The GI Go Fund Directors
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Let’s Talk About Vets! �������������������� 10 Honoring Great Veteran Supporters in 2015 ��������������������������������������������������4
Jack Fanous
Executive Director fanous@gigofund.org
Carl Sandberg Middle School Breaks Record for “Steps For Vets” ���������������������5
“Steps for Vets” page 5
10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, NY Raises over $4,500 in Golf Outing For Lt. Seth Dvorin and other Fallen Comrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Hundreds of Homeless Veterans find Help at the “Stand Down of North Jersey”. . . 9
Alex Manis
Deputy Director manis@gigofund.org
Unemployment among veterans trending in right direction as companies learn value
The Value of Hiring Vets page 18
of hiring veterans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
GI Go Fund Honored at JWV Legislative Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . 17
James Fanous
Jeans For Troops Day in Honor of Memorial Day. . . . . . . . . . 18
Website: www.gigofund.org
GI Go Fund’s Jeans For Troops Day Reaches New Heights In The Mile-High City Supporting Local Veterans. . . . . . . . . . 20
Communications Director/ Transition Times Managing Editor jafanous@gigofund.org
Contact Telephone Number: (866) 389-GIGo (4446) Locations: One Gateway Center 105 Evesboro-Medford Rd. Suite 120 Suite K Newark, NJ 07102 Marlton, NJ 08053
Jeans for Troops Day page 18
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My time as an AmeriCorps for The GI Go Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Honoring Great Veteran Supporters in 2015 The 2015 Veterans Day Gala Honorees have each contributed their time and lead others to accomplish great things for our military veterans By Staff Writer The GI Go Fund 2015 Veterans Day Gala will be recognizing and awarding the individuals who have displayed an unparalleled commitment to ensuring that our veterans are transitioning successfully. There are loved ones who chose to make a positive difference for veterans. People like Sue Niederer and Gary Sapir, the mother and uncle of the late Lt. Seth Dvorin, who have provided love, inspiration, and support to the GI Go Fund and the veterans they serve, including organizing an historic Steps for Vets fundraising drive at Carl Sandburg Middle School.Also paving the way for veterans in the community is former VFW State Commander Jack Kane, who has worked tirelessly for our veterans Sue Niederer Gary Sapir 2015 2015 Seth Dvorin Civilian Lifetime of the Achievement Year Award
over the last few decades. In addition to these public sector heroes, there are several members of the private sector who have made an impact. Habitat for Humanity and their CEO Jeff Farrell are be-
Master of Ceremonies Steve Adubato
Jack Kane 2015 Veteran of the Year
ing honored for the great work they have done to house veterans in need. The GI Go Fund will also honor John Downing, CEO, and SoldierOn, an organization that has worked tirelessly to house so many homeless veterans throughout the region. This year’s Master of Ceremonies will be Steve Adubato, PhD, Emmy Award-winning television news anchor, author and Star-Ledger columnist. Mr. Adubato has been a tremendous supporter of the GI Go Fund and the veterans we serve, and we are honored to have him this year as our Host. We thank all of our honorees for all that they do for veterans, and we hope others will follow in their footsteps in the coming year. J
Habitat for Humanity 2015 Veteran Organization of the Year
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John Downing, SoldierOn 2015 Man of the Year
CARL SANDBERG MIDDLE SCHOOL BREAKS RECORD FOR “STEPS FOR VETS” By: Heather deJong
Last May, the Carl Sandberg Middle School in Old Bridge, New Jersey raised over $23,000 for the Memorial Day,“Steps for Vets” Program. Hundreds of the middle school’s students participated in the walk-a-thon event where they collected donations from family members and neighbors to help support The GI Go Fund and our returning heroes. “Every year, the students and faculty of Carl Sandberg Middle School have come through for The GI Go Fund, giving everything they’ve got to help our veterans get the assistance they need,” said GI Go Fund Co-Founder James Fanous. “We are extremely grateful for, and proud of, their efforts. And we hope that they know that their hard work will make a difference in the lives of veterans who need help.” The “Steps for Vets” program officially kicked off in March to rally the students and staff around why it is important to give back to our veterans and their families. That was later followed up by the full event on May 22nd, which began with a school assembly that highlighted veterans of different military experiences from each branch of our armed forces. After the assembly the students took their “Steps for Vets” walk-athon, outside on the school’s track with the veterans and their families that were in attendance. Proceeds raised during the event benefitted The GI Go Fund, to help veterans find employment, secure their education and health care benefits, and provides assistance to low income and homeless veterans. The organization was founded in honor of U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Seth Dvorin who was killed by an improvised explosive device during the war in Iraq. Since its founding, The GI Go Fund has helped tens of thousands of veterans improve their lives and give them the capacity to provide and care for their loved ones.
