Community Action: Helping Veterans

Luther, a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, had a good job as a police officer in Florida, but he was forced to leave that position to return to Ohio to care for an ill parent and was unable to find another position.

A local veterans organization referred him to the Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron & Richland Counties’ (CAC EHR) veterans employment training class. CAC EHR is one of six pilot Community Action Agencies in Ohio participating in the Ohio Vocation, Education, Training & Services (VETS) program that offers education and training to assist veterans in finding meaningful employment at a living wage, and providing them and their families with other supportive services to help them attain self-sufficiency.

Participants in CAC EHR’s veterans employment training class meet twice a week for three hours for four weeks, for a total of 24 hours of training. The curriculum includes human behavior, self awareness, personality/employment match, building resumes and cover letters, interviewing techniques, mock interviews, assistance in job searches, completing applications, email accounts, and financial literacy.

While attending the class, CAC EHR Social Service Specialist Jessika Smith assisted Luther in his job search, which resulted in three interviews for jobs in his field of law enforcement. The week following the completion of the program, Luther came to the CAC EHR office wearing his uniform for the new job he received as an investigator at Ashland University!

For more information about Community Action programs in your area, visit www.oacaa.org. Note, not all Community Action Agencies offer these programs.