SALUTE to one of our FBBP Veteran

SALUTE to William Rosado, Army Veteran, nominated for Student Employee of the Year 2012-2013

SALUTES go out to the Veteran and Enlisted Student Association (VESA) members of Purdue University Calumet. They have been busy this semester working with the From Boots to Books Program, as volunteers who assisted over 300 veterans looking for employment, VA information, local government agencies and charitable organization assistance; just to name a few. They have been busy this Christmas by working with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program purchasing gifts for children from the ages of 5-to- 12 years of age. 10 children received gifts and winter clothing sponsored by VESA. VESA also assisted in the distribution of the toys for the area on December 19, 2012. Even though they worked with the Salvation Army, VESA chose their own “Angels” from the campus to assist in making the holidays happy. Children of some parents that attend Purdue Calumet were also given presents this holiday.

Because of the work these students have and are currently doing, we ask that everyone take a minute and salute these men and women who truly believe that No veteran or enlisted person should ever be left behind!

]]> http://webs.purduecal.edu/bootstobooks/2012/10/15/bulls-vs-pacers-basketball-game/feed/ 0 http://webs.purduecal.edu/bootstobooks/2012/08/27/northwest-indiana-stand-down-2012/ http://webs.purduecal.edu/bootstobooks/2012/08/27/northwest-indiana-stand-down-2012/#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:51:35 +0000 Akili Shakur http://webs.purduecal.edu/bootstobooks/?p=398

Saturday, October 6th- 9:00 am until 3:00 pm

U. S Steel Yard- Gary, IN

Northwest Indiana Stand Down 2012 will be providing services such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings and services. Veterans Administration (VA) and Social Security benefits, counseling, legal aid and referrals to housing, employment and substance abuse services.

2012 Northwest Indiana Stand Down Photo Gallery

Looking for an employment opportunity?  Aflac is hiring. Click on the link below for more information.

http://www.aflac.com/careers/default.aspx

Or contact Daniel J. Kudrna directly:

Regional Sales Coordinator
An Independent Associate Representing Aflac

NW Indiana Regional Office
11051 Broadway, Suite C
Crown Point, IN  46307

219-226-1633 Office
219-266-1638 Fax
219-669-0214 Mobile
daniel_kudrna@us.aflac.com

ArcelorMital, the world’s leading steel and mining company, will have openings at its Northwest Indiana facilities for Maintenance and Electrical. These positions perform all functions (mechanical or electrical) necessary to maintain operating and service equipment using standard and specialized

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS- MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL

$23.55/hour plus incentive (during training)

$24.78/hour plus incentive  (after training)

https://www.indianacareerconnect.com – Job Order # 8528342

UTILITY PERSON- Job Order# 8528035

$19.56 / hour starting base rate for new hires

https://www.indianacareerconnect.com/

NOW HIRING!!

Part-Time Afternoons

Early Childhood and Elementary Majors

Please Call 219-736-7789

The Duke of Oil

Attention:  Duke of Oil is looking for a Certified Mechanical Technician to perform oil changes and other maintenance tasks.  For further information contact:

Ricky Espinoza
Service Consultant
2080 W. 81st Ave (US 30)
Merrillville, IN  46410
219-769-3001
www.thedukeofoil.com

Looking for an employment opportunity in the casino and hospitality industry?  Click on the link below for more information.

http://caesars.hodesiq.com/careers/Link_nav/job-careers.asp

Financial Assistance for Military Spouses

$6,000 of Financial Assistance for Military Spouses for Degrees, Licenses and Credentials

DoD’s expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program will provide up to $6,000 in Financial Assistance for Military Spouses who are pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment in portable career fields.

Financial Assistance pays expenses such as education and training programs, tuition, licensing and credentialing fees for degree programs (associates, bachelors, masters, doctoral and post doctoral), continuing education classes (including those offered through professional associations), Bar, CPA and other similar exams, state certifications for teachers, medical professionals and other licensed professionals.

