GI Go Fund Transition Times-Fall 2013

The GI Go Fund Directors

Cover

Washington DC’s War on Veterans ����� 12 GI Go Fund Director Jack Fanous Joins Senator Menendez in Fighting For Disability Rights Worldwide . . . . . . 5

Jack Fanous

Executive Director fanous@gigofund.org

PSEG Serves As a True “Veteran Strong” Organization. . . . . . . 6

Alex Manis

PSEG is Veteran Strong page 6

Deputy Director manis@gigofund.org

Nearly 700 South Jersey Veterans Affected

by Sandy and Sequestration Pack Into Two Major GI Go Fund Job Fairs. . . . . . . . . 9 @CoryBooker’s Unmatched #VeteranLeadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Despite Government Shutdown, Annual “Stand Down For Homeless Veterans” Stays Open Thanks to Volunteer Support . . . 20

James Fanous

Volunteers support veterans page 20

Communications Director/ Transition Times Managing Editor jafanous@gigofund.org

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, GI Go Fund Pay Tribute to 9/11 Attacks With Day of Remembrance and Service . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Website: www.gigofund.org Contact Telephone Number: (866) 389-GIGo (4446) Locations:

Newark City Hall One Greentree Center Office of Veterans Affairs 10,000 Lincoln Drive E. 920 Broad Street, Room B28 Suite 201

Newark, NJ 07102 Marlton, NJ 08053

GI Go Fund Hosts Military Career Workshop for nearly 100 Veterans Looking for Work with Fortune 100 Company Employees . . . . . 22

Day of Rememberance and Service page 24

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Veteran Profile- Jack Kane. . . . . . . . . . 26 Rest In Peace Richard Dvorin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

GI Go Fund Director Jack Fanous Joins Senator Menendez in Fighting For Disability Rights Worldwide Fanous contributes to US Senator Robert Menendez’s roundtable in West Orange, NJ Focused on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its impact on Americans, including disabled Veterans

By Staff Writer During a roundtable discussion regarding the rights of disabled people around the world, GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous advocated on behalf of disabled veterans here in the United States who often times face discrimination and unfair treatment abroad.

“The ratification of this treaty is not only important to millions of people worldwide with disabilities, or the half million veterans who wish to travel with dignity around the world, but it is also important for the United States of America to maintain its standing as the leader of global human rights,” said Fanous. “Men and women who wore our uniforms, who may have lost a limb protecting us and our freedoms, should never have to battle to maintain their dignity around the world.

This treaty is a treaty for human dignity.

The roundtable discussion was hosted by U.S. Senator Robert Menendez at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Conference Center in West Orange. The event centered around the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), an international treaty that establishes rights and norms which countries across the globe must follow when dealing with disabled people.

There are approximately 5.5 million disabled American veterans, with more than 3.5 million of whom are receiving compensation for a disability. More than 325,000 American service members and their families are stationed abroad, many in countries with low or incompatible accessibility standards. Those service members serving abroad with family members who have special needs can therefore face unnecessary obstacles, including a lack of accommodations to their unique needs and discriminatory practices in employment.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (left) with GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation Conference Center in West Orange. (Photo Credit-Kessler Foundation The CRPD would also have an impact on younger veterans attending college. Of the nearly 1 million veterans and their beneficiaries that have taken advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill since its inception four years ago, about twenty percent have a disability. These students are usually precluded from studying abroad because of poor accessibility standards at institutions of higher learning overseas.

Despite the fact that the CRPD is based on many of the same standards that the Americans with Disabilities Act established, the treaty has yet to be ratified by the United States. Ratification of International Treaties requires a 2/3rds majority of votes in both chambers of Congress. Currently, 137 states (including the European Union) have joined in this treaty.

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PSEG Serves As a True “Veteran Strong” Organization From the work of leaders like Diana Drysdale to the countless military veterans the company employs, PSEG is setting the standard for strengthening the veteran community.

By Staff Writer The motto for PSEG, a leader in American Energy and New Jersey’s largest power supplier, is “Energy Strong“. This phrase is more than just an expression; rather it exemplifies the essence of the company. It’s focus is to turn something that is already a leader in it’s field, in this situation the quality of power and gas services PSEG provides to its customers, and make it that much better. And they have done so with billions in new infrastructure projects to improve the quality of its service, which will bring tens of thousands of new jobs for New Jersey.

