Illinois Dept. of Veterans' Affairs Newsletter            September 2014

From the Acting Director  

Rodrigo Garcia


 
As we approach the fall here in Illinois, it's a good time to look back at our accomplishments over the 2014 Fiscal Year which ended on June 30, 2014.  Your Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs has been busy and effective, providing high-quality services and support to a wide-ranging veterans community of almost 800,000 veterans, plus thousands of their family members, state-wide:  
  • IDVA Veteran Service Officers - all of them veterans trained and certified - have supported over 100,000 Illinois veterans, filing over 40,000 applications for state and federal benefits, and have attained nearly $44 million in federal dollars - compensation and pension - for qualified Illinois veterans.
  • IDVA 4 Veteran Homes  have served over 1,500 elderly or infirm veterans in with professional, compassionate and high-quality care.
  • Building on Executive Order 13-02 that Gov. Pat Quinn signed last year, IDVA has been championing the effort to have military learning counts towards state licenses (Example: LPNs will go from 42 credits hours to about 6 credit hours). This effort includes state licensing and academic credit for a wide range of good-paying professions: EMTs, LPNs, Police Officers, Truck Drivers, etc.
  • Mission: Veterans 2 Entrepreneurs (MV2E) is an IDVA and CMS jointly-led initiative and our M:V2E events have trained over 400 aspiring and established veteran-owned businesses on entrepreneurship in events across the state. Under the Veterans Business Program (VBP) state agencies and universities are encouraged to spend at least 3% of their procurement budgets with certified Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOB).
  • Under Gov. Quinn's leadership, the state is funding the launch of the Bunker, an incubator for VOBs set to launch this Fall, helping veterans grow businesses in the tech sector.
  • We are aggressively growing our newsletter, reaching nearly double our previous audience and are reviewing our social media engagements to ensure we are effectively communicating. 
So, in the coming months these efforts and others will be our focus areas, as I feel we can get the best return for time and energy invested.  Our goals for veterans?  They remain:  Employment,

Entrepreneurship and Veteran-Owned Businesses, and Engagement and Outreach.


 

In closing, we are already starting the 2015 Fiscal year on a great footing. Since July 1, our VSOs have helped Illinois veterans to complete VA claims and appeals process with current retroactive payments exceeding $5,416,000. That's an amazing amount of money.  It's great working for a leader like Gov. Pat Quinn, who is sincerely dedicated to helping our veterans thrive and helping us make a difference.  It's what we owe our veterans and their families.        Thanks!

Getting Veterans to Work


 

Hiring Our Heroes 

and other Events


 

Since Employment remains our top priority for veterans, it's the top of our events for the coming months.  The IDVA team will be working closely with the US Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Department of Employment Security as a hosting agency for the Sept. 18 Hiring Our Heroes Hiring Fair - Chicago.

This no-cost event - which utilizes an innovative model featuring candidate pre-screening, applicant-employer matching, and onsite interviews - will put veteran job-seekers in interaction with over 70 registered employers, all of whom have job openings right now.  And starting at 8:30 a.m., veterans can attend an Employment Workshop that provides one-on-one mentoring and resume-writing tools for job-seekers. Come and attend, meet with IDVA's acting Director Garcia, and to take time to register with our VSO team and Stand Up and Be Counted - in addition to attending one of the premier hiring fairs in the region. 

For our Downstate veterans, the Warrior Summit Coalition, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and a host of community partners are collaborating to provide 5,000 servicemembers, veterans and families of the Midwest Region an opportunity to connect with service providers and benefits relating to education, employment, housing, health care, legal, disabilities, family support, and other service areas in one central location.  Over 100 organizations will be present at the Welcome Home Warrior Summit at America's Center/Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on September 6, 2014.

And for our veterans in the Chicago suburbs, we look forward to seeing you at the Veteran Fall-In Event on Sept. 18 at Cantigny in Wheaton to celebrate the start of the 2014 school year and learn how to maximize your veteran benefits.  This event is open to all prospective and current student veterans and their family members - plus it's no-cost and outdoors where you will have the chance to:

RALLY -  Network with other student veterans and make connections.
EMPOWER - Access veteran networks for academic, career and leadership resources.
EQUIP - Maximize your military education benefits to unlock your full potential.
ENJOY - FREE Music, Food and Beverages

Register today and tell a friend!