Who Is Eligible : Spouses of Active Duty members of the Department of Defense and activated members of the National Guard and Reserve Components are eligible. The period of eligibility for spouses of Guard and Reserve members is from the date of the Alert or Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization, through activation and deployment until 180 days following De-Mobilization. Spouses of the severely injured, ill, wounded or killed in action are also eligible. Military spouses who are legally separated by state law or court order are ineligible. Spouses who are active duty members or activated Guard or Reserve members themselves are ineligible.

To Receive this Assistance, the Military Spouse only needs to complete a MyCAA Career and Training Plan and then apply for MyCAA Financial Assistance.  Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website:  https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa

Nadia Prupis | Thursday 17 February 2011

Veterans, particularly poor and minority veterans, are 50 percent more likely to become homeless compared to other Americans, according to a report released last week by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) departments. The report also stated that almost 76,000 veterans were homeless on any given night in 2009, and approximately 136,000 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter. Approximately 44,000 to 66,000 are chronically homeless.

Most often, underlying causes of homelessness among veterans are their socioeconomic backgrounds and “personal factors,” as well as a lack of affordable housing, the report said. Veterans’ experiences prior to joining the military also have a significant causal relationship, putting those who were physically or sexually abused as children at a greater risk for homelessness. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other brain injuries are also a high contributing factor.

Following the report’s publication, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said, “Understanding the nature and scope of veteran homelessness is critical to meeting President Obama’s goal of ending veterans’ homelessness within five years.”

HUD and VA are creating a joint program to target homeless veterans that will provide rental assistance and clinical services to those who are approved. The federal departments will also work with community groups to provide them with resources such as Section 8 vouchers, helping veterans find and keep affordable housing.

The government’s plan to address veteran homelessness is “an auspicious beginning,” said Michael Blecker, executive director of Swords to Plowshares, a nonprofit organization that provides services for veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. “It’s promising because it gives us the resources we didn’t have before.” Nearly half of the country’s homeless veterans live in California, Texas, New York and Florida. Swords to Plowshares helps more than 2,100 homeless and low-income veterans annually.

The report found that most veterans who used emergency shelter relief only stayed for brief periods of time, with one-third staying less than a week and 84 percent staying less than three months. Ninety-six percent were not part of a family unit.

Colleen Corliss, Swords to Plowshares’ communications manager, said the VA and HUD’s commitment to working with smaller community groups will be both a challenge and a step in the right direction. “In the past … a lot of different agencies have operated separate from one another,” Corliss said. “For HUD to work with VA and for the medical director of the VA clinics to work with community groups, we can come together as a collective team to produce a plan.”

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The report marks the first time that the federal government has recognized the epidemic of veteran homelessness as a standalone issue and created a timeline to end it, Corliss said. “It’s sort of a landmark in the sense that HUD actually has a plan of action for combating homelessness among veterans.”
“The partnerships that [Donovan] is establishing are, so far, really showing that we will see successful outcomes.”

HUD’s 2012 budget also requested $19.2 billion in federal funds for the Housing Choice Voucher program, which would support all existing mainstream vouchers and provide new ones targeted specifically towards veterans and the chronically homeless.

In addition to housing, HUD and VA emphasized the importance of providing mental health and other clinical services to homeless veterans. “With our federal, state and community partners working together, more veterans are moving into safe housing,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said. “But we’re not done yet. Providing assistance in mental health, substance abuse treatment, education and employment goes hand in hand with preventive steps and permanent supportive housing.”

One major element missing from the report were the statistics on homeless veterans who stayed out of shelters, Blecker said. Overlooking that information may cause the government to miss an opportunity to examine causes of long-term homelessness. “It’s not a count of veterans on the street or in the park,” Blecker said. “How many of those homeless veterans are chronically homeless? Those are the folks at greatest risk. If they’re not taken immediately off the street, they’re going to end up in hospitals and very costly end-of-life situations.”

HUD’s 2009 count of sheltered veterans is a “reasonable figure” to use as a baseline for the plan, the report stated. “Efforts are underway to improve this count and to enhance identification of Veterans who are homeless…. Despite imperfect counting mechanisms, we know that Veterans account for a larger proportion of those experiencing homelessness compared to the overall population.”

Approximately 46 percent of homeless veterans sought out shelter after living on the streets.
 

Source URL: http://www.truth-out.org/government-start-fighting-homelessness-among-veterans67857