But while its commitment to providing quality service and support to its millions of customers, its work with hiring and assisting military veterans is without equal. From top level executives like Diana Drysdale’s work with hiring veterans to its countless veteran employees like Marine Sgt. Joe Pace, PSEG has shown an unbridled commitment to working with veterans in every way.

“This is an organization that, from the top down, has shown incredible leadership in the veterans’ community,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous.“They have been at the forefront of hiring veterans, taking the mantle as one of the first corporations to actively engage veterans in their company. We always look to the corporate world to be supportive and interested in hiring veterans, and there has been no greater leader in this area than PSEG.” During 2013, the GI Go Fund is recognizing individuals and organizations that have been labeled “Veteran Strong”.This moniker is being presented to those who have gone above and beyond in working with veterans in every way they need and deserve, working to improve both the veteran population and their community overall.

At PSEG, the support for military veterans starts

at the top. Diana Drysdale is the President of PSEG Solar Source and VP of Renewables of PSEG Energy Holdings. In her time in these two high profile positions, she is responsible for growing PSEG Resources’ real estate portfolio of headquarters buildings, multi-tenant office buildings, shopping centers, and single stores located throughout the US which includes 46 properties totaling more than 7.5 million square feet.

With all her responsibilities and accomplishments, however, it is her work with veterans that has been the most rewarding. Her passion for veterans is without equal. Serving as a board member of The GI Go Fund, she has worked hard to bridge the gap between unemployed veterans and corporations, which is why she is being named the “Veteran Strong” Person of the Year at the organization’s annual Veterans Day Gala this year.

One of her most important achievements in this field has been in the creation and implementation of the GI Go Fund’s “Post 9/11 Disabled Veterans To Work” Program, which takes young veterans injured during service and connects them to job opportunities and employment support services through major corporations from throughout the area. Initially developed in partnership with the Kessler Foundation, the program began in 2012 in hiring disabled vets to serve as at-home customer service representatives for PSEG.Through Diana’s direction and leadership, the program was able to initially hire dozens of veterans into the company.

Since this time, the veterans were able to find quality employment in a time they needed it most while also providing support to customers in their darkest hour. Among these times was Superstorm Sandy, where the veterans handled calls from thousands of New Jerseyans who were without power, talking them through the crisis and working to resolve their problems in a timely manner.

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The program has expanded rapidly since last year, as young veterans are now receiving job training, mentorship, and hiring opportunities from other major companies in our area like Johnson & Johnson and Ernst & Young. In 2013 alone, the program was able to provide job assistance to over 150 veterans in our area, an incredible accomplishment that would not have been realized without the leadership of great corporate citizens like Diana.

Diana’s support for veterans goes beyond the GI Go Fund, as she has hosted fundraisers within the company, raising thousands for great veterans’ organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to be able to be there for those courageous women, men and their families who have served and sacrificed so much in the name of our freedom,” said Drysdale.

“Through my work with veterans and their families I have become a better me, and I hope that I am making

a meaningful difference in their lives both while they serve and as they make that difficult transition back to civilian life. We are forever in their debt and they are forever in our hearts.”

In addition to Ms. Drysdale, PSEG has launched PSEG Vets, an in-house group that strives to show its patriotism by honoring and supporting the men and women who serve our country past and present. The group’s mission is to raise awareness, offer support and serve as an information resource to the PSEG veterans, and has successfully provided this support to countless PSEG vets and their loved ones.

Ms. Drysdale and the entire PSEG team are truly serving as the trendsetters in the veterans’ world, going above and beyond the call of civic duty to support our military personnel as they return home. They are leading the way in being “Energy Strong”, and they are setting the path for other corporations to become “Veteran Strong”.

