Building a Military Affairs Initiative
description
Transcript of Building a Military Affairs Initiative
Building a Military Affairs Initiative
United Way of Greater HoustonJune 2014
Presenters
Cornelius Blackshear 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE
Curtis McMinnUnited Way Community Impact
Objectives
• Identify ways you can build a veterans initiative in your community
• Leveraging I&R and established partnerships to address veterans gaps
• Using Community Conversations to engage veterans and define a direction for your initiative
United Way of Greater Houston
• More than 90 years serving our community• 50+ million a year in programs– Seniors independence– Strengthen families and neighborhoods– Individuals rebuilding their lives– Developing children and youth to their full potential
• Key role in convening organizations and building collaboration across the community
Background
• Growing population of military personnel in Harris County
• Increasing numbers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) conflicts
• Unique needs for this generation of veterans
United Way’s Military Affairs Initiative Timeline
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Awarded Triad Grant San Antonio Area Foundation
Hired
Vete
ran C
all
Spec
ialist
Conti
nued
bu
ilding
kn
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ge
Hired
additi
onal
Vete
ran C
all
Spec
ialist
Educ
ation
&
Outre
ach
Veterans’ Study and Response
Colla
bora
tion
and C
apac
ity
Build
ing
BACKGROUND (2008 -2010)
Awarded Triad Grant San Antonio Area Foundation• Hired a 2-1-1 Veteran Specialist
• Provided military specific services and advocacy in Harris County
• Created Returning Veteran’s Guide (RVI Guide)• Participated in Gulf Coast Veteran Initiative
• 2-1-1 United Way• Gathered military specific data • Increased knowledge of 2-1-1 workforce on military
needs and available services
BACKGROUND (2011-Present)
• Hired Additional 2-1-1 Veteran Specialist • Increase military specific services and advocacy to
include all of the Gulf Coast Region• Address information gaps, make appropriate referral
connections and strengthen collaborations with veteran service providers
• 2-1-1 United Way• Education and outreach training for service providers • Utilize United Way’s convening expertise to bring veteran
service groups together
Military Statistics (2013)Cities Sum
HOUSTON 37824SPRING 1880KATY 1408HUMBLE 1395BAYTOWN 863PASADENA 791MISSOURI CITY 736CYPRESS 687CONROE 633GALVESTON 555PEARLAND 402TEXAS CITY 371RICHMOND 364DEER PARK 348LA PORTE 334SUGAR LAND 333ARLINGTON 327WEBSTER 321DICKINSON 315CROSBY 313TOMBALL 301WACO 276CHANNELVIEW 266MONTGOMERY 260AMARILLO 258LEAGUE CITY 256KINGWOOD 255STAFFORD 250ROSENBERG 246ALVIN 243CLEVELAND 243
Type Sum
Veteran 49748
Active Duty 1990
Grand Total 51738
Service Branch Sum
Army 28667
Navy 9735
Air Force 6438
Marine Corps 5305
National Guard 1228
Coast Guard 364
Military Branch 1
Grand Total 51738
Community OS Taxonomy (2013)Taxonomy SumElectric Service Payment Assistance 8461Rent Payment Assistance 8048
Food Pantries 4700Veterans 4033
Veteran Benefits Assistance 3755
Transitional Case/Care Management 1983Food Stamps/SNAP 1895
Water Service Payment Assistance 1207Homeless Veterans 1186
Gas Service Payment Assistance 985Families of Veterans 984
Specialized Information and Referral 936Homeless Shelter 868
VITA Program Sites 765
Prescription Expense Assistance 708Mortgage Payment Assistance 680
General Legal Aid 641Housing Authorities 633
Low Income/Subsidized Private Rental Housing 603Area Agencies on Aging 549
General Dentistry 471Comprehensive Job Assistance Centers 442
Medicaid Applications 429
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers 415Community Clinics 393
Adult Protective Intervention/Investigation 379Home Delivered Meals 336
Comprehensive Information and Referral 334Home Rehabilitation Services 333
Families of Military Personnel/Veterans 329
United Way Military Affairs Initiative
2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE• Benefits• Employment• Education• Housing & Homelessness• Female Veterans• Post 9/11• Military Components• We Remember
United Way Military Affairs Initiative
2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE
• Boots on the Ground• Increase awareness of 2-1-1 in 13 Gulf Coast Counties• “Serving Those Who Serve” educational series for providers• Identify Community Resources to enhance I&R• First point of contact with UW
Pre Veterans’ Study
2-1-1 Texas/United
Way HELPLINE
- Reintegration- outreach
-Follow ups
Community Impact
-Programs serving everyone
-Not tracking veterans
- Little program focus on veterans
Donor Relations
-Donors interested in veterans issues
- Limited ways to connect with veterans
work
MORE NEEDED TO BE DONE!
…BUT WHAT?
Veterans’ Issue Study
• August 2012 – December 2012• Four Components– Provider online survey– Community Conversations with veterans– Employer focus groups– Targeted conversations with key agencies
Serves as the foundation for our future work!
Community Conversations
• Kitchen-table style conversations• Often had snacks/meal• Used staff and volunteers to conduct• Facilitator and note taker• Same questions asked everywhere• Identified common themes
Conversation Activity
• Conversation Leader• Conversation Note taker• Participants
WHAT WERE YOUR CONVERSATION THEMES?
Striking Consistency in Findings
• Transition from structured military life to unstructured civilian life difficult
• Difficulty translating military skills to civilian workplace
• Perception that service is not valued• Access to services in a timely way difficult• Ability to interact with other veterans is critical
Conversation Quotes
“I spent two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. I helped spread democracy and gave people a chance at freedom. Now, I’m a junior analyst looking at spreadsheets every day. I’m grateful, but it just can’t compare.” - Afghanistan veteran
Conversation Quotes
“In the military, your resume is pages long. You list every project you had a role in. In the civilian world, employers think a shorter resume is better. It is hard to translate what I learned in the military to some of the job openings I see online. When I do get an interview, I feel like all I can talk about is my military experience, and it seems like the interview goes downhill quickly.” - Iraq veteran
How did we respond?
• Connected Community Impact and Donor Relations with our established veterans work in 2-1-1
• Created the Veteran Services Grant, a small dollar grant to address common themes through collaboration and innovation; donors decided approval
• Convened veteran serving and interested organizations together to begin breaking down barriers
How did we respond?
• Quarterly Veteran Service Provider Meeting with average of 40 participants
• Nine veteran service grants in 2013• More than 15 applicants for 2014 with focus on
collaboration
Training and Collaborating
• Serving Those Who Serve Educational Series• Strengthening the safety net for veterans and their
families• Preparing for increase of veterans in the Harris
county area due to military downsize
2-1-1 Texas/United
Way HELPLINE
- Reintegration- Outreach-Follow ups
Community Impact
-Investing in veteran grants
-Working with all partners to serve
veterans- Strengthening veteran
serving nonprofits
Donor Relations
- Communicating veteran issues to donor companies
- Veteran-specific volunteer opportunities
- Marketing materials
5 Tips to Success
• Stay true to your mission and services• Identify ways to incorporate veterans into your
established work• Even if a community partner hasn’t served veterans
doesn’t mean they can’t serve veterans! • Don’t assume you know the problems…ask first!
Questions?