The “Steps for Vets” event was coordinated by Gary Sapir, a teacher at the school for more than 30 years. Mr. Sapir has a special connection to the GI Go Fund, as he is the late Lt. Dvorin’s Uncle in which the organization is founded in memory of. This is the third time The Carl Sandberg Middle School has hosted this event. In 2012, the school’s students raised more than $8,000, which at the time had set the record for the most funds ever raised in the school’s history. Last year, they raised $19,000, which was the most funds ever raised by any school in the Old Bridge School District for a charitable event, something that brought a smile to Mr. Sapir’s face. And of course this years “Steps for Vets” program shattered that record. “I could not be more proud of our students,” said Mr. Sapir. “They just continue to amaze me every year. You see the level of dedication and commitment they have to helping our veterans and you cannot help but feel inspired. All of our participating students set the bar for supporting our veterans extremely high for other schools, and all Americans.” Also, Mr. Sapir retired on July 1st after more than 48 years of teaching in the Old Bridge School District. Carl Sandburg Middle School Principal Martha Simon said the school will not be the same without Sapir.
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“His students benefit from his true love for his profession and his commitment to making our school an outstanding community for students, staff and families,” she said in the district’s statement. “From my first day at Sandburg, Mr. Sapir has provided me with a living history of all things CSMS, and I am forever grateful for how he has welcomed me, and all the new staff members over the years, to be part of the CSMS family. He is a gentleman, a scholar, a leader and a friend, and he will be truly missed.” On June 17th, Mr. Fanous attended the Carl Sandberg Middle School graduation ceremony to present the school along with Mr. Sapir a
plaque in recognition of their efforts supporting The GI Go Fund through the “Steps for Vets” program. The GI Go Fund gives a heartfelt thank you Mr. Sapir as well as to all the students, faculty, and administrators that made this event a huge success.Their hard work will make a tremendous difference in the lives of countless New Jersey veterans, and they should be proud of what they have done to help the men and women who fought to defend our country. J
Students at the Carl Sandburg Middle School in Old Bridge participate in the Steps for Vets program in honor of Memorial Day. The students broke records in fundraising by collecting over $23,000 for military veterans.
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10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, NY Raises over $4,500 in Golf Outing For Lt. Seth Dvorin and other Fallen Comrades By Staff Writer During the week of the annual remembrance ceremony of the 10th Mountain Division in Ft. Drum, NY, members of the division hosted a charity golf outing, where they raised over $4,500 for the GI Go Fund and the veterans they serve. The GI Go Fund was chosen for both the tremendous work that they do serving veterans of all conflicts as well as their unique connection to the 10th Mountain Division, as the organization was founded in honor of Lt. Seth Dvorin. Eleven years ago, on February 3, 2004, Lt. Dvorin was serving in the 10th Mountain Division’s Outkast group in Iraq. On that day, just 17 days after returning to combat, a roadside bomb detonated as his platoon was making a routine stop near the town of Iskandariyah,
Sue Niederer, mother of Lt. Seth Dvorin, views her son’s plaque commemorating his service to the 10th Mountain Division. killing Seth instantly. “This is such a touching and fitting tribute to Seth’s memory,” said Jack Fanous, co-founder and Executive Director of the GI Go Fund.“The 10th Mountain Division was such a large part of Seth’s life, and it is great to see that they still show him love
From left to right: GI Go Fund members James Fanous, Alex Manis, Sue Niederer, and Jack Fanous
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and appreciation after all of these years. I thank CSM Roy Holmes and the entire 10th Mountain Division for hosting this event, and we all hope to continue to be a part of this terrific event.” The event was particularly touching to Seth’s mother, Sue Niederer, who may still carry the weight of her son’s loss on her shoulders but is proud of the legacy he has left. “It was incredibly hard then, and it never gets easier,” said Sue. “But I cannot say enough good things about the GI Go Fund and what it does for returning soldiers. So many of these men and women come back and struggle with so many things, and this organization works with you no matter what. I am honored to be a part of this organization, and I am so happy that the 10th Mountain Division was able to honor him with such a wonderful event after all these years.” The week also included a remembrance ceremony for the fallen, which was attended by Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno. Hundreds of family and friends came to honor their loved ones who have perished in 2014 and in years past. The GI Go Fund is proud to have been included in this important and touching week for the fallen, and we look forward to taking their generous gift and using it to help veterans from across the country with their needs. J
Hundreds of Homeless Veterans find Help at the “Stand Down of North Jersey” Homeless Veterans offered food, clothes, medical screenings, haircuts, legal assistance, and connections to benefits and housing opportunities By Staff Writer The GI Go Fund, in partnership with the City of Newark, as well as the Stand Down of North Jersey Inc., hosted the “Stand Down of North Jersey” for Homeless Veterans at the John F. Kennedy Aquatic and Recreation Center, on Saturday, October 10, 2015. During the Stand Down, veterans received haircuts, photo ID cards, medical checkups and HIV testing, as well as counseling and information support groups about employment services, state and federal VA benefits, substance abuse programs, vocational rehabilitation, recovery programs, hospice care, and legal services, including City legal support to address outstanding criminal matters. Veterans were also provided lunch cooked by the New Jersey Army National Guard. Afterwards, they were given a full range of Army surplus and civilian winter clothing, including boots, underwear, ski caps, pants, and personal toiletries. The GI Go Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 that has been recognized for its unique and innovative solutions to addressing the homeless veteran population. The group has been successful in helping veterans living in Newark with all of their needs, turning Newark into the model of providing veterans with the services and care that they deserve. Their smart approach of assisting homeless veterans has received national attention, as the organization’s work has been showcased on national television on ABC,
