Non-Profits Emerging as Key Tool for Veterans

Looking ahead to 2012, thousands of service men and women will return from Iraq and Afghanistan to begin the transition to civilian life.  With state and local budgets stretched to the breaking point, the Non-profit sector is becoming increasingly important in providing services and assistance to veterans.

David Palmer highlights a great Alabama-based organization, Still Serving Veterans (SSV), in an article in The Cullman Times, “Collecting benefits and finding jobs can be difficult tasks after years in the military, but the emergence of a non-profit organization in Huntsville — Still Serving Veterans — is reaching out to help veterans upon their return home.The Cullman Times”

Still Serving Veterans service organization that empowers veterans, including wounded warriors, and their families to optimally transition into meaningful new careers and post-military lives with all the benefits and service that they have earned.  In November of last year, The Call of Duty Endowment announced a $100,000 grant to Still Serving Veterans.

Endowment Advisory Council Member General James “Spider” Marks, (USA-Ret.) explained in November that, “The Call of Duty Endowment is proud to partner with Still Serving Veterans as they continue to provide the needed job training, education and career transition assistance returning veterans require. As our soldiers make their way home from Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s organizations like SSV that make their transition successful.”

As we continue our work assisting veterans transition to civilian life, the Endowment will partner with Organizations like SSV to ensure that veterans receive the support and assistance they earned serving our country.

‘Plenty of Reasons’ To Hire Veterans

Five million Americans voluntarily served in uniform since Sept. 11^th, nearly 2.5 million deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.  With the final troop withdrawal from Iraq, U.S. are returning home and many of them will be looking for work.

Unfortunately, veterans face misconceptions about their performance as employees and even some employers reluctant to consider them in the hiring process.  Fox Business highlights some of the most common misconceptions and why they are inaccurate in a great piece “Why Hire a Veteran? Plenty of Reasons“

The national dialogue too often focuses on scant job opportunities, post-traumatic stress, school dropout rates, and other challenges facing veterans.  Many Americans are completely unfamiliar with the skill, discipline, commitment and decision-making skills needed to serve in the military.

Spencer Kympton (a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, a Harvard Business School graduate and chief operating officer of The Mission Continues, a veteran service organization) puts it brilliantly in an opinion piece in the Baltimore Sun.  Kympton explains that “these men and women did not just fight. They established and helped run local governments. They negotiated treaties. They built shelters, and provided food, water and utilities to those in need. They mentored police forces, farmers and medical personnel. And they did so while placing their lives at risk.”

The range of experiences and talents makes our service men and women true “assets.” Assets we need to re-engage to strengthen our country.

As our service men and women continue the transition to civilian life, it is important that the media and organizations like The Mission Continues and The Call of Duty Endowment educate the public and employers to define our veterans as assets not liabilities.

Helping Veterans Communicate Skills to Employers is Paramount

The New York Times highlights the persistent and troubling problems related to and compounding our high veteran unemployment rates. They note that these unemployment statistics are even worse among those veterans between the ages of 20-24 and those serving in the National Guard or Reserve.  

Although a lack of college degrees amongst these younger veterans does put them at a disadvantage, The New York Times points out that, more importantly, “employers and veterans seem to view each other as alien species. Managers, few of whom have military experience themselves, may fear the aftereffects of combat or losing reservists to another deployment. They may have difficulty understanding how military accomplishments translate to the civilian world.”

Organizations like Hire Heroes USA, a Call of Duty Endowment partner, work to directly speak towards these points. Hire Heroes USA offers resume workshops where they help veterans translate their skills for potential employers.

As the The New York Times reminds us, we must not only make jobs available for our veterans, but we must also help them communicate their valuable attributes to employers, so that they can then land the job.

G.I. Jobs Publishes 2012 Employment Outlook for Veterans

G.I. Jobs recently came out with their 2012 employment outlook which takes a look at the 10 most veteran-friendly industries in 2011 and continued opportunities in 2012. These industries include energy, transportation, telecom/technology, retail, manufacturing, law enforcement, health care, financial services, diversified services, and defense.

