Did you hear 26% of homeless people are veterans

I hope that hireahero.org has the success of ActiveRain.  It looks like a great site, and worth spreading the word.

Thanks for your notes on this Joan ... returning vets and long-term vets both need help in overcoming obstacles. There are a number of homeless veterans, and many of them need more than just a job to get beyond their difficulties...every angle helps.

I've also heard that a lot of companies are reluctant to promote veterans because they might be called back to active duty, leaving a hole in the managment structure. Very, very odd arrangement where companies are afraid to promote those who protect their businesses.

Kudos to all who are ready to reward those who serve on the front line of freedom.

Dale Collie - Author and Speaker - US Army Ranger, professor at West Point, Fortune 500 executive, CEO and business owner has been named by Fast Company as one of America's Top 50 innovative leaders. His book "Winning under Fire" (McGraw-Hill) has sold more than 64,000 copies world wide -- English,
Chinese, and Russian editions 828-297-2382  www.CourageBuilders.com

Quote of the Day ...
"Workplace stress is just as deadly as combat ... it's just
more socially acceptable and it takes a little longer to die
from the wounds." [Dale Collie]

It saddens me to remember that veterans can be so forgotten after their time serving the country is through.

Sky Realty:  Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this important topic.  I hope that these types of job fairs and this new site will enable our Veterans to find employment and housing.

 Margaret:  My broker's son is on his third mission to Iraq.  I know that community and national resources are going to be very important to men and women who have made sacrifices greater than we can ever know.  It is good to see that there are those in the community who are willing to support out veterans and offere them the resources they deserve.

Dale:  Thanks for your comments and for taking the time to add your information to this blog.  You truly epitomize an AMERICAN HERO.  For those of you who may be reading this blog, please learn more about Dale by clicking on this link  http://www.couragebuilders.com/about_dale.html.  I hope that the job fair in New Hampshire is a huge success.  The business community certainly has responded to the need in New Hampshire.

Danielle:  It is nice to meet you and I thank you for taking the time to comment on this blog.  I hope that there are some career fairs in the New York area.  I am sure there are a lot of veterans in need of jobs.

Joan...that is great you are getting the word out for that site so vets can network and get their lives back together.....I commend you.

Sally:  I was really happy to see this type of a social networking site. We always hear that jobs ultimately are found through networking.  This positive resource full of people willing to help those who have served is such a breath of fresh air.

Joan...what a great site! I will definately bookmark this site for future referance!

Joan...the link has a strange message on it...you may want to check it out!

Thanks for the heads up on the link.  I checked it several times today -- and all was well.  Maybe so many people went to the site that it crashed.  In the meantime -- this link seems to be working from the National Guard Site -- http://www.ngb.army.mil/news/archives/2007/09/091107-Hire_Hero.aspx  -- I will check again tomorrow.  First Active  Rain -- Now Hire a hero! 

I have notified the webmaster about the ihireahero.org link not working.  I hope they are able to get it corrected soon.  However, for those in New Hampshire, you can check out the veteran's job fair and resources from the link to the New Hampshire site.

Joan~ 

This has been a year where our national sense of caring for Veterans has been put to the test. Possibly  we have forgotten how to shelter those who have been willing to shelter us from harm. Thank you for this post.

janeAnne:  Thanks for your wonderful comment  "sense of caring"  -- yes, it has been put to the test.  I have worked with a couple of veteran families this year to assist them in finding affordable housing -- No matter what we may think about the war, it is important to show our appreciation to those who have made sacrifices greater than we can imagine.

UPDATE -- THE LINK TO HIREAHERO.ORG  IS NOW WORKING!

I am married to a veteran and I am so proud of him for the work he did overseas for us.

Susan -- thanks to you and to your family for the sacrifice and service of your husband.  Whether or not we agree on the war, it is so important to support those who fight for our freedoms.  Thank you for taking the time to add your comments.

What a great idea Joan, this is a terrific post.  I had no idea organizations had been created other than those through the VA which have fallen sadly short of the goal.  I'll check out our local chapters and see if a link is available.  Nice post Joan.

Gary:  I ran into one of the organizers of the New Hampshire event and she was unaware of this resource so I am sending her the link to this site as well.  I think it is a such a wonderful idea -- it is true that people get jobs/business through networking -- just as we have experienced in our participation in Active Rain.  thanks for checking out the Grand Rapids area.