Fox News, and CNN. “We believe we have identified the best model for addressing the issue of homeless veterans in our country. We have had tremendous success in the city of Newark these past several years, and we are excited to continue to help the veterans living in the City,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous, whose organization partnered with now Senator Cory Booker and the city of Newark in 2008 to address the needs of veterans in his city and develop a model that could be taken to other areas. “The only way to end homelessness among veterans is to bring the services to them, we can’t wait for them to come to us.” This event has been held every year in the city of Newark for nearly a decade, showing the level of c o m m i t m en t that all partners have to solving the issue of veteran homelessness. Organizers have indicated that despite the years of work in hosting these events, they have no intention of slowing down. “We’ll keep doing these events as long as need be, so that the words ‘homeless’ and ‘veterans’ should never be in the same sentence,” said David Cathcart, President of Stand Down of North Jersey Inc., which organized the event.“This is the most important thing we can do for our veterans, and we can never give up on this fight.” J
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Let’s Talk About Vets! With the 2016 Presidential Race in full swing, why is it that the issue of veterans is once again being treated as a secondary issue, despite the growing and glaring problems our military veterans are facing? By James Fanous
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t’s more than a year away from the next presidential election, and you know what that means: the news world is in full on crazy mode. And with a list of nearly 20 people from both parties, including senators, governors, business leaders, and even a little-known surgeon running for the most coveted seat in all the land, the American public has be-
come inundated with a daily overdose of Presidential politics. From the seemingly never-ending saga of Hillary Clinton’s emails to the controversial statements of Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina respectively about Muslims and Planned Parenthood, the news has had plenty of side issues to spend each and every day talking endlessly about. However, while the white noise of gotcha
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➤ The 2016 election features an incredible number of candidates all seeking the highest office in the land. But they have been largely silent regarding the brave men and women they hope to one day lead as Commander in Chief.
has had mixed results. Donald Trump for example in recent months talked about supporting veterans, including asking CNN to contribute proceeds from 2nd debate to supporting military veterans and their families. However, CNN did not agree to the request, and then added further insult by proceeding to not talk about vets at all during a three hour debate. “Veterans are really getting sick and tired of being ignored,” said Sgt. Joe Pace, a Marine veteran of the Iraqi conflict and a member of the GI Go Fund’s Board of Directors. “Other issues get talked about so much by all the other candidates all the time, and caring for
politics has dominated the headlines, the ongoing and growing issues that our veterans are facing has been completely ignored by the mainstream press. This lack of media coverage regarding our veterans is not anything new. The news rarely sheds a light on the struggles of our military veterans. But in this instance, where this is the first presidential campaign since the VA scandal that put a spotlight on how poorly our veterans have been treated broke, and with the likelihood of new conflicts in new countries growing every day, the absence of veteran coverage by the news media is truly shameful. “It’s nothing new,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous. “Veterans have watched election after election with the same phrase repeated over and over ‘We have to take care of our veterans’. But no one ever explains what they mean, and veterans know this. This is why there is such a lack of trust from our government; the repeating of that canned line for the last few decades with nothing behind it is how a backlog erupting in scandal can happen at the VA and have no one be held responsible. This year has to be different for our veterans because too much is at stake.” There have been moments where candidates have tried to introduce the topic of veterans, but that
Bernie Sanders, Former Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman and Candidate for the Democratic Nomination for President my fellow veterans gets no attention. Do they not realize that every veteran recognizes this almost complete lack of acknowledgement and won’t forget it? Do they not realize that with all the problems that the VA is having and the lack of discussion about it is going to make everyone, including people who might want to join the military, that we don’t care for our veterans?” While the general discussion about veterans has been mainly silent, some candidates have made it a point to discuss their work with veterans. Senator Bernie Sanders, running for the Democratic nomination, was the Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee until this year after the Democrats lost the majority in the Senate. When he announced his White House bid outside the Capitol in April, Sanders discussed the sacrifice of veterans in an argument against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision allowing individuals to contribute as much as they want to campaigns, a principle tenant of his campaign. “I’m the former chairman of the Senate Veter-
Things may be on the up and up for Donald Trump’s campaign, but for many of our veterans, the 2016 Presidential Election has been a difficult time for our veterans.
