doll, inc. newsletter mar apr 2013
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Doll, Inc. NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
As a 30-year-old veteran with
a master’s degree,
prestigious internships under
her belt, and stellar grades,
Jennet Posey would seem to
have employers fighting for
the chance to hire her.
But Posey, who returned
from a stint in Iraq in 2004, is
underemployed and working
as a housekeeper at the
Jesse Brown VA Medical
Center in Chicago.
“It’s not good enough,” said
Posey of her experience. “I’m
so mad. I’m still just out here.
Young Female Veterans Find Jobs Elusive by Tanya Basu March 19, 2013
Female veterans also have
an increasing rate of poverty,
10 percent in the most recent
report, – an unprecedented
statistic. Celia Renteria
Szelwach, founder of the
Women Veterans Network in
North Carolina, thinks a
combination of
socioeconomic factors are to
blame.
“There’s a number of
reasons why women
veterans are unemployed or
underemployed,” she said,
pointing to transitioning from
military to civilian work,
health and education as
primary factors.
I’m so frustrated.”
It took Posey several
months to even land the
housekeeping job, which she
keeps so she can be
independent.
Returning veterans have
historically been plagued by
chronic unemployment and
underemployment. But for
women returning from the
latest conflicts in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the numbers
are astonishingly high--a
disconcerting fact
considering female veterans
are fast rising in numbers.
Seventeen percent of
female veterans are
unemployed, compared to 11
percent for their non-veteran
counterparts, according to
the National Center for
Veterans Analysis and
Statistics.
factors.
A troubling trend
For young female veterans
like Posey, the job search
can be excruciating, and
finding any job, let alone one
that matches professional
qualifications, is daunting.
“I don’t know what I have to
do,” said Posey, who has a
journalism degree from
Columbia College in Chicago
and a master’s from
Southern Illinois University in
Carbondale. “I mean, it pays
more than my unemployment
but it’s like, I don’t care about
that. It’s just so frustrating.
I’m at a loss.”
In fact, in 2009, female
veterans classified as “young
women veterans,” or those
between the ages of 17 and
24, were 50 percent more
likely to be unemployed than
their civilian counterparts,
according to the National
Center for Veterans Analysis
and Statistics.
Szelwach, a former captain
and paratrooper who served
in the U.S. Army from 1990-
1995, recently published an
Board of Directors
Nicole Smith Chairman-At-Large Vacant Vice-Chairman William Pittman, CPA Treasurer Loretta Scott Secretary Albert Braggs III Member Vicky L. DeShazier Member Dr. Shalanda Dexter Member Charita Pruitt Member Evonda Thomas-Smith Member
Advisory Committee
James Scott Chairman Vickie Coleman-Anderson Member Sherell Carr Member Cheryle T. Hamlet-Collins Member Jacquline Huckabee Member Shavon James Member Lisa Johnson Member Louise Phillips Member Loretta Scott Member Donald Smith Member Evonda Thomas-Smith Member Fundraiser Committee
Albert Braggs III Chairman Marsha Redmon Member
March/April 2013 The Advocator
Dedicated
Opportunity
Living and
Leaning forward
The Advocator Page 2 of 9
article exploring female
veteran unemployment
trends in rural areas.
Rural areas have been
particularly hit hard, said
Szelwach. Manufacturing
plants that would have
otherwise accepted workers
without a college degree
have shut down as the
country has transitioned to
being more service-oriented.
Female veterans seeking
jobs are also hampered by a
lack of a support system,
Young Female Veterans Find Jobs Elusive Cont.
said Szelwach.
“With this generation, there
is no emphasis on
developing networks outside
the military,” said Szelwach.
“Access to network and
people working in the
industry is absolutely
essential” for making the first
step towards connecting with
an employer for an interview.
There are also a multitude of
health issues affecting this
recent crop of veterans.
“Their first need is to get
themselves healthy. When
they are healthy, they can
get gainful employment,” said
Szelwach. Perhaps the
biggest obstacle female
veterans face in getting
employed is education.
Though grants are available
to provide funding for
education, female veterans
often
Publishers Credits:
The content of our news letter is developed and produced with the help of dedicated Volunteers. Loretta Scott Editor James Scott Photography Loretta Scott LeeAnn Summers Writers Loretta Scott LeeAnn Summers Layout & Design
must balance lost time with
childcare in their role as
primary caregiver.
