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ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS UNION WELCOMES VETERANS TO FIND REWARDING CAREERS IN ELEVATOR INDUSTRY

ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS UNION WELCOMES VETERANS TO FIND REWARDING CAREERS IN ELEVATOR INDUSTRY

In an interview the General President of International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Frank Christensen and Colonel David Sutherland of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services discuss the importance of connecting veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce to meaningful employment opportunities.

The discussion touches upon the importance of education and training in the elevator industry as part of the solution to ensuring our nation’s heroes find careers they enjoy and are proud of upon reentering the civilian workforce.

The elevator industry continues its efforts to create a great place for transitioning military veterans in the trade. The goal is to provide veterans with opportunities to find fulfilling careers with family-sustaining wages and excellent health and retirement benefits.

You can watch the interview here.

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LEVERAGING HIGHER EDUCATION TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS

LEVERAGING HIGHER EDUCATION TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS

Listen to the Service Before Self podcast, Episode 18, with Michael Brown, Director of the Office of Veterans and Military Service Members, at Villanova University. Michael and the team at Villanova have a proven model that assists student-veterans overcome the obstacles and challenges usually not faced by traditional students. Michael discusses how they have established a sense of community for student-veterans and their families at Villanova and how this has made all the difference.

Through Michael’s and Villanova’s leadership, and the leadership of organizations like Dixon Center, we will once again capture that transformative spirit that the original GI Bill sparked.

A factor contributing to the transformation of the American economy and society following World War II was the first version of the GI Bill—a pathway to higher education for both men and women veterans returning home (it’s important to note that while the GI Bill in theory, was open to all returning veterans from the war, in practice those benefits were often denied to Black veterans and other veterans of color).  The foresight in creating this opportunity, accelerated the country’s economic recovery and expanded the middle-class following World War II.

Today, we have the same goal for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, a pathway to higher education and increased opportunities for veterans but now, also their families. Pathways and opportunities that will transform our country.

And while student-veterans graduate at higher rates than traditional students, they and their families still have unique challenges and needs.  Typically, student Veterans are older, married with families, and work to support their families while they attend college. Research shows that close to 60% of student veterans report concerns about balancing school and other responsibilities. 

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They Are Still With Us

They Are Still With Us

Midnight, on August 22, 2007, 10 young men marshalled together on a barren hilltop in Iraq to board a helicopter for the return trip to their forward operating base. They had just concluded a successful combat operation that had required them to remain in place for over 24 hours, with little sleep or food, while they ensured that resupply convoys were able to move safely and securely without enemy interference.

They were tired, dirty, and hungry and I’m sure they couldn’t wait to get back to our base where a hot shower and hot food awaited them. But they also knew that because of their efforts, their fellow Soldiers had been able to move freely and accomplish their key resupply mission.

But this would be their last mission. Shortly after taking off from that lonely, dusty hilltop, they along with the four helicopter crewmembers were killed when the helicopter suffered a malfunction and spun out of control into the ground.

These 14 soldiers are representative of the men and women I think about on Memorial Day.  Men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and whose commitment and dedication to their country and to each other represent the best in all of us. They are forever part of my memories and in my heart.

Even though they are gone, they continue to live through each of us, especially their families. I’ve met the families of the 10 men who boarded the helicopter that night and it’s an experience that I will never forget. Even against the backdrop of their sorrow, their resiliency and their strength is something that to this day I try to emulate. These young men continue to be part of their families, and their families continue to be part of me.

Memorial Day is about reflecting on the service and sacrifice of our fallen comrades but is also about the perseverance and strength of the living. This is the only day where the American flag is flown at half-staff from sunrise to noon, to honor our fallen comrades, and then raised to full height from noon to sunset, to represent our living veterans and symbolize the “persistence of the nation in the face of loss.” Those that we honor on Memorial Day, are still with us, in our hearts, in our families, and in the noble work of making the lives of veterans and families better.