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let’s talk about vets
ans Committee,” he said that day. “And I can tell you I don’t believe that the men and women who defended American democracy fought to create a situation where billionaires own the political process.” In his stump speech he routinely calls for a country “where every veteran who defends this nation gets the quality health care and benefits they have earned and receives the respect they deserve.” During his tenure, he helped introduce the VA reform bill after the scandal involving falsified records at VA facilities surfaced last July, a bill that was championed by the GI Go Fund and other veteran advocates. In the fight to promote the legislation, known as the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, the organization spoke alongside Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey at the VFW Post 493 in Nutley, NJ promoting the need for the legislation. “Veterans need and deserve access to every form of medical care possible,” said Fanous, who spoke at another Press Conference with the Senators in June when these reforms were first introduced. “Whether it is at the VA or at their local hospital, Veterans should receive nothing but the best treatment for all of their medical needs. We have been pushing for years for sweeping reforms to the system for years because, sadly, our veterans have been getting very inadequate care for many years now. We were very glad to see that these reforms were introduced in June, and we are thrilled that more great things are happening for our veterans.” The bill was set to make
Regardless of political affiliation, every candidate needs to take the issue of supporting veterans more seriously
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sweeping changes to the VA when it passed, adding $17 billion in spending to help veterans avoid long waits for health care, hiring more doctors and nurses to treat them, and making it easier to fire senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department. Most notably, the bill allowed veterans living 40 miles away from a VA facility to obtain private health care through the VA. However, in spite of the dramatic efforts the bill was meant to have, and the work that the new VA Secretary Bob McDonald has put in to improve the agency, problems are still emerging. For example, in order for the veterans to obtain private care, they need to apply for a Choice Card. This card gives veterans who have been waiting more than 30 days for appointments or who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility the chance to see a private doctor. But instead, some veterans say that when they attempted to use their card, the VA told them they had to live more than 40 “miles in a straight line, or as the crow flies,” from their VA rather than Google maps miles, which makes the card harder to use.VA doctors themselves have even stated that they don’t understand how to use the program. “Even when the government tried to do something right, they find a way to get it wrong,” said Sgt. Pace about the issues with the VA Choice bill. “They allow us to go to get private care, but only so far ‘as the crow flies’? If I thought that Washington was able to succeed at anything, I would have thought that they set that up to deliberately prevent veterans from getting private care.” Other problems within the
let’s talk about vets
veteran community, including unemployment among returning veterans, expansion of GI Bill benefits to fit our changing economy, and increased support to homeless veterans also remain important issues facing veterans in 2016. With all of these issues still at the forefront in the veteran community, we all must band together to ensure that the issues of veterans and their families do not get lost in the noise of 24-hour presidential election coverage. One group that is looking to change the trend of veterans being ignored is the IAVA, one of the leading voices for veterans in the 21st century.Their is founder Paul Reichoff, an Iraq veteran who has advocated for veterans diligently over the past decade, including in 2008 when he worked with Jack Fanous and the GI Go Fund to help establish the historic partnership that GI Go made with the city of Newark and then-Mayor Cory Booker. After the second republican debate, he spoke openly about how veterans will not accept this lack of focus anymore. “Any candidate, Republican or Democrat, who is serious about becoming president must commit themselves to real support of our nation’s veterans,” he wrote in an opinion piece in The Hill. “Platitudes are not enough.The 22 million American veterans from all wars deserve clear, specific policy plans. It’s easy to say ‘I’ll clean up the VA!’ but we want to see specifics about how each candidate plans to do it.” For their part, IAVA is working to have candidates pledge to support key veteran issues that every veteran organization, including the GI Go Fund, have wanted politicians to support for so long but have gotten little traction on. So, using their model that is supported throughout the country, here are some (but not all) of the most critical issues facing veterans in 2016:
Although steps have been taken to improve the VA, veteran healthcare and benefits remain a critical issue for the future, and the lack of discussion could cost veterans dearly when time comes to keeping some fixes in place. Act. Our military is the world’s most advanced and our care for our veterans must be the same.