GI Go Fund

d 2013 d

“VeteranStrong” Honorees

Diana Drysdale Person of the Year

William Brown Post 9/11 Veteran of the Year

Bryan Adams

Donald Norcross

Post 9/11 Veteran of the Year

Legislator of the Year

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Jon Dorrity

Veteran of the Year

Nearly 700 South Jersey Veterans Affected by Sandy and Sequestration Pack Into Two Major GI Go Fund Job Fairs Hundreds of Current and Former Military Personnel Connected with 150 Vendors during the “Rebuild the Shore” and “South Jersey” Job Fairs

By Staff Writer As thousands of military personnel in and around Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst felt the pinch of the sequester, as well as the countless more still feeling the lingering effects of Superstorm Sandy along the shore, our men and women in uniform have been forced to feel the wrath of mother nature and a failed congress in the last twelve months.

And as more veterans return home from combat,

now is the most critical time to ensure that our veterans are given the assistance they deserve. Atop the list of needs is helping veterans find jobs and go to college, which is the first step in guaranteeing a smooth transition home for them and their loved ones and ensuring that this generation of veterans can serve as America’s Next Greatest Generation.

In order to ensure that the tens of thousands of

More than 400 veterans and their families fill the room at the Aloft Mount Laurel Hotel during the GI Go Fund’s South Jersey Veterans Job Fair. The GI Go Fund, the top veterans group for Post 9/11 veterans in NJ, hosted a job fair for more than 400 active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families on the same day that Congress shut down the Federal Government and cut off support services to current and former members of the Armed Forces.

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Job Fairs

Veterans enjoy the view at the “Rebuild the Shore” Job Fair at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa In Long Branch GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous, whose work in partnering with Mayor Cory Booker to create an innovative partnership in Newark, NJ for veterans that has led to national recognition on ABC’s reality show “Secret Millionaire”, was at the event to meet with unemployed veterans and offer his help and support to their efforts to find gainful employment.

“When we talk about Sandy recovery, we have to talk about recovery for our veterans,” said Fanous during the event.“Most people don’t realize that one in five people who live along the shore are veterans, active duty military, and their families.These strong men and women are the most patriotic among us, but their lives have been uprooted from this terrible storm. The boardwalks may have been rebuilt, but the homes have not.The beaches may have been restored, but the lives have not. We have a long road ahead to help our veterans recover, and we must work together to do everything we can to help them and their families get back on their feet.”

What also makes GI Go Fund events beneficial to veterans is the knowledge the organization gives to prospective employers regarding the added benefits of hiring veterans, including the VOW To Hire Heroes Act, legislation initiated by President Obama in 2011

South Jersey Veterans are afforded this opportunity in the face of natural and manmade disasters, the GI Go Fund hosted two major job fairs for veterans in just two months, the “Rebuild the Shore” Job Fair in Long Branch on July 30 and the “South Jersey” Job Fair in Mount Laurel on October 1.

GI Go Fund Job Fairs have developed a reputation throughout the state and region of providing veterans with excellent opportunities for advancement, giving veterans and their loved ones the chance to meet with employers, educational institutions, and benefits providers all interested in giving them the assistance and support they need. Their most notable past Job Fair in Atlantic City assisted more than 3,000 veterans and 150 employers.

During the “Rebuild the Shore” Job Fair, over 250 Veterans and Military Personnel affected by Sandy filled the Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch to meet with over 70 vendors looking to hire veterans and offer support. Billed as the only ocean-front job fair in the state, veterans were given a unique opportunity to not only find job opportunities, but connect to the services they need specifically to help restore their lives since the storm last October devastated the shore and its residents.

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Job Fairs which gives employers a tax credit of up $9,600 for every veteran they hire.

However, despite the benefits of this act, most things that have come from Washington, DC as of late have done nothing but cause harm and fear in the veterans’ community. From the Sequester of last March to the recent unnecessary government shutdown, veterans have been caught in the middle of a game of political tug of war that has been very damaging to them and their loved ones.

For this reason, the GI Go Fund held its “South Jersey Job Fair” at the Aloft Hotel in Mount Laurel for more than 400 military veterans. The job fair was held on October 1, which turned out to be the first of sixteen days that the federal government would be shut down, cutting off aid and services to military personnel, veterans, and their loved ones.

The effects of the shutdown were significant.The Department of Veterans Affairs alone furloughed over 14,200 employees, more than half of whom work for the Veterans Benefits Administration, which could impact processing of the backlog claims. Moreover, most VA call centers closed during the shutdown, including the Veterans Benefits Administration education call center and the inspector general hotline.