G.I. Jobs emphasizes the magnitude of dedication and effort made by companies in these industries to hire and/or train veterans when they note that “although the latest recession officially ended in 2010, the economic recovery in 2011 was underwhelming as the unemployment rate continued to hover around 9 percent. Still, corporate America hired more than 1 million workers in the first three quarters of the year, including many service members who left the military in 2011.”

As the year comes to a close and we begin looking towards new and improved ways of helping our veterans find employment and transition back to civilian life, it is valuable to keep G.I. Jobs employment outlook in mind. The Endowment commends G.I. Jobs for continuing to be a great resource for veterans.

Google Testing New Services for Vets in Michigan

Last week, ClickonDetroit.com reported on an announcement from Google of a new hub for military veterans in Michigan called ‘Google for Veterans and Families’.   The service will provide several tools for veterans, service members and their families.

Some of the features of  www.googleforveterans.com are:

1. 1.        “VetConnect” – an application utilizing the Google+ social network to let veterans share t service experiences.
2. 2.       “Tour Builder” – a new widget being developed that will let vets map their tours of duty using Google Earth.
3. 3.       A Veteran’s Channel on Google’s YouTube service.
4. 4.       Resume Builder – Google believes that the company’s resume builder will be  a powerful tool to help veterans find employment.  The service offers customizable, easily updated resumes that employers may download via Google Docs.

According to Wingo, a Navy SEAL employed by Google, “this single interface brings together Google products and platforms for service members and their families. It will be valuable to all veterans, whether still in the service, transitioning out, or on a new journey in their civilian lives.”

The Call of Duty Endowment is encouraged to see an international corporate leader like Google doing its part to help veterans.  We hope these new services will be rolled out nationwide very soon.

Spike Features the Call of Duty Endowment in New Veteran Employment Campaign

In their new campaign called ‘Hire a Vet,’ Spike recognizes the Call of Duty Endowment’s dedication and commitment to helping veterans transition back to civilian life and find gainful employment.

In a video spotlight of the Endowment, Spike uses the Call of Duty®’s video game soldiers to remind viewers that unlike the game and its players, our soldiers in the real world are fighting for us every day and deserve to come home to suitable jobs.

Spike’s Hire a Vet campaign also features the Helmets to Hardhats veteran employment program that is currently working to rebuild the World Trade Center.

In another ‘Hire a Vet’ video, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Cooper, George Lucas and many other celebrities not only thank our veterans for their service but they also emphasize the importance of helping them find the employment that they deserve once they are back home.

We applaud Spike for calling attention to and demanding support for the thousands of veterans currently unemployed and the many more that will soon be coming home from overseas and entering into the job market.  It is absolutely critical that everyone join in to support America’s veterans and heroes.

Wounded Warriors and Veterans in LA ‘Hanging 10’ on the Way to Recovery

Recently we had the opportunity to speak with Carly Rodgers of the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, a California-based non-profit that employs “an adaptive surfing program to assist individuals coping with mental and physical illness in accessing the ocean environment.” 

In addition to programs for at-risk kids and individuals dealing with the challenges of mental and physical illness, the Foundation provides therapeutic surfing programs in partnership with the Wounded Warriors Battalion at Camp Pendleton and for LA-area veterans in partnership with the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.  The programs are designed to provide healing and build self-esteem and self-efficacy.  The programs’ benefits carryover out of the water and help our veterans and wounded warrior’s transition back to civilian life.

We spoke to Carly  about the foundation and about its benefits for the Wounded Warriors and veterans.  Some highlights of our conversation are below and you can find all of the info on foundation programs as well as opportunities to get involved at http://jimmymillerfoundation.org.   

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the Jimmy Miller Foundation and the work you do?

Carly: First and foremost the foundation was put together in honor of Jimmy Miller, a waterman and ocean lifeguard that started the first surf instruction school in Manhattan Beach, CA.  In the words of Jimmy’s younger brother, ‘Every guy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to date him’.   

We are about bringing the pure surfing experience that Jimmy Loved to individuals in the community with needs.  The foundation started with programs for at-risk children and expanded to working with the Wounded Warriors and VA.

Q: On that note, can you tell me a little bit more about the programs you run at Camp Pendleton and for veterans in West LA?

