Easter Seals Serving DC|MD|VA Announces $1 Million Grant from Capital One to Veteran Staffing Network
Investment Will Ensure Employment Coaching and Placement for Thousands of Veterans
July 1, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Easter Seals Serving DC|MD|VA today announced that its Veteran Staffing Network (VSN) will receive a $1 million grant from Capital One, the program’s Founding Social Impact Partner. The grant, part of Capital One’s dedication to supporting veterans and military families, will be allocated in two $500,000 increments over the next two years that will enable the VSN to provide comprehensive employment coaching and placement for thousands of veterans and their families and become a self-sustaining program by the end of 2017.
The Veteran Staffing Network operates nationally and is an innovative nonprofit staffing agency for veterans, service members and their families, launched in 2013 with a $425,000 grant from Capital One. The program aims to help veterans, wounded warriors and their spouses to transition to civilian life and navigate meaningful career paths. To date, the Veteran Staffing Network has nearly 750 full-time, career-focused job placements.
“Our unique business model includes collaboration with businesses, government, military and Veteran Service Organizations to ensure that veterans and military family members are prepared for and secure meaningful employment, and employers receive the most qualified candidates,” said Tim Stecher, Executive Vice President of Veterans Employment, Veteran Staffing Network. “Capital One’s support and partnership has been critical as we ensure that our nation’s heroes and their families are fully integrated in and contribute to our communities.”
The VSN works as a staffing agency providing temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements. It partners mainly with small and medium enterprises that do not have the resources to build a dedicated veteran recruiting team. Employing a holistic approach that breaks down the barriers to employment, the VSN builds a bridge between employers and veterans and provides the support infrastructure each need to succeed, while using a private industry model for sustainability.
“America’s veterans and military spouses have years of experience and training doing precisely the kind of work that companies are doing every day – working with state of the art technologies, solving logistical challenges, juggling multiple priorities, and meeting challenging and changing expectations,” said John G. Finneran, Jr., General Counsel, Capital One. “The support and mentorship that Easter Seals provides through the Veteran Staffing Network is helping to fundamentally change the way businesses recruit, hire and retain veterans and military spouses within their organizations. These are talented men and women and by providing job opportunities and investing in their success, the business community and our country have a great deal to gain.”
In addition to coaching and job placement, the VSN provides comprehensive, wrap-around support services to both the veterans transitioning to civilian life and the businesses seeking to hire military servicemen and women. These wrap-around services provide access to programs designed to meet additional needs that may impact access and retention of employment, including:
- Little Warriors Early Education and Child Care program, which is designed to meet the unique needs of wounded warriors by providing the highest quality early childhood education, intervention and therapy for their children, allowing service members to focus on their own recovery.
- Military Family Respite program, which provides a critical service for military families whose children have severe disabilities and their siblings. Families receive “time off” from parenting and specialized support for their children, creating a healthy and stable home..
- Veteran Caregiver Training, a comprehensive, multi-modal (classroom, web-based, and DVD/workbook) training for caregivers of veterans addressing a wide range of critical caregiving topics, such as self-care, obtaining benefits and support, behavior management, pain management, nutrition and wellness, and more.
- The VSN also hosts quarterly workshops, including financial education classes provided by Capital One volunteers for veterans and military families.
“The Veteran Staffing Network consistently provides CALIBRE with the most qualified and committed candidates,” said Joe Martore, President & Chief Executive Officer, CALIBRE Systems, Inc. “At CALIBRE, we are proud to give back to our nation’s veterans while achieving our business goals by working with the VSN and employing those who have selflessly served our country.
Easter Seals Veteran Staffing Network has received additional social venture funding from The Call of Duty Endowment, Kessler Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and United Way of the National Capital Area, which share Capital One’s commitment to investing in the future of our service men and women.
About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, is a Fortune 500 company with branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Its subsidiaries, Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. As part of its ongoing commitment to communities across the country, Capital One recently launched the Future Edge, a $150 million commitment to empower more Americans to succeed in a digitally-driven economy through community grants and initiatives over the next five years. To learn more about Future Edge and other Capital One initiatives please visit www.capitaloneinvestingforgood.com.
About Easter Seals Serving DC|MD|VA
For nearly 100 years, Easter Seals Serving DC|MD|VA has been at the forefront of providing exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play in our communities. Services are delivered through a network of six sites where participants and their families find support, hope, medical care, and engaging activities. In addition to serving the overall community, Easter Seals places an emphasis on the unique needs of wounded warriors, veterans, active duty military, and their families. www.eseal.org
About Veteran Staffing Network
The Veteran Staffing Network (VSN) of Easter Seals Serving DC | MD | VA is a self-sustaining social enterprise model that serves the entire military community. VSN provides clients top-tier talent while simultaneously reducing veteran unemployment and is redefining veterans employment and temp-to-perm placement services. For additional information visit www.vsnusa.org.
