BUDDY-TO-BUDDY VOLUNTEER SUPPORT CALL June 27, 2016 Buddy-to-Buddy is a peer-to-peer outreach program that trains veterans to provide peer support and linkage to needed resources for Michigan Post-9/11 service members and veterans. Visit us at www.buddytobuddy.org or reach us at buddytobuddyvvp@umich.edu or 1-888-82-BUDDY. Every week, Buddy-to-Buddy holds Support Calls for its 120+ volunteers, sharing resources and bringing guest speakers to provide information on topics of interest and available services.
Guest Speaker Presentation
Battle Creek Tile – Hiring Veterans Guest Speaker John Zanetti Owner, Battle Creek Tile john@battlecreektile.com Guest Speaker Summary Company has been around since 1958 and specializes in floor coverings – tile, carpet, wood floorings, and other specialty items. Seeking responsible, hard-working folks for long-term employment o They are able to teach employees a trade o They are dedicated to diversifying their employees, so helping them learn multiple types of products, methods, etc. o No experience necessary, pay starts at $12-$13/hour. Higher pay based on experience/skill level. Benefits o Health insurance after 90 days o 401(k) with 5% employer contribution o Flexible scheduling for military service members (like for drill weekends or AT) o Year-round employment and an employer that strives to maintain 40 hours throughout the year o Ability to learn skills that are broadly applicable throughout the industry Sometimes travel is required, in which case hotel and food costs will be subsidized. Company takes jobs up to ~1.5 hours away from Battle Creek, so employees from all over are encouraged to apply. o Many current employees live in Adrian, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Ionia, etc.
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program
www.buddytobuddy.org
How to apply: Call, email or fax to request an application, then complete the application and return in. o Call: 269-962-8779 o Email: john@battlecreektile.org o Fax: 269-962-0620
JUNE 27-JUNE 28 DISCUSSION VOLUNTEER SUPPORT CALL NOTES Issue/Concern: Volunteer working with soldier who is hoping to go back to school but also needs career help. His resume needs a lot of work and he needs to find a job. Suggestions/Resolution: Soldier First Program, housed at SVFAC in Lansing, they help with resume writing. Michigan Works! DVOP rep. Quicken Loans Tour of Duty program. The Mission Continues fellowship or internship programs. Issue/Concern: My unit was completely in the field. The unit member that referred one of their soldiers to me, told me that soldier was on BASE (not in field) and to catch them in late afternoon. They asked for POC on base, don’t have one. Somebody who was physically on base was supposed to come to the gate and vouch, and I didn’t have anybody there who could do that. Suggestions/Resolution: In the past, we’ve not had issues really. When you’re heading to Grayling, just connect with them ahead of time to see if there’s something they do - put your name on the list - or something like that. Two Upcoming Events:
Operation LZ Michigan, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans: Wurtsmith Air Museum, Oscoda, MI. July 8-10. Michigan Honey Festival, Frankenmuth, MI. August 6. $5 admission and all money goes toward organization that is teaching veterans to become beekeepers.
Discussion: B2B’s funding is in jeopardy. We do have some additional grants and things but we are also trying crowdfunding. We hope that we can spread the word and that people will donate. $150,000 is our goal. We would so appreciate your participation in spreading the word - building your own page, sending out via email, facebook, etc. Next week you’ll receive more details about this and how to do it. We hope you’ll be willing to take part in this and help us spread the message. It will only work if we can reach as many people as possible. The campaign will kick off on July 11th and last for four weeks. Our calls on July 11-12 will be dedicated to trouble-shooting any issues with creating pages, sharing, etc. and answering any questions about the crowdfunding campaign in general. Question: I don’t have any of those social media things. My wife does. Can she do it? Answer: Anybody can start a page, so family members are certainly encouraged to participate in it as well. Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program
www.buddytobuddy.org