Carly: The sessions are built around an ocean therapy program we developed, which is a therapeutic surfing program where we break sport down to meet any physical challenge and use the sport to build self-efficacy.  The Marines and Veterans are first taught the basics of surfing on-land and then learn to surf with a personalized surf instructor in the water. The sport is adapted to meet any and all limiting physical and/or emotional challenges, so that every participant is successful.

Q: What do you think are some of the main benefits that soldiers and veterans?

Carly: The main reaction from participants is real joy and feelings of elation.  The marines report greater self-esteem and immense pride that they were able to stand up on the board, catch a big wave, or have a few great rides.  Participants tell us that the benefits extend beyond the beach, reporting more positive feelings and even better sleep in some cases, which can be amazing for someone suffering from PTSD. 

Q: Beyond the physical and mental healing, how does surf therapy help our wounded warriors and vets in their day-to-day lives?

Carly: Participants have reported that the program helped them engage more socially.  For example many participants are taking advantage of the GI Bill to pursue education and they report being more social at school and in their communities.  This in turn can help them make an easier transition into the civilian world

Q: I see that your winter 2011-2012 Ocean Therapy Schedule is already filling up with events at camp Pendleton. Are there any other opportunities for veterans and their families to get involved with your programs?

Carly: We are always looking for ways to expand our programs through volunteer support or donations.  In addition to surf instructors we are looking for beach volunteers to help with photography, working with the press, general support and more.  Our ultimate goal is to expand to a year-long program and we will be adding Veterans programs in the spring and encourage folks to check back with us throughout the year at http://jimmymillerfoundation.org.

Call of Duty Endowment Partner Student Veterans of America Co-Hosts Las Vegas Job Fair

This past weekend the Student Veterans of America, a Call of Duty Endowment grant recipient, partnered with the US Chamber of Commerce and RecruitMilitary to host a Hiring Our Heroes job fair in Las Vegas.

Kevin Schmiegel, vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s veterans employment program asked a particularly poignant question regarding our current veteran unemployment crisis: “How are we going to recruit talented young men and women if they see those unemployment data? Why should they raise their right hand and serve in an all-volunteer force if their service isn’t going to be valued or understood when they’re looking for employment after they leave? This is a national security issue.”

The Endowment knows that it is critically important to support organizations, like Student Veterans of America, that are tackling this issue of national security head on.

Call of Duty Endowment Gives $100,000 Grant to Organization Assisting Female Veterans

In conjunction with Pro vs. G.I. Joe’s Purpose Driven Rehab tour, the Call of Duty Endowment announced at the Miami Dolphins game, a $100,000 grant to Business and Professional Women’s Foundation (BPW Foundation).

More specifically, the grant will be used to advance BPW Foundation’s Joining Forces for Women Veteran’s Mentoring Project, which has committed to recruiting 1000 mentors and mentees for the purposes of connecting veterans with the proper education and training.

Regarding this most recent announcement, Colonel Alan Baldwin, (USMC-Ret.), an advisory council member with the Call of Duty Endowment, explains that “Unemployment among post 9-11 female veterans is higher than their male counterparts. The Call of Duty Endowment is proud to partner with the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation to help our female veterans with the necessary resources to find meaningful employment.”

In helping to support veteran employment initiatives, the Endowment is excited to partner with such a strong, capable and motivated organization.

Trick Out Your Xbox Live Avatar and Help Real Warriors

Activision Blizzard announced that proceeds from the sale of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 avatars on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® between December 2 and December 16 will be donated to the Call of Duty Endowment.

Custom avatars let gamers personalize their online profiles with their favorite elements from Modern Warfare 3.  More than 30 items for the game are already available in the Avatar Marketplace, and In honor of the franchise’s continuing partnership with the Endowment, two additional avatars—American Special Forces and Special Ops Juggernaut—are now available.

The most recent announcement from Activision Blizzard comes on the heels of a recent $3 million dollar donation and an announcement that proceeds from Modern Warfare 3’s epic soundtrack will also go toward the Call of Duty Endowment as well.

Every dollar of these funds will be used to help our veterans find jobs and make a successful transition to civilian life.  We are excited for every opportunity that lets us partner with the Modern Warfare fans out there.