2014 Illinois State Fairs

 

Springfield - Aug. 10


Hundreds of veterans, military personnel and their families enjoyed a great day at the Illinois State Fair - with special honors for our Vietnam Veterans.  With great weather and a new venue on the Director' Lawn at the Springfield State Fair, those attending enjoyed a cooler setting than in recent years and enjoyed a visit by Gov. Pat Quinn, who spent considerable time meeting with and thanking our veterans. 

 

DuQuoin - Aug. 24

 

Two weeks after the Springfield State Fair, downstate veterans from southern Illinois were able to enjoy a great event and to help honor Michael L. Hoelscher, the Illinois Veteran for the Month of August 2014. 

With a near capacity audience, Hoelscher was honored by IDVA acting Director Rodrigo Garcia for his service as young Air Force Security Policeman who earned a Bronze Star for valor in the defense of an airbase in Vietnam.

 

It was the start of a lifetime of service, accomplishments, and making a difference in his community, culminating with Hoelscher's election as Sheriff of Randolph County in 2010, and as a D.A.R.E. officer with over 24 years dedicated to educating youth on the perils of illegal drug use.

 

Hoelscher is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was recently elected as the second Vice President of the Southwestern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission Executive Committee, which is responsible for Law Enforcement Training throughout the State of Illinois.

News About the IDVA 

 

Congratulations to  Illinois Veterans' Home - Anna for 20 years of great, professional service to over 350 veterans!  On Monday, Aug. 25, in the face of a sweltering morning sun the staff, residents, and friends of the Anna Home gathered to celebrate this important milestone for the State's youngest veterans' home.  Here's to many more years of service!

A nice community turnout in support of the Home's 20th Anniversary.
Anna VFW post providing Honors to the Colors during the Pledge

With our focus on having a great front line team to meet with and service our Illinois veterans, our IDVA VSOs are the greatest.  Like any other organization, we have a certain amount of personnel turnover, and there's a number of changes in offices, phone numbers and contact info for our VSOs, state-wide.  When you need to reach a VSO or call 800-437-9824.  You already saw our VSOs are great at helping veterans getting what they earned: over $5,416,000 in current retroactive payments since July 1, 2014.  Are you leaving money on the table?  Contact your local VSO and start the process - and in the meantime, Stand Up and Be Counted! 


Your IDVA Calendar  

 

Sept. 6Welcome Home Warrior SummitSt. Louis, MO 

10th Annual Marion Veterans on ParadeMarion, IL
Sept. 11 
Patriot Day

Governor's Award for Excellence in Education SIU Carbondale, IL

Vietnam Traveling WallSIU Carbondale, IL
Sept. 12 
Resistance Pro Wrestling (RPro) Vet/Military Appreciation NightLocal 130 Plumbers Hall, 1340 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL
Sept. 16 
Women Veterans' Affinity Group MeetingChicago, IL
Sept. 17  Doing Business with the State:
     CMS Vet Business Program		East St. Louis, IL
Sept. 18  Hiring Our Heroes Hiring Fair & WorkshopChicago, IL

Veteran Fall-In EventWheaton, IL
Sept. 28 Gold Star Mother's Day
(last Sunday of the month)
Sept. 30Hiring Our Heroes Hiring Fair & WorkshopAurora, IL

Veterans' Family Resource Fair - Elgin CCElgin, IL

Oct. 13

Columbus Day - State Offices Closed


Oct. 16

Boots to Business: A Business Plan Writing Clinic

SBA, Chicago, IL

Nov. 4  

Election Day - Vote!
Nov. 10
Veterans' & Individuals with Disabilities
Job Fair - Northwestern University		Northwestern University, IL

Honoring Women VeteransSkokie, IL
Nov. 11  Veterans' Day - State Offices Closed
 Events Subject to Change

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