Anthony Pearson, Founder and President of PPLVets, a “Business Resource Group” (BRG) of PPL Corporation, the local power and light company, spoke to the Council at its 19 June business meeting. He is Persian Gulf War (Gulf War I) Marine who served from 1989 through 1993.
Pearson explained PPL has had ten other minority and special group BRG’s since it began them about 13 to 14 years ago, but it had never had one for veterans until (more…)
When it comes to helping veterans find employment — having done away with its Governor’s Veterans Outreach and Assistance Centers (and using them properly before that) and having had problems with the staffing of 
its Veterans Employment Representative program — the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has not exactly been a frontrunner among state labor departments. But its JobGatewaySM is a web product which comes as close to providing a one-stop employment shopping environment online as you can get, and has the potential to actually help our veterans community because it also tries to engage prospective employers providing good, wage paying jobs, registering those who pass muster. (more…)
Five Guys (Burgers) will be holding the fundraiser from 24 to 26 June for a new local organization, Support No Stigma. If interested in supporting this organization, all you have to do eat at one of the three locations in the area and present the flyer when you pay. Five Guys Read more…
Want to start your own business? Tired of working for someone else? Unemployed or underemployed and want to change your life? You’re not alone. Nearly 40% of returning current conflict veterans have expressed a desire to work for themselves.
Can you afford to spare one night a week for ten weeks (more…)
Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley, a low income housing building ministry which relies on volunteers, is keenly interested in finding veterans to help them because they come with many of the skill sets needed. It is currently offering a paid, part-time supervisory position at its new Lehigh Valley Read more…
Less than two weeks are left until the March 2nd through 3rd Student Veterans Education & Employment Conference at the William Pitt Student Union on the University of Pittsburgh campus, Pittsburgh, PA. Register today to meet the Student Veterans of America Staff and National Leadership Council Members who know first-hand effective strategies for supporting student veterans. And even fewer days are left to register. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 22nd. (more…)
In This Issue
MR. BABB TALKS ABOUT THE VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT ROUNDTABLE
David Babb, a historian and interviewer for the Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project Roundtable, a member organization, spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 17 January 2013.
His organization was formed in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization two capture the stories of all wartime veterans and also those who served on the home front. It collects documents and preserves their personal experiences and then shares those stories with both the public and the Library of Congress. To date about 200 interviews have been done. (more…)
In This Issue:Robert McKenrick, the relatively new Director of the newly reorganized Philadelphia VA Regional Office of the Veterans Benefits Administration, spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 21 November. He brought along Eileen Kostic, Manager of the Veterans Service Center, and Leroy Saunders, a Military Services Coordinator. Mr. McKenrick is a current war veteran from the Army Reserve.
Recently what was known as the VA Regional Office and Insurance Center (VARIOC) split (more…)
NEW VETERANS OMINBUS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW ON 6 AUGUST
Surprisingly, nothing has been mentioned in the local media on the recent passage of H.R. 1627 (now known as Public Law 112-154), Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, despite its importance to the veterans community. It is an omnibus bill affecting many; and it finally brings some, though not total, resolution to the Camp Lejeune water contamination situation which has been previously written about.
Several veterans organizations withheld their support because the Lejeune provision set a dangerous precedent in their opinion. In their minds, the bill unfairly levies requirements on the VA to take care of an essentially Department of Defense (DoD) or TRICARE problem. While we might agree with them from one perspective, the larger issue is the government taking responsibility to care for those in need of it, no matter whence it comes. We are more concerned about the fact that no one currently knows when the VA will implement the Lejeune actions required, since no deadline has been set. (more…)
NINE RECIPIENTS ARE RECOGNIZED
The 2012 award recipients of the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council’s Scholarship Program were honored at the Council’s business meeting on 15 August 2012. Phil Hublitz of the Scholarship Subcommittee, presented the awards, assisted by Dave Binder, Board Member. The awardees had been vetted by a team consisting of Phil Hublitz and Bob Rothenberger as Co-Chairs, Lois Binder, JoAnn Van Billiard, and Tom Shaunessey
Most of the awardees are high school seniors and the most are enrolling in ROTC in college with plans to serve in the military – several plan twenty year careers in the service. The majority are enrolled in local colleges. Two who are a veteran’s child plan on military service. One homeless veteran is returning to college. Applications from returning veterans continue to be problematic probably due to the generous Post 9/11 GI Bill. Local colleges have a large veteran enrollment, the college financial aid staffs have been contacted and are well aware that scholarships are available from LVMAC. Veterans have a record of success in college. An application has never been received from a Reservist or Guardsman from a local military unit, except for their children. Those recognized, together with their families, were: (more…)