Compounding the problem the shutdown caused were the spending cuts from the Sequester earlier this year, which have already had an extremely negative impact for military personnel and their families, leading to furloughed work days and the potential of significant job losses. In late September, the US Air Force announced that they are considering scrapping its fleet of KC-10 refueling jets, which could result in the loss of over 1,000 jobs at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, and put the base at greater risk of being permanently closed.

“I am so disappointed,” said Jack Fanous.“Our veterans have risked too much, their families have sacrificed for too long, just to watch as their Congressmen, who took the same oath for our country that they, prove that they are unfit to represent us. We are here to give those veterans the opportunity to have a voice; to show Congress that we can take care of ourselves, no matter how much they stand in our way.”

Despite the difficulties caused by the shutdown, plenty of veterans were able to find the job assistance they were looking for. Isaac Trinidad, an Army Veteran

who had attended a Military Career Workshop hosted by the GI Go Fund at the New Brunswick headquarters of Johnson & Johnson just days prior, took the skills that he learned from that day and brought them to job fair.

“There is a lot of opportunity here,” he said.“I was able to get a lot out of the workshop the other day, and now I get the chance to show what I can bring to so many different employers. I really feel like I can find a job here.”

As we move to 2014, which is the scheduled end of combat operations in Afghanistan, we as a country need to be prepared for the myriad of needs our veterans may have coming home. And since Washington has clearly shown an inability to do its part to help veterans, it is up to the rest of us to do our part in supporting them as they return. We have worked hard to ensure that the veterans have been able to get the help they need this past year given the difficult headwinds, and we will continue to do so moving forward into the final year of combat operations overseas.

Representatives from PSEG speak to prospective veteran candidates during the GI Go Fund’s South Jersey Veterans Job Fair. The Job Fair saw more than 400 veterans and their families fill the room at the Aloft Mount Laurel Hotel. The GI Go Fund, the top veterans group for Post 9/11 veterans in NJ, hosted a job fair for more than 400 active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families on the same day that Congress shut down the Federal Government and cut off support services to current and former members of the Armed Forces.

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Washington DC’s War on Veterans Congress has spent the past year hurting active duty personnel as well as veterans, and there may be more pain to come

By James Fanous

T

here is no denying it at this point; this has not been a good year for Washington, DC. In fact, it may have been its worst year ever.

Surely there have been more turbulent times before. The age of Joe McCarthy, where one Senator was able to scare the nation into believing that everyone in power was likely a communist bent on the destruction of the nation, was definitely a more tumultuous time in American history. As were the fights to end segregation, voter discrimination, and the Civil War, each of which involved ending the very injustices that were preventing the country from becoming the great nation that it is today.

While those times in our history may have had more at stake, what they also had were people in and around Washington that were capable and willing to fight those bad forces and emerge victorious. In each of those fights, the fundamental issues at stake were important and just: freedom of expression, civil rights, economic liberties, and the preservation of the union itself. And in each circumstance, Washington was able to come together and do the right thing, as they listened to the will of the people who sent them there.

But that is not what happens anymore. This past month alone saw two of the most avoidable and nonsensical acts of Congress ever to take place, both of

which had a terrible impact on our veterans: the vote to lock in Sequester spending cuts implemented in March and the Government Shutdown in October.

“This has been one of the most outrageous things to ever happen in this country,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous.“All of these congressman and women, who have made it their career to be in public office just for the sake of being in the public spotlight, are now going so far as to play petty politics with our veterans at such a critical time.The conflicts are ending this coming year, which means that nearly all of the men and women who have fought for this country over the last decade will now be veterans here at home. We can debate the aspects of healthcare in a smart and productive way, but doing so in a manner that hurts veterans and all middle class families is inexcusable.”

