AMVETS CALL OF DUTY ENDOWMENT CAREER CENTER IN HONOLULU, HAWAII ANNOUNCES VETERANS UNEMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

                                                                                 AMVETS NEWS  

                                AMVETS National Headquarters, 4647 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, Md. 20706

Media contacts:  Jay Agg, jagg@amvets.org, (571) 991-6998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMVETS CALL OF DUTY ENDOWMENT CAREER CENTER IN HONOLULU, HAWAII ANNOUNCES VETERANS UNEMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

Center seeks to address 20% unemployment rate among veterans aged 18-24.

Honolulu, HI, June 18, 2013 — Today Honolulu Call of Duty Endowment Career Center Team Leader Donovan Lazarus announced a new initiative to combat unemployment among veterans, especially those between the ages of 18 and 24.

“We will be providing workshops, resume writing advice, and interview techniques,” said Lazarus. “Most importantly, we want to make lasting relationships with these men and women.”

While unemployment among veterans dropped 1.3 percent during the past year to 7.0 percent, unemployment among veterans aged 18-24 remains at 20.4 percent. AMVETS National Commander Cleve Geer believes the centers are uniquely suited to address today’s veteran unemployment crisis.

“AMVETS Call of Duty Endowment Career Centers are on the cutting edge of providing our men and women in uniform with the employment assistance they deserve,” said Geer. “Our centers partner with veteran-friendly businesses to help service members find lasting, meaningful employment and ultimately make a smooth transition back into civilian life.”

The Honolulu center is one of 17 Endowment Career Centers nationwide. Each center provides free training and employment assistance to veterans, active service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and their spouses.  Center volunteers offer an array of services including career assessments, help obtaining licensing, resume writing and interview tips, and job search assistance and support. Lazarus is proud to be part of an initiative that offers veterans so many employment services.

“We are proud to help veterans get a foot in the door with businesses so they can get a job,” said Lazarus. “Additionally, we have a wide range of resources and techniques to draw on to help veterans improve their employment opportunities as well. Most importantly, we are lucky to have a talented and industrious group of volunteers ready to help veterans obtain gainful employment.”    

To contact the Honolulu career center, email career@amvets-hawaii.org. For more information about AMVETS Call of Duty Endowment Career Centers visit www.amvets.org/careercenter/ or call 1-877-726-8387.

About AMVETS:  

A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America’s armed forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements, as well as community service and legislative reform that enhances the quality of life for this nation’s citizens and veterans alike. AMVETS is one of the largest congressionally-chartered veterans’ service organizations in the United States, and includes members from each branch of the military, including the National Guard and Reserves. To learn more visit www.amvets.org.

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Vet­er­ans of For­eign Wars and National Guard Asso­ci­a­tion of the US endorse AMVETS Anti-Discrimination Ini­tia­tive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vet­er­ans of For­eign Wars and National Guard Asso­ci­a­tion of the US endorse AMVETS Anti-Discrimination Ini­tia­tive to pro­tect vet­er­ans in hous­ing and employment

WASHINGTON, DC, June 24, 2013—Today AMVETS National Com­man­der Cleve Geer announced two major vet­er­ans ser­vice orga­ni­za­tions have endorsed the Amer­i­can Vet­er­ans Anti-Discrimination ini­tia­tive, a national leg­isla­tive effort to pro­tect vet­er­ans from unfair treat­ment in employ­ment, hous­ing and all areas of pub­lic life.

Cur­rently, Sen­a­tor Richard Blu­men­thal (D-CT) and Rep­re­sen­ta­tive Derek Kilmer (D-WA6) are in dis­cus­sions with AMVETS about prospec­tive vet­eran anti-discrimination bills for the Sen­ate and House of Rep­re­sen­ta­tives (respec­tively). Geer antic­i­pates the sup­port from the 1.4 mil­lion member-strong VFW andNGAUS, the nation’s old­est orga­ni­za­tion lob­by­ing on behalf of the National Guard, will cre­ate momen­tum for AMVETS’ Anti-Discrimination Initiative.

“The Amer­i­can Vet­eran Anti-Discrimination Ini­tia­tive is an impor­tant leg­isla­tive pri­or­ity for AMVETS and our com­mu­nity,” said Geer. “The added sup­port of VFW and NGAUS gives us the momen­tum we need for action on Capi­tol Hill and to pro­tect our tran­si­tion­ing veterans.”

“The value of mil­i­tary ser­vice has eroded to the point that being a vet­eran is seen as a lia­bil­ity to many employ­ers,” said VFW Exec­u­tive Direc­tor Bob Wal­lace. “That is why the VFW sup­ports AMVETS in their effort to pro­tect vet­er­ans from employ­ment discrimination.”

“NGAUS strongly sup­ports this AMVETS effort,” said Maj. Gen. Gus L. Har­gett, Jr., (Ret.) pres­i­dent of the National Guard Asso­ci­a­tion of the United States. “Lead­er­ship and tech­ni­cal expe­ri­ence gained from mil­i­tary ser­vices can bring great value to the civil­ian work­place. Our vet­er­ans deserve full and fair con­sid­er­a­tion for employ­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties as they arise.”

The Amer­i­can Vet­er­ans Anti-Discrimination Ini­tia­tive will: raise aware­ness among employ­ers of vet­er­ans and vet­er­ans’ issues; give vet­er­ans expe­ri­enc­ing employ­ment and hous­ing dis­crim­i­na­tion legal recourse to pur­sue their claims; ensure that an individual’s mil­i­tary or vet­eran sta­tus will not be used against them in seek­ing employ­ment, hous­ing, or edu­ca­tional oppor­tu­ni­ties. No one who has served and sac­ri­ficed for this coun­try should be penal­ized for it.

For more infor­ma­tion about the Amer­i­can Vet­er­ans Anti-Discrimination Ini­tia­tive, visitwww.amvets.org/legislative.

About AMVETS:
A leader since 1944 in pre­serv­ing the free­doms secured by America’s armed forces, AMVETS pro­vides sup­port for vet­er­ans and the active mil­i­tary in procur­ing their earned enti­tle­ments, as well as com­mu­nity ser­vice and leg­isla­tive reform that enhances the qual­ity of life for this nation’s cit­i­zens and vet­er­ans alike.AMVETS is one of the largest congressionally-chartered vet­er­ans’ ser­vice orga­ni­za­tions in the United States, and includes mem­bers from each branch of the mil­i­tary, includ­ing the National Guard and Reserves. To learn more visit www.amvets.org.