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We invite you to consider a tribute gift to Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

We invite you to consider a tribute gift to Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

Your generous, tax-deductible, memorial or honorary tribute donation to Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services will make a positive difference in the lives of veterans and their families.  Don’t just make an investment. Have an impact.

Memorial Day Weekend is coming up the last weekend in May. We will celebrate the holiday as a nation, as communities, as families and as individuals in many ways. We hope that you will have time this Memorial Day to reflect.

One way to reflect and remember the achievements and sacrifices of those who died in service to our great Nation is to make a memorial or honorary tribute.  

We are grateful for the chance to help you honor and remember our nations fallen.  Memorial gifts can be made in remembrance of a loved one and honor tributes are gifts made as expressions of gratitude.

Make your memorial or tribute gift by donating now.

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Congratulations to our partner, Burn Pits 360!

Congratulations to our partner, Burn Pits 360!

Among organizations that support veterans, your impact is not measured by the number of employees you have, or programs you offer, or the size or status of your board of directors. It’s measured by your passion and commitment to improving the lives of veterans and their families.

There is not a better example of this than Burn Pits 360, a veteran organization that is laser-focused on improving the lives of veterans who have been exposed to the toxic smoke produced by unregulated burn pits in Iraq and  Afghanistan. I’ve  known Rosie Torres and Captain (Ret.) Le Roy Torres, the founders of BP 360, for the last three years and their relationship with Dixon Center goes further back than that.

You will not find two people who are more dedicated to ensuring that veterans, who are suffering from rare cancers and respiratory diseases from their burn pit exposure, receive the care and treatment that they deserve.

They have marshalled resources and created coalitions that are confronting the bureaucracy of the VA and providing hope to those that have been impacted by burn pits. When others have advocated for a slower, more cautious, deliberative approach, BP 360 has accelerated their efforts because they know that time is not on the side of those that have been exposed to burn pits. 

Their accomplishments . . . the VA has recognized the connection of three respiratory conditions and nine cancers to a veteran’s military service, making them eligible for disability compensation and treatment. Both the Senate and the House have developed and passed legislation that will further increase the services and treatment that veterans receive due to exposure to burn pits.

And Rosie and Le Roy are not stopping . . .they understand that the burden of wartime service should not be borne on the shoulders of our veterans and their families, and they continue to push Congress and the VA to honor our sacred commitment to our veterans.   

Dixon Center, through our influence, ideas, an d actions, is assisting Burn Pits 360, reach their goal of ensuring that veterans Heal with Honor and  making the lives of veterans and their families better.

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Fedcap Release of Financial & Programmatic Results

Fedcap Release of Financial & Programmatic Results

At Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services we take transparency very seriously.  Transparency is fundemental to the effective and efficient use of donor resources and assures that we maximize impact across our three pillars, Work With Purpose, Heal With Honor, and Live With Hope. Leadership with openess and honesty is one of the key attributes we look for when working with organizations; that’s the Fedcap Group.

As a member of The Fedcap Group, we’re proud of their leadership in the Not-For-Profit space. The Fedcap Group is the only organization in this space that demonstrates this transperancy with the bi-annual release of their financial and programmatic results.  Join us on 12 May at 11:00 ET as we hear Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group provide the latest results and give us a glimpse into the future.

Click here or on the image below to register.  See you there. 

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A Job vs. A Career

A Job vs. A Career

What is Work with Purpose? This is an important distinction whenever we are focused on veterans and employment. Too often, the monthly or annual veteran unemployment number is what draws the most attention. This number, per the March Jobs Report, currently stands at 2.4%. While the unemployment rate is a bellwether of the economic health of our veteran population, it only tells part of the story—a much smaller part of the story.

Colonel Sam Whitehurst, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services

It’s important that we understand what unemployment looks like for veterans, it is just as important to understand what underemployment looks like as well. Being in a job where you have far less responsibility than you had in the military and the leadership, teambuilding, and the ability to adapt that you developed in the military are not recognized, or may not be held in high regard. On top of that, the difference between what you are making in a minimum wage, entry-level job is tens of thousand dollars less than what you earned in the military.