This entire ordeal began at the end of September, when Congressional Republicans decided to vote to defund the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature piece of legislation in his first term, just days before the Government was set to shut down due to a lack of funding. The law, which has since become known nationally as “Obamacare”, had been a hotly debated issue since being signed into law in March of 2010, being brought before the Supreme Court on Constitutional grounds and serving as the pinnacle is-

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With the Sequester still in effect following the government shutdown, significant cuts to all military and veteran spending are slated to fully take effect next year. Illustration by Bev Schilling/Stars and Stripes

sue during the 2012 Presidential Race. In this time, the Supreme Court has upheld the law and the President had won re-election, essentially guaranteeing the laws survival. Nevertheless, the House of Representatives decided to vote to defund the law, an act that essentially guaranteed the government’s closure days later.

While the legislation’s purpose alone was difficult to comprehend, its contents were even more astounding. Within the bill was a provision that, according to House Speaker John Boehner,“locked in Sequester savings.” Of course military veterans know these “savings” as nearly One Trillion dollars in arbitrary spending cuts to military and veterans’ programs that went into place in March after Congress could not get its act together on a compromised budget the first time around.

Many experts and political pundits focused on the Obamacare aspect of the vote, as it had been the focal point all around the country for the past five years.

But it was the less publicized sequestration piece of the bill, the $85 billion in cuts to the Department of Defense that have caused military personnel to lose pay and risk the employment of tens of thousands of military personnel and veterans, that showed the true colors of the career politicians in Washington.

When sequestration was first introduced, they were designed as automatic cuts that were so detri-

mental and severe that no rational legislator would ever allow them to proceed.The first round of $37 billion in cuts has had a severe impact on the military community, causing thousands of employees of the Department of Defense to have their jobs furloughed and their pays slashed. Moreover, the DoD is being forced to reshuffle its budgetary priorities before the next batch of $54 billion comes later this year, which is likely to end several defense programs and cause tens of thousands in layoffs.

Until now, congress has avoided taking any responsibility for the sequester, calling it “stupid” and “reckless” in public while offering no legislation to combat or end its harm. Now, as military personnel, veterans, and civilians alike are feeling the dire effects of these cuts, the House Republicans voted nearly unanimously to make them permanent.

For New Jersey, the sequester is likely to have a devastating impact in the months to come. In late September, a report was issued by the US Air Force

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Cover Story that considering scrapping its fleet of KC-10 refueling jets, which could result in the loss of over 1,000 jobs at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and put the base at greater risk of being permanently closed. Reps. Rob Andrews (D), Chris Smith (D), Frank LoBiondo (R), and Jon Runyan (R), the four congressional representatives who serve the joint base, issued statements opposing the cuts and lambasting the sequester. However, less than 24 hours after the report was published, Congressmen Runyan and LoBiondo both voted in favor of making the sequester a perpetual part of the Defense Department.

How shocking is this development?

Well, the bill that passed on Friday to defund Obamacare and keep Sequester was voted for by all but one member of the House Republicans. Rep. Scott Rigell(R-VA), the lone republican nay vote, said that despite his desire to repeal the health care law, he could not justify doing so while locking in sequestration.

“This [bill] fails to address the sequester that is negatively impacting those who wear our nation’s uniform and is the result of Congress’ inability to pass the 12 appropriations bills necessary to properly fund the government on time. What is needed is a comprehensive solution to our nation’s fiscal challenges, including a replacement for sequestration,” said Rigell, who represents one of the nation’s largest military districts.

All of this came just days before the government shut down, which caused incredible disruptions to every aspect of American life, especially to the millions of military personnel and veterans who work for the government and rely on federal services to help them in their transition back home.

The effects of the 16 day shutdown to our veterans were huge. The Department of Veterans Affairs alone furloughed over 14,200 employees, more than half of whom work for the Veterans Benefits Administra-

tion, which had impacted the processing of the backlog claims. Hundreds of thousands of veterans have been waiting months for Veterans Affairs to approve their disability claims—and 16 days without an operating budget during the shutdown further stalled efforts to reduce the department’s massive backlog. Now the perpetually overextended VA is once again playing catch-up.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has said the agency will eliminate the backlog by 2015.Though the VA had a backlog of approximately 418,000 claims as of October 1, the agency had cleared out more than 190,000 claims over the last six months.

The impact of the shutdown was felt even harder at DoD. According to Pentagon Comptroller Bob Hale, the Defense Department had at least $600 million in lost productivity and left DoD at funding levels that could force layoffs next year for the furloughed civilian personnel who just returned to work.

