A Good News Story

This quarter’s selected Veteran was introduced to VRSI by a fellow veteran who is currently in our program. He is 26 years old and has served in the United States Air Force for six years, he was honorably discharged in December of 2023. Once discharged, the Veteran had no stable, permanent housing to go to. The veteran was experiencing economic hardship and had been couch-surfing between friends and family for several months while trying to gain stability. The identified barriers are PTSD, no formal work experience, homelessness, and transportation. The Veteran has a high school diploma and has completed postsecondary in the aerospace technical field. The veteran reported he has received some college credits and was transferring them to Fox Valley Technical College to enroll in their Aerospace program. Es gave the veteran the contact information for the enrollment counselor at FVTC to assist him in getting enrolled for classes at FVTC in fall 2024.

The Veteran reached out to VRSI for assistance in December of 2023. The veteran was looking for resources for housing, continued education, and full-time employment to become financially stable. The ES worked with the veteran assisting him with setting up an Individual Employment Plan which included training curriculum, employment goals, and returning to college to complete a degree in an Aerospace program. The Es provided employment-adjusted services, Job searches which included job links and assistance with applications, and Job readiness services which included mock interviews, do’s and don’ts’s when in an interview, and soft skills that will help the veteran become successful. They referred the veteran to HUD-VASH, local CVSO, CVI, NewCap, and other Veteran organizations that VRSI partners with to help with housing, food, and transportation assistance.

At the time the veteran had signed up for services with VRSI he had no formal work experience due to going into the United States Air Force right after High School. Since being discharged from the Air Force he had been trying to find employment. One of the biggest issues the veteran was running into while looking for employment was because he had no experience, employers didn’t want to hire him. Once the veteran signed up for services with VRSI, his Es helped him with a resume where he incorporated his skills and experience for the Air Force to Civilian skills used to gain employment.

On March 25th the veteran started working full-time with MBA Wausau LLC 40 hr/wk at $20/hr. How Exciting, the veteran had been looking for employment for months and by partnering with VRSI, the veteran overcame a few of his barriers such as finding full-time employment and is now back in temporary shelter as well. The veteran is on a positive path to become financially stable and continue his future growth as a civilian.