 2011, and then worked for the state of Washington until she got laid off this year.
Stripling says she faces a trifecta of possible obstacles: She's 62 years old; she has a military background; and as a woman, she's not who people think of when they imagine a veteran.
"It's real hard for veterans to say, 'I need help,' because we're taught from the very beginning to be self-reliant," Stripling says. "So it's difficult to say, 'I'm failing at this.' And basically, I feel like I'm failing at this."
Rob Porcarelli is a staff attorney at Starbucks who helped dream up the plan announced Wednesday. Starbucks will hire at least 10,000 veterans or their spouses over the next five years.
read more here
NPR
by ASHLEY GROSS
November 06, 2013
In recent years, companies ranging from JPMorgan Chase to Walmart to Boeing have announced special hiring programs for veterans. Seattle coffee giant Starbucks is the latest.
All of these companies are trying to bring down a stubbornly high unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But to succeed, companies have to take the time to understand the skills of service members.
For 37 years, Carrol Stripling served in the U.S. Army, both active duty and reserves, mostly as a paralegal. She retired from the military in 2011, and then worked for the state of Washington until she got laid off this year.
Stripling says she faces a trifecta of possible obstacles: She's 62 years old; she has a military background; and as a woman, she's not who people think of when they imagine a veteran.
"It's real hard for veterans to say, 'I need help,' because we're taught from the very beginning to be self-reliant," Stripling says. "So it's difficult to say, 'I'm failing at this.' And basically, I feel like I'm failing at this."
Rob Porcarelli is a staff attorney at Starbucks who helped dream up the plan announced Wednesday. Starbucks will hire at least 10,000 veterans or their spouses over the next five years.
read more here
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Finding jobs still a struggle for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
Unemployment reports show Iraq and Afghanistan veterans struggle to find jobs
News 13
Kelsey Riggs
Posted: October 22, 2013
LITTLE RIVER, S.C.
The latest job report shows veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan War struggle to find jobs.
The national unemployment rate fell to 7.2%, as more workers said they got jobs and joined the labor force.
But the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans grew to 10.1%.
Army National Guard veteran Mark Cooper said the number does not surprise him.
Cooper was deployed to Iraq and served six years in the military, from 2001 to 2007.
"I was preparing myself to go over there with all the training, but I never got prepared to come back. I was trying to adjust from what I was doing over there, and then slow things down and try and come back over here and do things. It's a big change," Cooper said.
He said the reasons for the high number are clear.
For starters, many of the veterans just returning from overseas struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and often do not get the help they need.
Cooper said that was also the case for him.
"I kind of wanted to stay home, did not want to get around people. They might have issues that they're dealing with that makes it harder for them to find a job," Cooper explained.
read more here
News 13
Kelsey Riggs
Posted: October 22, 2013
LITTLE RIVER, S.C.
The latest job report shows veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan War struggle to find jobs.
The national unemployment rate fell to 7.2%, as more workers said they got jobs and joined the labor force.
But the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans grew to 10.1%.
Army National Guard veteran Mark Cooper said the number does not surprise him.
Cooper was deployed to Iraq and served six years in the military, from 2001 to 2007.
"I was preparing myself to go over there with all the training, but I never got prepared to come back. I was trying to adjust from what I was doing over there, and then slow things down and try and come back over here and do things. It's a big change," Cooper said.
He said the reasons for the high number are clear.
For starters, many of the veterans just returning from overseas struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and often do not get the help they need.
Cooper said that was also the case for him.
"I kind of wanted to stay home, did not want to get around people. They might have issues that they're dealing with that makes it harder for them to find a job," Cooper explained.
read more here
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
ABC News' Bob Woodruff to Give a Keynote for Disney's Veterans Institute
ABC News' Bob Woodruff to Give a Keynote Address at Disney's 'Veterans Institute' Workshop
Free 'Veterans Institute' program is designed to encourage and support hiring of military veterans
BURBANK, Calif. and LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.
(BUSINESS WIRE)
Oct 07, 2013
Disney will share expertise from its 'Heroes Work Here' initiative with other companies to help them build their own veteran-hiring programs
ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff will give a keynote address at Disney's first-ever 'Veterans Institute' workshop on November 14, 2013. Building on its successful Heroes Work Here initiative to hire, train and support military veterans, Disney will host the free Veterans Institute workshop at Walt Disney World Resort to inspire other companies to employ servicemen and women transitioning to the private sector.