“We haven’t decided [on layoffs],” Hale said.

“We’re going to have to get smaller – that will mean fewer civilians. We’re going to get smaller – I can’t tell you how much.”

Hale and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at a Pentagon briefing immediately following the shutdown’s end that their major concern was the impact on the morale of the uniformed military and the civilian workforce from the repeated political cliffhangers on fiscal matters and the Congressional gridlock over budgets. “I’m a lot more worried about the morale effects. Many civilian personnel now have the attitude that ‘I’m not so sure I want to work for this government,” Hale said.

Chuck Hagel himself noted a conversation he had with an E-5, who asked about what his future would be in the military. Hagel said he did not have a good answer for the soldier, partly because the last-minute agreement in Congress that ended the shutdown and

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Cover Story lifted the debt ceiling “did not remove the shadow of uncertainty that has been cast over our department.”

Hagel, of course, referred to the continuing resolution passed by Congress that ended the shutdown. While Congress was able to fund the federal government after 16 painful days (which it had to by October 17th or the United States would go into default for the first time in its history and cause an international crisis), it did so by “locking in” the sequester cuts. This now leaves the Defense Department at current funding levels through mid-January while also facing another $52 billion in cuts un- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel addresses active duty soldiers as der the Budget Control Act’s military braces for more cuts. sequestration process.

Here in New Jersey, the problems have been felt and housing opportunities. at the state’s largest military base. More than half the “We need to be here to help,” said Jack Fanous.

6,700 employees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst “This situation in congress is completely outrageous. have been furloughed, according to Staff Sgt. KatherIt caused tremendous damage in just a few short days. ine Tereyama, a spokeswoman for the base.The state of Families who were already struggling with their bills New Jersey had a total of 14,000 employees at federal are now faced with having their payments stopped alfacilities get furlough notices. together. This may not be a big deal to a Congressman The GI Go Fund did what it could during the who is worth millions or who has made a career out shutdown, doubling its efforts to help veterans and of running for office, but one missed payment could their families during these tough times where the mean the rent goes unpaid, food purchases are cut, and government failed them. In the days leading up to, as bills get pushed to the side. But we have remained dilwell as during, the shutdown, the organization helped igent, working twice as hard to help veterans recover nearly 200 New Jersey veterans improve their employfrom this unnecessary disaster.” ment skills with the support of corporate leaders at Nevertheless, despite the best efforts of those Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Young, and Citi at their outside the political system, the veteran community Military Career Workshop. This fantastic opportunity has been put in a very precarious situation. With the was followed up just days later at the South Jersey end of operations in Afghanistan coming, the sequesVeterans Job Fair, where over 400 active duty military ter cuts are coming at a time when military veterans personnel, veterans, and their loved ones met with 70 will need assistance most. Bottom line to our elected vendors looking to hire veterans or enroll them into officials: you all need to get you act together. It is time college.They then hosted a Stand Down For Homeless to quit the games and stop hurting our veterans and Veterans in Newark, providing nearly 200 veterans curtheir families. If you don’t, then you will have failed the rently living on the streets with food, clothes, emermen and women who were willing to sacrifice their gency medical screenings, haircuts, legal assistance, lives rather than fail us.

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The Leadership of Cory Booker

When Cory Booker won his fight to become Mayor of Newark in 2006, the writing was already on the wall that there was going to be a seismic shift in the city. After the 1967 riots and decades of tumultuous governance, the city that was once considered one of the largest manufacturing hubs in the country had become dilapidated and forgotten. But Booker was coming in with a sense of supreme optimism, because he knew, perhaps before anyone else outside of Newark, what was about to come.

“The future is now. . . .The future is Newark,” said Booker during his inaugural address in 2006. “We are at the dawning of the 21st century in a city that still reflects America’s soul,” Booker said. “Now more than ever, our country needs Newark. It needs our audacity again. Our national garment is torn. Will Newark lead yet another century?”

His exceeding optimism and hope was met equally with criticism and detraction, as few believed that a city in such dire straits could lead the way for the entire nation. Newark’s national recognition centered mostly around corruption in its government rather than growth in its boundaries, as every single one of Booker’s predecessors since 1962 had been indicted on criminal charges for acts done while in office.

