Denver, CO – Sept. 10, 2012 – Veterans Green Jobs and Groupon Grassroots (http://grassroots.groupon.com), the philanthropic arm of Groupon, announce the launch of a local campaign to help provide transition services for two military veterans.
The Veteran Employment Program campaign will be available on the Denver Groupon Grassroots page beginning on Monday, September 10th, running through Sunday, September 16th. Utilizing Groupon Grassroots’ collective action model, Groupon subscribers can pledge support for the Veteran Employment Program initiative in increments of $10, with each $500 providing career counseling and transition services for two veterans.
Veterans Green Jobs believes that by equipping our nation’s veterans with transferable skills, tools and resources, and helping them reintegrate into society with meaningful jobs, we will enable them to maintain their sense of service, give back to their community, and contribute to a healthy, sustainable and secure future for themselves and their families.
“We are excited to employ the collective action model of Groupon Grassroots to raise support for military veterans,” said Kynnie Martin, Industry Liason. “We look forward to creating new awareness for Veterans Green Jobs as one of the local organizations in Denver to be featured on Groupon Grassroots.”
One hundred percent of the Groupon Grassroots campaign proceeds will be used to provide veterans with career counseling and transition services.
The national unemployment rate for the more than two million post-9/11 veterans is far above the national average. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in June 2012, of those veterans who have served since 2001, 12.7 percent were unemployed in May, and the youngest (18-24 years of age) are unemployed at a rate of 23.5 percent. More than one million veterans are projected to leave the military between 2011 and 2016, placing increased demands on the workforce.
In Colorado alone in 2011, 49,000 veterans (out of 475,000 total veterans in the state) sought employment assistance with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, but this represents only a portion of the veterans needing employment. Additionally, there are some 21,000 recent veterans attending institutions of higher education in Colorado. These numbers only represent one state; the problem persists throughout the nation and must be addressed.
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About Veterans Green Jobs
Veterans Green Jobs is a national nonprofit whose mission is to engage, transition and connect military veterans with meaningful employment opportunities that serve our communities and environment. With programs in eight states, Veterans Green Jobs offers training and hands-on experience, directly employs veterans, offers entrepreneurial opportunities and offers a national job placement model. See www.veteransgreenjobs.org for information. Join Veterans Green Jobs on Facebook.
About Groupon Grassroots
Groupon Grassroots, launched in July 2010 in Chicago, features local campaigns in more than 65 markets nationwide, enabling Groupon followers to do good, have fun, and make a real impact on their communities. Groupon Grassroots uses collective action to gather support for worthwhile causes and produce tangible results for local organizations. To learn more about Groupon Grassroots and how to become a featured organization, visit http://grassroots.groupon.com. To subscribe to Groupon, visit: http://www.groupon.com.
Press Contacts:
Veterans Green Jobs Groupon
Linda Lidov Erin Yeager
303-358-6279 312-999-3434
linda@veteransgreenjobs.org eyeager@groupon.com
Hire a Veteran
Green sector employers with job openings, and metro Denver households who need home performance services: Hire our veterans.
We have a volunteer task for anyone who can give a few hours of time.