On January 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq. In February 2007, just 13 months after being wounded in Iraq, Woodruff returned to ABC News with his first on-air report, "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports." The hour-long, primetime documentary chronicled his traumatic brain injury (TBI), his painstaking recovery and the plight of thousands of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with similar injuries. Woodruff continues to cover traumatic brain injuries for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms and was honored with a Peabody Award in 2008 for his reporting on the subject.
In February 2007, Woodruff and his wife, Lee, co-wrote a bestselling memoir, In an Instant, chronicling his injuries in Iraq and how their family persevered through a time of intense trauma and uncertainty. The Woodruff family established the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to raise money to assist injured service members, veterans and their families.
"Returning veterans need tools and opportunities in order to move onto the next chapter in their lives. I'm pleased to participate in an event that enables companies to reach out to these heroes so that they can thrive after they return home," said Mr. Woodruff.
Free 'Veterans Institute' program is designed to encourage and support hiring of military veterans
BURBANK, Calif. and LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.
(BUSINESS WIRE)
Oct 07, 2013
Disney will share expertise from its 'Heroes Work Here' initiative with other companies to help them build their own veteran-hiring programs
ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff will give a keynote address at Disney's first-ever 'Veterans Institute' workshop on November 14, 2013. Building on its successful Heroes Work Here initiative to hire, train and support military veterans, Disney will host the free Veterans Institute workshop at Walt Disney World Resort to inspire other companies to employ servicemen and women transitioning to the private sector.
On January 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq. In February 2007, just 13 months after being wounded in Iraq, Woodruff returned to ABC News with his first on-air report, "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports." The hour-long, primetime documentary chronicled his traumatic brain injury (TBI), his painstaking recovery and the plight of thousands of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with similar injuries. Woodruff continues to cover traumatic brain injuries for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms and was honored with a Peabody Award in 2008 for his reporting on the subject.
In February 2007, Woodruff and his wife, Lee, co-wrote a bestselling memoir, In an Instant, chronicling his injuries in Iraq and how their family persevered through a time of intense trauma and uncertainty. The Woodruff family established the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to raise money to assist injured service members, veterans and their families.
"Returning veterans need tools and opportunities in order to move onto the next chapter in their lives. I'm pleased to participate in an event that enables companies to reach out to these heroes so that they can thrive after they return home," said Mr. Woodruff.
About Disney's Heroes Work Here
Supporting the U.S. Armed Forces has long been a Disney tradition, and Disney's Heroes Work Here continues that proud legacy with a company-wide initiative to hire, train and support military veterans. Disney introduced the program in March, 2012 with a commitment to hire at least 1,000 veterans by 2015. Having exceeded that goal in the first year alone, with 1,300 veterans hired, the company announced in March, 2013 that it would create opportunities for another 1,000 former service members over the next two years.
Disney's Heroes Work Here initiative also features a public awareness campaign to encourage employers across the U.S. to hire former military service members. The campaign includes the free Veterans Institute workshop at Walt Disney World on November 14, 2013, as well as public service announcements highlighting the skills and experience of veterans who work at Disney. The PSAs direct viewers to the White House's Joining Forces initiative (www.joiningforces.gov) and have aired across Disney's media properties including ESPN, ABC and ABC Family, making more than 500 million impressions.
The third component of Disney's Heroes Work Here initiative is philanthropy. Disney's philanthropic support of veteran and military organizations has exceeded $1 million since the launch of Heroes Work Here, and through the Disney VoluntEARS program, employees have engaged in several service projects with veterans organizations in communities around the country.
read more here
Friday, September 27, 2013
Florida Vietnam Vet awarded $762K after losing job over PTSD
Jury awards $762K to veteran fired from Delray job due to post-traumatic stress disorder
The Palm Beach Post
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
September 26, 2013
WEST PALM BEACH — For the second time in a month, a jury has slapped a city in Palm Beach County for mistreating a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
After deliberating for 45 minutes, a jury on Thursday ordered Delray Beach to pay decorated Vietnam veteran Robert Desisto $762,000 for forcing him to retire after he explained he couldn’t drive a 20-ton truck on the open road because he suffers from panic attacks.
read more here
The Palm Beach Post
By Jane Musgrave
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
September 26, 2013
WEST PALM BEACH — For the second time in a month, a jury has slapped a city in Palm Beach County for mistreating a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
After deliberating for 45 minutes, a jury on Thursday ordered Delray Beach to pay decorated Vietnam veteran Robert Desisto $762,000 for forcing him to retire after he explained he couldn’t drive a 20-ton truck on the open road because he suffers from panic attacks.
read more here
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