But Booker billed himself as different from day one, working to change the narrative by bringing intelligence and ideas to a position that had once become accustomed to apathy and fraud. A Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of Yale Law School, Booker was as stark of a contrast from what Newark was used to seeing in its Mayor as any could have imagined. And when he took office, his strategy was to tackle all of the challenges that were facing the city with a hands-on approach: from unemployment and education to crime and poverty.

His concept, however, was unique. Rather than solely working within the confines of his city limits to help his constituents, he was going to work with partners from all across the country who shared his goals and desires to create positive change in his city. In his quest to put Newark back on the map, Booker relied both on the people in the community stepping up to show the country how Newark was coming back, while at the same time bringing players from throughout the country into Newark to help in tackling these issues and shine a spotlight on the city’s resurgence.

Among his most noteworthy accomplishments has been in helping the thousands of veterans in his

As he becomes the next United States Senator from New Jersey, we take a look back at Cory Booker’s tenure as Mayor of Newark and his impact on veterans, civilians, and the nation

By James Fanous

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city who had gone neglected for years before. He partnered with the GI Go Fund, a nonprofit organization for veterans that helps them find jobs, go to school, and get their benefits to create the first nonprofit operated One Stop Center for Veterans. Putting it right in City Hall just a few steps from his office, Booker touted the office as a unique place where veterans can come in and find the help they need from an organization that is committed to assisting them.

“Newark has always set the standard,” he said when he opened the doors to the office in 2008. “We will do that by showing that we can have, in City Hall, the very center, the ground zero for all civic involvement in our city. We can have a place that not only welcomes veterans, but connects them to employment, to benefits they may not be aware of, to housing.

We want our veterans to know that when you come back to Newark, we will show you love, we will show you dedication, and we will show you our commitment.”

But while he promoted that veterans in the city come and visit the office, he challenged the organization to go out into the community and work to help veterans directly. He didn’t partner with an organization to run a city office, but rather he wanted the group to grow from the office and out into the area to find veterans that otherwise would not come looking for help from a municipal department.

Since creating the partnership, the city of Newark has gone above and beyond in its work with the veteran population. It has helped thousands of veterans with finding work and going to school through hiring fairs and career workshops that take veteran mentors and linking them with unemployed vets to help guide them to success. In addition, they have helped hundreds of veterans who are forced to live on the streets, creating an innovative program called “Midnight Missions” that take scores of volunteers out before dawn to give homeless vets food, clothes, emergency medical aid from the VA, and housing opportunities.

In just four years, the city went from having a virtually nonexistent presence for Veterans Affairs to a groundbreaking model for the country, as its work has been featured nationwide, including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and on the ABC reality show “Secret Millionaire”, which chronicled the successes of the Midnight Missions.

“When we opened our doors five years ago, our goal was not just to help veterans, but to do so in a way that had not been done before,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous. “The Mayor really challenged us to do more than just aid the veterans who walk through our door, but to go out and seek the veterans directly; to find them and help them with what they need. And we have done our part in answering that call, creating a smarter government approach that has helped thousands of veterans in and around the city.”

This program was just the first taste of the 180 degree turns that were coming to the city. When the Newark school system was facing a budget crisis, Booker worked to turn a citywide problem into a national cause. He advocated hard for the city, working to find people who were committed to helping fund the education system, including across the political aisle with the state’s Republican Governor.

His hard work and ingenuity ultimately led to an announcement in 2010 that was unlike any other in the history of childhood education: Mark Zuckerberg, the young billionaire who created Facebook, was going to donate an astonishing $100 million dollars of his own money to help Newark Public Schools.

He then did something even more remarkable: he challenged the community to help match the donation. And while everyone doubted the chances of this happening, Booker just kept going, working with every partner, both in the public and private sectors, to create a movement that would not only raise money, but change the equation on education funding.

In the end, he not only called Zuckerberg’s $100 million, he raised him $50 million more.

His exceeding optimism and hope was met equally with criticism and detraction

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Cory Booker Already with enough achievements for the average politician, Booker did not stop there. Determined to bring quality jobs back into the city, the Mayor developed another team, working with Brick City Development Corporation to promote the city to major companies from across the country and create the incentives to bring them into Newark. He also worked to usher in the rebirth of the city’s manufacturing, placing an emphasis on the strong infrastructure already in place that would make the transition smooth for any company.