J Defend the New GI Bill The Post-9/11 (or “New”) GI Bill sent more than one million veterans to school. Though wildly successful, the New GI Bill has been exploited by predators in the for-profit school sector who take
J Build a Truly 21st Century VA When the 2014 scandal at the VA brought to light a negligent log jam of claims and overdue health care, IAVA called for the creation of a new “Marshall Plan for Veterans.” This bold, eight-point plan outlines a comprehensive effort to restore confidence in the VA. We urge parties from all sides to resist the urge to politicize efforts to provide our veterans with quality care and to implement all aspects of this plan, including the VA Accountability
advantage of veterans’ benefits and often leave veterans stuck with unnecessary debt and a subpar education. Candidates must support efforts to close
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let’s talk about vets loopholes that reward these bad actors for exploiting veterans and strengthen regulations that help veterans choose the best educational programs to meet their career goals. J Prevent Suicide Among Troops and Veterans The passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act of 2015, spearheaded by IAVA, was a landmark, bi-partisan effort that showed America its politicians can work together, and that veterans issues are everyone’s issues. Veteran suicide remains a national crisis, with 22 veterans dying each day from suicide. IAVA calls on political leaders to implement the SAV Act by improving oversight of mental health programs, increase the number of mental health professionals in the VA, and swiftly address the stigma surrounding mental health to ensure timely access to the highest quality mental health care possible.
the women veteran population is anticipated to increase. Yet care and support for these women warriors has lagged behind. The VA health care system and disability claims system are still not designed to support the unique needs and experience of female veterans. While we have seen progress in reforming these systems, our leaders must be more focused on getting female veterans the care they deserve. Not noted in this pledge is the need to lower the number of unemployed veterans in this country. Our veterans are the most highly trained and skilled workers in the country, having worked with some of the most intricate and advanced technology in the world.Yet too many of them are struggling to find employment because they do not fit the mold of the typical employee. Efforts need to be made to ensure that employers really recognize the skills that veterans have, including making more funding available to help train veterans on specific skills while they are applying to a job to make them a more attractive candidate to an employer. Regardless of political affiliation, every candidate needs to take the issue of supporting veterans more seriously. This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, it is an American issue. And it is quickly becoming an American crisis. With each passing day, our veterans are more at risk of poor healthcare, suicide, unemployment, and homelessness, and there will be nobody to blame except the Presidential candidates who ignored them. Our country needs to stand together in 2016 and send one clear message to the people running to be our next President: If you want to be Commander-in-Chief, make sure you show how much you care for those you seek to command to fight in battle.J
Despite the lack of focus on veterans, military supporters and advocates remain united towards putting veterans in the forefront of the discussion for 2016. Here, a veteran supporter joins others to place 1,892 flags representing veteran and service members who have died by suicide to date in 2014, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
J Improve Care for Female Veterans Nearly 280,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and while the number of male veterans is expected to decline in the next five years,
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Unemployment among veterans trending in right direction as companies learn value of hiring veterans HR directors are learning that hiring a veteran might be the best decision a company can make By Staff Writer As so many of our nation’s veterans have returned home over the past few years during an economic downturn, America has seen the percent of veterans out of work at astronomical rates. At one point, the percent of unemployed young veterans peaked over 30%. But now, as unemployment among the general public is at a point of stagnation, veteran unemployment is decreasing. A flat 5 percent of post-9/11 veterans were unemployed last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment for the group was at 4.7 percent in August. In September of last year, 6.2 percent of such veterans were unemployed. “We have worked a long time to help our veterans find work, and we are beginning to see that work pay off,” said Jack Fanous.“We have been preaching the good word of veterans in the workplace for nearly a decade, talking about the true benefit and value hiring a veteran has beyond the sense of patriotism. Companies are starting to learn that hiring our veterans is not only a good show of support for the military, but that it is good for the bottom line. Much of the basis for the improvement in veteran unemployment has to do with the services available to them from the federal government finally taking effect. The services that have been provided, and are still available through the GI Bill, Voc-Rehab, and other federal benefits include: omprehensive rehabilitation evaluation to de JC termine abilities, interests, skills and needs