Underemployment creates a downward spiral that leads to other issues—living paycheck to paycheck, loss of self-esteem, increased stress and anxiety, and barriers to accessing high-quality healthcare.

At Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, our approach is to partner with organizations and programs who make countering veteran underemployment part of their core mission.

Mike Hazard, Executive Director, UA Veterans in Piping

The United Association, a labor union that represents workers in the plumbing and pipefitting industries, is one of our partners and is a leader in creating opportunities for transitioning service members and their families. Through their Veterans in Piping program, an 18-week course that provides industry-recognized certifications in welding, fire sprinkler fitting, and HVAC-R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration), service members are leaving the military with guaranteed employment, enrollment into a registered apprenticeship program, and a career that provides middle-class wages from the outset, healthcare, and benefits. Dixon Center assists in integrating service members and their families into the UA VIP program by introducing the service members to wellness programs, that assist with finding a home, financial counseling, physical and mental health support, legal services, and more.

The UA VIP program is directly attacking veteran underemployment and is the recipe for long-term success for service members once they depart the military. This partnership, which along with Dixon Center, also includes the Department of Defense, is making a real difference in the lives of veterans and their families.

This is Work with Purpose.

Veterans in Piping Graduation, Fort Carson, CO, April 21, 2022
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Service Before Self Podcast-Episode #3

Service Before Self Podcast-Episode #3

On August 14, 2020, Dixon Center for Military & Veterans Services launched the first episode of Service Before Self, a podcast that tackles the evolving needs of veterans and their families, based on the idea that veterans can succeed in the community where they live. This podcast will introduce you to people and the programs that are having an impact today; you will hear about their successes and lessons learned in creating effective programs in which veterans and their families reach their full potential.

Dixon Center is diving deeply into the needs and challenges veterans and their families go through, as well as into the effective solutions to those challenges.

Listen here to Episode 003: Dr. Caitlin Thompson: Mental Health Challenges for Our Veterans during the Pandemic.

In this episode, Retired Army Colonel Sam Whitehurst, your host, the Dixon Center Vice President, is joined by Dr. Caitlin Thompson, Vice-President for Community Partnerships at the Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a network of health care clinics across the U.S. focused on providing mental health assistance to veterans and their families. Dr. Thompson shares the mission and vision of Cohen Veterans Network, the work they are doing in response to the pandemic, and she also talks about her thoughts regarding what we can do to ensure that our veterans and families continue to have access to mental health services to prevent the rise of suicide rates among our veterans.

Many veterans have experienced the crushing pain of isolation due to their exposure to war trauma. In many cases, returning veterans have difficulty reconnecting with community and family members. This inability to reintegrate to the environment the veteran left to serve, can create negative behaviors and outcomes. But these outcomes are not preordained, through outreach and connecting with programs like CVN, veterans and their families can overcome the damaging effects of isolation and truly succeed in the communities where they live.

This is the approach of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ Operation Suicide Elimination. Working nationally and locally, we deliver outreach via direct service providers to treat veterans and their families with mental health services, as well as numerous non-traditional modalities to combat severe forms of isolation. With just under 20 veterans continuing to die from suicide every day and the number of suicides projected to increase due to the pandemic; this remains an extremely urgent issue.

To learn more about Operation Suicide Elimination and Dixon Center’s approach to combatting this problem, contact Sam Whitehurst: swhitehurst@dixoncenter.org.

Subscribe To/Follow Service Before Self Podcast

Whether you are an avid podcast fan or new to the medium, we invite you to give Service Before Self a listen. We invite you to listen and subscribe to the podcast. We welcome your feedback and will be reading your reviews and comments on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or one of the many other distributors.

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Service Before Self Podcast Episode 2

Service Before Self Podcast Episode 2

On September 15, 2020 Dixon Center for Military & Veterans Services posted the second episode of Service Before Self, a podcast that tackles the evolving needs of veterans and their families, based on the idea that veterans can succeed in the communities where they live. This podcast will introduce you to people and the programs that are having an impact today; you will hear about their successes and lessons learned in creating effective programs in which veterans and their families reach their full potential.

