Veterans Green Jobs Hires Volunteers to Advance Mission of Putting Veterans to Work

Members of The Mission Continues, Points of Light Veteran Leader Corps, and the
American Legion Auxiliary Support Employment Initiatives

DENVER, January 9, 2013 – Veterans Green Jobs is advancing its nonprofit mission of putting veterans to work by hiring a cadre of volunteers to support a variety of functions in its employment program. Housed within Veterans Green Jobs’ national headquarters office in Denver, these volunteers are busy reaching out to veterans, business and industry leaders, and educational institutions to match veterans with jobs and training opportunities in the green economic sector.

“As a nonprofit organization, Veterans Green Jobs relies on the support of our fellow community members who are just as dedicated as we are to ensuring a viable career path for our country’s former servicemen and women,” said John Toth, senior director of veteran programs for Veterans Green Jobs. “We thank the volunteers who have joined us in our mission to put veterans to work, and look forward to a productive and successful 2013.”

The volunteers who have joined the Veterans Green Jobs team include:

Joe Cafferty, Mission Continues Fellow and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

Joe Cafferty

Joe has joined Veterans Green Jobs as the outreach coordinator. His role is to reach out to veterans at universities, college campuses, job fairs and community events to share information about the employment program and encourage veterans to pursue Veterans Green Jobs’ free one-on-one, career counseling services. Joe’s first assignment in the Marine Corps was to Okinawa, Japan, where he conducted and supervised training in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense. He went on to lead physical security teams in provision of high-caliber U.S. embassy protection in Russia, Switzerland and Rwanda. In 2010, after serving five years in the Marine Corps, Joe was honorably discharged and went on to pursue his bachelor’s degree in international affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder. After serving in the military, Joe maintained a strong desire to serve within his community, and took advantage of an opportunity to join The Mission Continues, which connected him with Veterans Green Jobs.

The Mission Continues awards community service fellowships to post-9/11 veterans, empowering them to transform their own lives by serving others and directly impacting their communities. Mission Continues Fellows serve for six months at a local nonprofit organization addressing key educational, environmental or social issues. Each Fellow works to achieve one of three outcomes at the conclusion of the fellowship: full-time employment, pursuit of higher education or a permanent role of service.

Michael Navarro, Member of the Points of Light Veteran Leader Corps

Michael Navarro

Michael is an industry outreach assistant at Veterans Green Jobs and will hold this position until August 2013. His role is to conduct outreach to potential employers, educational institutions and training programs that are interested in training and hiring veterans. Michael is regularly meeting with admissions managers, human resource directors and CEOs to create formal partnerships and obtain signed memorandums of understanding between employers and Veterans Green Jobs. With a passion for giving back to his community, Michael arrived at Veterans Green Jobs through the AmeriCorps program. A Colorado native and an only child, Michael has two family members who are Army rangers. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Denver in 2011. Since graduating, Michael has volunteered in a variety of nonprofit organizations, helping to organize events and collaborating with other nonprofits – and now has an eye on pursuing a master’s degree in nonprofit management.

Jared King, Member of the Points of Light Veteran Leader Corps and U.S. Navy Veteran

Jared King

Jared is a veteran outreach assistant at Veterans Green Jobs, and will remain in this job until August 2013. His role is to conduct outreach to military veterans who are interested in transitioning into green industry jobs. As a regular volunteer at Veterans Green Jobs previously, he was informed about the AmeriCorps program and jumped at the opportunity to help his fellow veterans. Jared served for four years on active duty in the U.S. Navy as a gunner’s mate and was trained on large-caliber weapons systems. He was honorably discharged in 2006 as a petty officer, 2^nd class. Jared is a recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Coast Guard Operations Service Ribbon, Pistol Expert Medal, Good Conduct Award, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Jared is a Colorado native.

Points of Light is the world’s largest volunteer service organization. Along with the Corporation for National and Community Service (home to AmeriCorps) and a coalition of veteran and military service organizations, nonprofits and government agencies from across the country, Points of Light helped launch the Community Blueprint Network, a national initiative to support the reintegration of returning military service members, veterans and their families. Denver is one of the first 13 cities to launch the Community Blueprint Network, alongside Veterans Green Jobs, Metro Volunteers and Easter Seals Colorado. AmeriCorps members from each site participated in the national launch event in October 2012, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Peter Lagorio, AmeriCorps VISTA Member, American Legion Auxiliary

Peter Lagorio

Peter is a conservation outreach assistant at Veterans Green Jobs. His role is to reach out to veterans and keep them informed about open positions with outdoor conservation and wildland firefighting programs throughout the western U.S. Peter came to Veterans Green Jobs through his connection with AmeriCorps, and because he was inspired by the positive service experiences he had during college throughout Florida as well as during service trips to Anchorage, Alaska and Peru. Originally from the Boston area, Peter earned his bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College in environmental studies in 2010. Since graduating, he has worked as a lobsterman on commercial fishing vessels near Boston and the North Shore. He is interested in pursuing a career working with environmental nonprofit organizations, especially those with a focus on conservation.

Founded in 1919, The American Legion Auxiliary has nearly 1 million members from all walks of life. The Auxiliary administers hundreds of volunteer programs, gives tens of thousands of hours to its communities and to veterans, and raises millions of dollars to support its own programs, as well as other worthwhile charities familiar to Americans. It is all accomplished with volunteers. While originally organized to assist The American Legion, the Auxiliary has achieved its own unique identity while working side-by-side with the veterans who belong to The American Legion. Like the Legion, the Auxiliary’s interests have broadened to encompass the entire community.

Veterans who get in touch with Veterans Green Jobs’ employment program receive one-on-one counseling to create an employment pathway that meets their needs. Career counselors assess veterans’ current skills and military experience, provide coaching to help them refine and shape their resume in order to match available job openings, and recommend any needed training or education to develop skills. Then, the program connects veterans with employers who need skilled workers and have job openings, and stays in touch to ensure a good fit. In addition to signing up for the employment program, veterans may also participate in seasonal employment opportunities in public land conservation and stewardship through Veterans Green Jobs’ outdoor conservation and wildland firefighting programs. These programs offer hands-on experience and certification to equip veterans with the skills they need for jobs in the natural resources field.

Veterans Green Jobs publishes a weekly e-newsletter, The Jobs Page, which provides announcements about job opportunities, training and education opportunities, and upcoming events. Veterans may sign up at www.veteransgreenjobs.org/interest-form. The Jobs Page is also available at www.veteransgreenjobs.org/the-jobs-page.