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The Value of Hiring veterans J Vocational counseling and rehabilitation planning mployment services such as job seeking skills, JE resume’ development, and other work readiness assistance J Assisting in finding and keeping a job, including the use of special employer incentives J On the job training apprenticeships, and nonpaid work experiences J Financial assistance for post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school J Supportive rehabilitation services including case management, counseling and referral J Independent living services for veterans unable to work due to severity of their disabilities Much of the success is also due to the work of private sector partners committed to helping veterans find work through innovative means. Perhaps one of the most intriguing and promising efforts is from the fast-growing JobPath, which has already given so many veterans the opportunity to find employment by matching their skillsets in the military with available jobs and obtaining additional skills through intricate online training courses. Through the JobPath site, veterans are able to go through the countless jobs available after matching with their particular Military Occupational Specialty using the sites custom built MOS Translator and connect with the company position they feel is the best fit. Then they are shown the list of qualifications that job requires, including degrees and/or certificates. If the veteran does not have these specifications, they can simply click “Start Training” and they will be taken to an online training program designed by the company that will give them the skills that they need for the position. Once they have completed all the necessary training, they now have the complete skillset that the company is looking for in its prospective employees, without the added costs and burdens of obtaining full undergraduate or graduate degrees. “Companies have always expressed the interest to hire veterans, feeling the need to fulfill both their obligations as employers and as Americans,” Fanous said. “However they have never had a real venue for accomplishing that goal. JobPath is a platform that is designed especially for bringing veterans, including thousands
from across the country with disabilities, and companies together, giving everyone all that they would need to turn military applicants into military employees.” But perhaps the best benefit of all is the simplest one: this service is provided completely free of charge to veterans. With the training modules being developed by the companies subscribing into the JobPath program, veterans can train for any job they want in the comfort of their own home, or even while they are still deployed overseas, all without worrying about high tuition costs and mounting debt. And as the system recognizes the skills that veterans had in the military and the ones they possess today, those former personnel with disabilities know that they can find the job that’s right for them. “Veterans are getting everything they were always promised through this program, and companies are being given every incentive imaginable to make all of their future employees former members of the Armed Forces,” said Fanous. The work of getting veterans employed is showing signs of progress. But as we move into 2016, we need to remember that the fight is not over. We must work even harder to ensure that every company views veterans as the most qualified for any position, and not relent on that point. The benefits available to veterans seeking work, the job searching tools available to them, and the people fighting on their behalf must continue moving into the next year. Otherwise, we will spend Veterans Day 2016 discussing what went wrong in getting veterans hired. J
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GI Go Fund Honored at JWV Legislative Breakfast By Heather deJong The GI Go Fund was honored on May 3rd, 2015 at the 34th Annual Jewish War Veterans of the United States Department of New Jersey Legislative Breakfast as Organization of the Year. The event commemorates the Department of New Jersey and the Ladies Auxiliary’s decision to formally honor and recognize those legislators or organizations that have proven themselves friends of veterans. “We are very proud, at the GI Go Fund to have been recognized this year by the New Jersey Jewish War Veterans,” said Executive Director Jack Fanous. “This organization works every day with our nation’s heroes as they are transitioning back to civilian life by providing resume writing aide, job training, and help with their educational and veteran benefits as well as emergency financial assistance, and it is greatly appreciated for this honor.” The Jewish War Veterans holds a special place in The GI Go Fund’s hearts as Marlboro – Manalapan Post 972 was named in Lt. Seth Dvorin’s honor. In 2004 Lt. Dvorin was killed in an IED blast in Iraq and as a way for his childhood friends could give back to our veterans they founded The GI Go Fund. “As a member and Past Commander of the Lt. Seth Dvorin Post 972 of the JWV of the USA I became very close with Seth’s father, Richard Dvorin,” said Jeff Sohn. “Rich was our Executive Officer. Through this relationship I got
to meet Rich and Seth’s family especially Sue, Seth’s mother. She has a fire in her heart and so much love to inspire those around her to help with her many causes.” “Considering the hard work and dedication Rich gave to the Post, it was decided to rename the Post to honor his son Seth, an Army Officer who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Iraq. It was only fitting and proper that our Post be named “The Lt. Seth Dvorin Post 972, JWV of the United States of America,” stated Sohn. Mr. Sohn was selected to be on the Jewish War Veterans Legislative Breakfast Committee who were tasked with having to select the Legislator of the Year and the Organization of the Year. Each of these recipients had to specifically meet the needs of our veterans. “I immediately championed to have The GI Go Fund selected as the recipient of Organization of the Year,” said Sohn. “Seth’s childhood friends, Jack, James and Alex deserve a big thank you for founding this organization on behalf of all veterans and their families.” “I am grateful to Jeff Sohn and the Lt. Seth Dvorin Post 972 for the recognition of the work that The GI Go Fund does. Our Post and the GI Go Fund have a special bond in keeping Seth’s name and memory alive,” said Jack Fanous. At the ceremony, State Senator Jennifer Beck from the 11th Legislative District was recognized as
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GI Go Fund Executive Director, Jack Fanous accepting the Organization of the Year award from the New Jersey Jewish War Veterans. Legislator of the Year. Senator Beck sponsored the legislation that created the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority to promote lasting economic redevelopment for those affected by the closing of the fort and to assist with a smooth transition of the property. Jewish War Veterans have served our country since the Colonial Era; though in earlier times were not counted or acknowledged. Over the centuries, thousands of Jews had died in combat and received over 52,000 awards, including Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. The Jewish War Veterans represent a proud tradition of service and The GI Go Fund could not have been prouder to stand with them and accept the award of Organization of the Year. J