Retired Army Colonel Sam Whitehurst, your host, the Dixon Center Vice President of Programs & Services, is diving deeply into the needs and challenges veterans and their families go through, as well as into the effective solutions to those challenges.

Listen to Episode 002: Teamsters: Supporting Veterans and Their Families Transitioning to the Civilian Life with James P. Hoffa

In this episode, Sam Whitehurst, presents a program that provides opportunities for a career, not just a job, and the significant difference between these two concepts. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters helps transition and provides service members, veterans, and military spouses with additional skills and training, that when combined with their military experience, makes them extremely competitive for careers that provide work with purpose; work that you can build a future around.

James P. Hoffa is the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the strongest, most powerful voice in North America for working families. Under Hoffa’s leadership, the Teamsters Union is winning industry-leading contracts, engaging in vigorous contract enforcement, and organizing the unorganized. The Teamsters have a long history of supporting veterans and their families that stretches back to World War I. Support that is built around the concept of meaningful wages, access to affordable healthcare, and benefits that lead to a prosperous future.

This is the underlying philosophy of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Operation Workforce Development. Working nationally and locally we are collaborating to create a pathway to family-wage careers with full benefits for veterans and their families. For us, and for our partners like General President Hoffa and Teamsters Military Assistance Program; it’s more than finding a job for veterans—it’s about careers that provide work with purpose and ensuring that veterans and their families succeed in the communities where they live. 

Subscribe To/Follow Service Before Self Podcast. ​Whether you are an avid podcast fan or new to the medium, we invite you to give Service Before Self a listen. We invite you to listen and subscribe to the podcast. We welcome your feedback and will be reading your reviews and comments on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or one of the many other distributors.

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Service Before Self Podcast Episode #1

Service Before Self Podcast Episode #1

On August 14, 2020 Dixon Center for Military & Veterans Services launched the first episode of Service Before Self, a podcast that tackles the evolving needs of veterans and their families, based on the idea that veterans can succeed in the communities where they live. This podcast will introduce you to people and the programs that are having an impact today; you will hear about their successes and lessons learned in creating effective programs in which veterans and their families reach their full potential.

Retired Army Colonel Sam Whitehurst, your host, the Dixon Center Vice President of Programs & Services, is diving deeply into the needs and challenges veterans and their families go through, as well as into the effective solutions to those challenges.

Listen here to Episode 001: Rick Passarelli: Forging New Pathways to Careers with Purpose for Veterans and Their Families

In this inaugural episode, Sam is joined by Rick Passarelli, who is the Director of Veteran Affairs and Workforce Development at Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) and the chair for the workforce development subcommittee for the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council. Rick is the architect behind one of the most impactful workforce development programs for veterans in the country, the Utility Workers Military Assistance Program (UMAP).

Rick enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1982; he served from that date until 1987 and participated in two deployments. After leaving the Navy, Rick joined Peoples Gas, one of the largest regulated natural gas utilities serving the city of Chicago, where he just recently retired from, after 32 years.

Rick shares some of his very distinguished career of service to our country as well as what has made UMAP such a successful program for veterans.

Supporting veterans and their families is a life’s calling for Rick, and he speaks to the importance of programs that provide pathways to careers that provide meaningful wages, access to affordable healthcare, and benefits that allow veterans to plan for and invest in their future.

This is the underlying philosophy of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Operation Workforce Development. Working nationally and locally we are collaborating to create a pathway to family-wage careers with full benefits for veterans and their families. For us, and for our partners like Rick and his team at UMAP; it’s more than finding a job for veterans—it’s about careers that provide work with purpose and ensuring that veterans and their families succeed in the communities where they live.

Subscribe To/Follow Service Before Self Podcast
​Whether you are an avid podcast fan or new to the medium, we invite you to give Service Before Self a listen. We invite you to listen and subscribe to the podcast. We welcome your feedback and will be reading your reviews and comments on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or one of the many other distributors.