“If you’re a young female
veteran who is a junior
enlisted soldier, you probably
haven’t had time to go to
school to get your degree,
“observed Szelwach.
“In the current marketplace,
many front end jobs require a
bachelor’s degree, putting
the female veteran at a
disadvantage.”
A generational
disconnect? Data suggests
that older female veterans,
particularly those who served
in the first Gulf War of the
1990s, don’t feel the direct
effects of unemployment as
much.
Persian Gulf War veteran
Michelle Malone believes the
economic issues facing
veterans is due to the
recession –not necessarily
discrimination.
“I think it has a lot to do with
the economy and what’s
going on in the world,” said
Malone. “If we weren’t going
through the economic
struggles we were going
through, it would have been
easier for a veteran to find a
job.”
Malone doesn’t think that a
stigma exists. In fact, she
thinks being a veteran
provides a leg up in the
selection process.
“If you have a veteran
looking for a job without a
mental or social issue and if
they had a bachelor’s degree
like a civilian, they have a
better chance [at getting a
job],” she said.
She may have a point.
According to the VA, 76
percent of female veterans
are employed, compared to
71 percent of non-veteran
women.
Employment rates would be
arguably higher when
considering that females
in general have higher rates of taking off from work to raise children, being disabled, and/or pursuing higher education. Not so for Evan Aviles, 29, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “I think the biggest [obstacle] was understanding, not discriminatory,” she said. “I think they didn’t know how to approach the topic or how to understand the work. It was difficult for them to understand what I did [in the military].”
Aviles, who worked on Army training manuals initially sought work in an administrative capacity but found some initial hurdles. “No matter how much schooling we did and how much education we got, it was really difficult for us to get out. The stigma that there is of being veterans, especially in the last generation of veterans – it’s prevented people from seeing beyond that.”
About Our Organization…
The mission of DOLL, Inc. (a
not- for-profit 501 (c)3) and
The Smith Residences is to
provide transitional and
permanent housing for
women veterans whose
livelihood has been adversely
and severely impacted due to
homelessness, loss of
employment, marital status,
PTSD, or abuse.
The Advocator seeks to
support DOLL, Inc.’s mission
to assist the Veterans by
promoting underserved
women awareness of our
programs and services, and
by providing both housing
and social service assistance
to the women who have
served our Country.
The AdvocatorPage 3 of 9
Operation Iraqi Freedom
veteran Jennet Posey is
part of a growing
population of female
veterans who can't find a
job that matches her
skills.
Help Social programs are available to help female veterans transitioning from military status to civilian life.
“Grants determine the
amount of support [veterans]
receive,” said Malone. “We
have a homeless veterans
reintegration program and
some assist with employment
and resume building. If they’re
lacking essential computer
and interviewing skills, we
provide that for all veterans.”
But Szelwach believes
Young Female Veterans Find Jobs Elusive Cont.
On March 17, 2013 Doll, Inc.held it’s Annual Salute of Excellence Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Dynasty Banquets in Hammond, IN. and on March 30, 2013 an Easter Egg Hunt was given for the children in Ford Heights, IL. Doll, Inc. would like to thank all those who attended the event and those who showed their support by sponsoring an Ad in the program booklet. We especially want to Thank our Board Members, Committee Members, Volunteers, Vendors, Family and Friends for all their commitment and effort in making this event a success. We are looking forward to next years’ event. To see more pictures visit our web site thesmithresidences.com
employers should do more.
“Employers have a
responsibility to look at some
of these jobs and see
whether this person really
needs to have a bachelor’s
degree to perform effectively
in this position,” said
Szelwach. “Can someone
who has been performing
very effectively in the military
and under a lot of stress for
their country – can they
perform this role?”
Posey will keep working as a
housekeeper while she
continues her job search.
“I’m not saying ‘Give me the
job,’” she said. “If you meet
the minimum qualifications,
you should at least be
granted an interview to have
a shot at it.”
Employment out of
unemployment
Female veterans are
getting creative while
unemployment.
Jennet Posey filmed a
half-hour documentary
on the plight of young
female veterans called
“Through Her Eyes”
that has garnered
attention to the issue. It
is available at
https://vimeo.com/5337
5992 (viewer
discretion is
advised).