Jeans For Troops Day in Honor of Memorial Day By Ruth Acevedo Hundreds of thousands of Americans from coast to coast worked to help fellow troops and their families by participating in the GI Go Fund’s Jeans For Troops fundraising drive. Over 2,000 schools, companies, and government agencies took part in a nationwide movement to support returning veterans this Memorial Day and help them get the assistance they need as they come home. During the “Jeans for Troops” program, employers that choose to participate
agree to allow their employees to wear jeans to work in exchange for a $5 donation to the GI Go Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting all veterans with their needs upon their return home from combat. We also provide each participant with a sticker to be worn on their shirt to show their support.The stickers are provid-
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ed to the program administrators free of charge. The GI Go Fund is an organization on the cutting edge of offering support to veterans, providing veterans with innovative ways of finding employment, securing their educational and health benefits, as well as providing aid and assistance to low income and homeless veterans. Since their founding, the organization has helped tens of thousands of veterans improve their lives and give them the capacity to provide and care for their loved ones. “The amount that this event has grown in the past few years has been truly something special,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous. “What started out as a small group of loyal supporters has now swelled to over a million school teachers, government workers, and business employees alike standing together to lend a hand to their local veterans in need this Memorial Day. All of our participants are showing the true passion and love that all of us Americans have for our military men and women, and they are saying thank you to them in the best way possible.” The organization is committed to providing support to veterans from all across America, and is committed to taking funds raised in local communities and directing them to support initiatives and efforts for veterans in their area. Proceeds from this program will go to help the organization further its mission for veterans. The GI Go Fund is looking to provide
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veterans with the tools and resources they need to find a steady job, from providing veterans with career mentorship to helping them access job training resources that will help them find employment with companies looking to hire veterans. In addition, the organization was able to reach a major milestone by working with federal legislators following the VA scandal. The GI Go Fund was able to make a significant impact on a new bipartisan VA Reform bill which would allow veterans living 40 miles away from a VA facility to obtain private health care through the VA. The bill also grants the same rights to veterans waiting too long for their care at the VA, as well as gives the Department more flexibility when seeking to remove underperforming VA staffers. The drive has received strong support from all levels, including statewide governments.The NJ State Assembly issued a proclamation that declared May 21st as “Jeans for Troops Day”, calling on all New Jersey businesses, schools, and organizations to support our troops in honor of this Memorial Day. The event was also being sponsored and promoted by the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), who has worked hard to encourage its members to support their local military veterans. The group has sponsored the drive each of the past three years, and its members have consistently been among the group’s biggest supporters. The GI Go Fund would like to thank all of the employees from across the United States for making a difference this Memorial Day. Your efforts will likely surpass any that we have seen since the drive started five years ago, and we will be able to achieve great things for our veterans thanks to your support! J
GI Go Fund’s Jeans For Troops Day Reaches New Heights In The Mile-High City Supporting Local Veterans Organization travels to Denver to thank schools for Jeans For Troops fundraising; announces proceeds to benefit V.F.W. Post revitalization program to be funded by Jeans For Troops proceeds By Joseph Bongon The GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous and fellow co-founders boarded a plane to Colorado to visit a middle school and the nation’s first Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post to recognize efforts by schools and organizations in our great country. The fundraising drive and visits highlighted the organization’s initiative use Jeans For Troops Day proceeds following the enormous success of the GI Go Fund’s Jeans For Troops Day On May 21st. The GI Go Fund’s members went on to visit the one of the many schools throughout the country that participated in the Jeans for Troops Day, Liberty Middle School in Aurora. After the visit to Liberty Middle School, The GI Go Fund went on to visit VFW Post 1, where Jack Fanous donated $10,000 to revitalize and rebuild the facility. “This year’s Memorial Day Jeans For Troops effort was an enormous success and it is thanks to the efforts
of schools like Liberty Middle School who rallied their communities and came through for the men and women who have served in our nation’s military,” said Fanous. “Thanks to the hard work of people supporting our veterans around the nation, The GI
Go Fund is on track to have a record five million people to participate in this year’s Jeans For Troops efforts. That level of participation will translate into The GI Go Fund being able to do even more in helping veterans and their families.”
Members of Liberty Middle School in Aurora, CO were joined by GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous and Deputy Director Alex Manis to recognize Jeans for Troops and show support to the VFW Post 1 with a check for $10,000.
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The first ever VFW in our country’s history was founded in 1899 and is currently in the process of being refurbished and drastically improved.The renovations will give the post the ability to offer its more than 1100 members an employment assistance center, office space, post-traumatic stress support, and an art gallery where veterans can display and sell their work. VFW Post 1’s Commander, Michael Mitchell, gave a tour of the new, restored and refurbished John S. Stewart VFW Post.The goal is that this post is going to be a full service veteran’s center. The new and improved VFW Post 1 is going to revolutionize how VFW posts operate and should progress with the changing veteran climate.As more veterans come home from service, their needs change with the times. “This post is not our grandfathers’ VFW post. While it is committed to serving all United States veterans, it is much more aligned with the wants and needs of today’s vet-
Liberty Middle School rallied their community and came through for the men and women who have served in our nation’s military erans who live in the surrounding community, at the same time; this new VFW post means so much more to the people of Denver than simply a hall to rent for special occasions. With installations and galleries of veterans ‘artwork, and special programs and events open to the public, this VFW post is best positioned to bring veterans together with civilians, rather than cloister veterans away from them,” said Fanous. The first and original VFW post is somewhere veterans can mingle and share their war stories.The new trimmings and renovated facility
Jack Fanous and Alexander Manis present $10,000 check to Michael Mitchell, commander of VFW Post 1
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will be able to make veterans feel comfortable and relaxed. The post hosts former armed services men and women from all combat campaigns. Veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and even the Korean War can gather and truly feel supported. Even if the membership of the older members is dwindling, this post is going to be able to thrive due to its renovated facility.The old post is able to attract the new breed of veterans; the ones that are in their early twenties who may not be interested in interacting with the older war heroes. An updated facility may be able to attract the veterans of new and old to unite in the effort to give our nation’s heroes a place to feel at home. Since 2008, The GI Go Fund has strived to provide assistance to all military veterans by helping them find employment, access housing and secure their education and health benefits. Donating to the original VWF post and helping vets dealing with hardships are just two of the many functions that the GI Go Fund is capable of. Veterans are able to receive a push of hope that they may need to further their development. As the years ago by, The GI Go Fund hopes to assist other VFW posts to cater to our nation’s heroes. J
My time as an AmeriCorps for The GI Go Fund By: Jeremy Julis I started working for the GI Go Fund as an AmeriCorps Veteran Assistance Coordinator on October 6th, 2014. I attended a three day training held in Atlanta, Georgia where we participated in team building exercises learning how to assist veterans once we return to our communities. After I returned from Atlanta, I began my work in Newark City Hall in The GI Go Fund’s Newark Transition office as a Veteran Assistance Coordinator. My duties as an AmeriCorps first and foremost, were to help our veterans. I spoke to veterans everyday who needed emergency financial assistance in the case of eviction or a pending or definite shut-off notice and offered them other services. In talking with them I would offer them other services that The GI Go Fund could assist with such as homelessness, educational or veteran benefits, and job trainings or simply resume writing to translate their military experience to civilian understanding. In housing homeless veterans, at The GI Go Fund we work in conjunction with Soldier On. Soldier On is a nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness which has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and support services. The GI Go Fund is the supportive services to these heroes and to help I searched for and emailed potential job openings to veterans in that area. There was this one veteran that
I was working with that I will never forget. A veteran came in and was referred to our office by the City of Newark. He needed assistance with housing and employment and after spending an hour or two with him I was able to get him partnered with Soldier On and helped re-write his cover letter and resume, which ultimately led to him getting a job. Everything just clicked into place and that is just one of the many success stories that I witnessed during my time as an AmeriCorps. My ultimate assignment while at the GI Go Fund was to transition veterans back to civilian life. I worked on many projects while working at the GI Go Fund. While I was with The GI Go Fund, one of the major events that was held was the 7th Annual Newark Veterans Job Fair at the Paul Robeson Center in March. More than 500 people – including active duty personnel, veterans and their families attended at the event with the support of Kessler Foundation, were provided workshops on resume writing and interviewing skills. At this event I met and spoke with the over 50 employers that attended and was able to get some leads for some of the veterans that I had been working with. Also, during my time as an AmeriCorps I was also involved in the bi-annual Jeans for Troops Drive which is a fundraising program where schools, businesses or municipalities donate $5 to The GI Go
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Jeremy working at his desk at The GI Go Fund. Fund and wear jeans to work on the designated day around Veterans Day or Memorial Day. I worked primarily with the schools and asked them to use Veterans Day and Memorial Day as a teachable moment for their students and also provided them with lesson plans for their use. AmeriCorps programs do more than move communities forward; they serve their members by creating jobs and providing pathways to opportunity for young people entering the workforce. AmeriCorps places thousands of young adults into intensive service positions where they learn valuable work skills, earn money for education, and develop an appreciation for citizenship. My time at the GI Go Fund as an AmeriCorps was a rewarding experience in seeing some of the successful veterans that I had worked with. The GI Go Fund gave me the knowledge I needed to interview and ultimately become a Constituent Services Representative for United States Senator Robert Menendez with a focus on veteran issues and working in partnership with the fund. I could not thank Jack Fanous, James Fanous, and Alex Manis enough for the guidance and support they afforded me during my time as an AmeriCorps member. J
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