©2001 - 2013 Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University. A publication of the Medill School.
3rd Annual Salute of Excellence Fashion Show
The Advocator Page 4 of 9
The AdvocatorPage 5 of 9
Easter Egg Hunt March 30, 2013
Page 6 of 9 The Advocator
Redeveloping the Celina Blake Housing development in Ford Heights Illinois which has been vacant for approximately 2.5 years to house homeless women Veterans and their children, is in the process of being deeded to DOLL, Inc. in June 2013. The Mission of The Smith Residences Veterans Village (The Village) is to provide a peaceful, supportive, transitional, home environment for homeless women Veterans suffering and recovering from Post-Traumatic stress Disorder and drug and substance abuse through our two year transitional housing and case management program, which includes early childhood development services and support for the children of our women Veterans.
We seek to offer what we call holistic services to our Veterans as a person has many areas of need which can be addressed either directly by DOLL, Inc. or via indirect services by our partner organizations. There are also opportunities to facilitate economic development by working with the Mayor to bring various companies to the area such as Aldi’s, Walgreens, and the 3G Corporation which is the parent company for entities such as Burger King. We have an agreement with Ford Motor Co. to employ qualified workers and seek to establish similar agreements/relationships with other employers in the area.
5917 South Princeton, Chicago, IL. Before and after photo. This building has two (2), three bedroom apartments. Looking for one veteran family that needs a three bedroom apartment. Please join with us to solidify the completion of this project.
Project Rehab: Chicago
2013 Vision for veteran village – Ford Heights
After Before
Easter Egg Hunt Volunteers: Evonda Smith George Carr-Easter Bunny Sherrell Carr Nicole Smith and Family HACC Staff Sister Stacie Atkins - Umoja Chapter Sons of Solomon #968: Bro. Ronald Collins Bro. Norvell Ingram Bro. Benson Rodney Bro. Rick Williams Bro. Donald Smith Bro. Jessie Harris Bro. James Moore
The AdvocatorPage 7 of 9
We will be in need of the following:
Volunteers
Skilled Craftsmen
Working Materials
New Furniture
New Appliances
Office Equipment
Office Furniture
The Village will also have positions available for Village and Ford Heights residents.
Proposed Services: • Permanent/transitional housing
• On Site Support Groups
• Resident Council
• Case Management
• Coaching and mentoring
• Early Childhood Center
• Healthcare (mental, emotional, and physical)
• Job Placement Assistance
• Tutoring for ACT prep
• Educational & Vocational
• Counseling
• Employment Training
Although the Veterans Village will not be directly managed by HACC we will still seek to facilitate some of the same goals and as such will continue to work with HACC to accomplish those goals. This includes but is not limited to providing employment opportunities to local residents especially those that typically have no to limited access to such opportunities. Housing authority and Ford Heights residents in general will be able to make use of supplemental services such as the Career Services department and any career fairs hosted by DOLL, Inc. We operate under the philosophy ‘I am because we are’. In light of this philosophy we seek to provide services to those in need whenever possible because when you do better we do better.
Operations:
• We plan to launch full operations within 12 to 18 months approximately November of 2014.
• Staffed by experienced in various areas including but not limited to the following; property management, program design, implementation, and evaluation, Certified Public Accountant, business and management consultation, fund management, nonprofit administration, and Veteran services.
Funding:
We have identified nearly 100 potential sources of funding of which no individual source will fund 100% of the project. Sources of funds include; grants, individual and foundation donors, fundraising, and loans. DOLL, Inc. is a registered, State of Illinois, Tax Exempt. 501(c) 3 Not-for-Profit Incorporation. As such, your donation will be tax-deductible, and we will list you among our charitable donors in our Annual Report. Thank you, in advance, for your support and consideration to help make DOLL, Inc. and its programs and operational strategies a success. Any amount that you can give will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your support.
Page 8 of 9 The Advocator
Upcoming Events
ETA Theater Outing June 15, 2013
Golf Outing September 2013
Bowling Outing November 2013
DOLL, INC
2040 Fairview Ln. South Holland IL
60473-3781
PHONE: (708) 822-3370
FAX: (708) 889-1819
E-MAIL:
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