The results have been tremendous. This year alone saw the Brookings Institute, a leading Washington think tank, name Newark as among the most attractive places for the 21st century manufacturing boom, encouraging businesses to tap into the city’s resources and take advantage of what it can offer. Moreover, in the last few years, Newark has had multiple companies move its headquarters into the city, including Panasonic of North America, Manischewitz, Pitney Bowes, Audible.com, Mimeo.com, Standard Chartered Bank, Bartlett Dairy, and Damascus Bakeries.

“There were many appealing offers from many places,” said Panasonic CEO Joseph Taylor. “When you add it up, a move into an urban center with the benefits of the site and the City of Newark made it a slam dunk.”

And the list of accomplishments kept growing from there. Booker worked on preventing and reducing violent crime in his city, introducing an innovative gunshot detection technology that gives police the ability to locate and arrest shooting perpetrators more easily. He also introduced a prisoner re-entry program and community court program, partnering with the municipal courts and nonprofit agencies (including the GI Go Fund for a Veterans court) that help people who are either arrested or completing a criminal sentence to link to tools and opportunities that will prevent them from committing crimes again.

In all, Booker has had one mindset in his administration: in order to govern in a smart and effective manner, you have to be willing to work with everybody, and you have to work very, very hard.

“Sitting behind a desk was not an option,” said Jack Fanous about the attitude his organization took on when it formed its partnership. “Instead we asked ourselves ‘what would Cory Booker do?’, and hit the streets.”

That mantra was something that had given Booker nationwide fame. While he was gaining credibility for the great turnaround happening in Newark,

Newark Mayor Cory Booker (left) and GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous pay tribute to those who died on September 11th, 2001 during the “Day of Remembrance and Service” honoring the twelve year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Newark City Hall. he had also become known as the “Superhero Mayor” for his random acts of kindness within the community, doing everything from saving a woman from a burning building to shoveling snow off of driveways after a major blizzard. He also can use this platform for sending a message, using his large social media presence to chronicle his life for a week while living on food stamps to highlight the struggle that so many working families go through in this country.

While those acts may have received media attention outside the city, it also garnered respect among those inside it. If the mayor is this dedicated to helping others, then everybody needed to be too. Without it, there would not have been the same impact in the city that is seen today.

Now Booker is turning the page, looking to take his smarter government approach into the U.S. Senate.

He will be met with the same cynicism and detractors that met him in Newark. And while the problems in Washington may dwarf those he faced the last eight years, critics will be hard pressed to doubt the ability of America’s smartest mayor in turning another broken city on its head.

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Despite Government Shutdown, Annual “Stand Down For Homeless Veterans” Stays Open Thanks to Volunteer Support Number of Veterans in attendance down drastically from previous years thanks to efforts of Newark Mayor Cory Booker, The GI Go Fund, and countless others

By Staff Writer

For nearly two weeks, the federal government shutdown has caused major disruptions in the veterans’ community; furloughing tens of thousands of VA employees and putting their benefits at risk of either being severely reduced or cut entirely. Nevertheless, despite the inability for Washington to do its job for our military veterans, a group of dedicated volunteers gathered to ensure that hundreds of homeless veterans would not be deprived of needed services.

In the city of Newark, dozens of volunteers in the community helped veterans living on the streets

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at the annual “Northern New Jersey Stand Down For Homeless Veterans”, hosted by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the GI Go Fund, and the Stand Down of North Jersey Inc.The event, hosted every year at the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center, serves as a one-day, one-stop center for homeless veterans from across North Jersey to provide them with food, clothing, and critical support services.

This event, which is so important to veterans in need every year, was put in jeopardy due to the government shutdown. The shutdown has disrupted so many different veterans’ benefits, including those

directly related to housing and financial aid. Nevertheless, organizers were able to have enough volunteers on hand who were willing to help our former military personnel most in need.

“As the government enters its second week of a shutdown that has seen veterans miss out on benefits, shut out of their own memorials, and used as political pawns, we have continued to fulfill our commitment to helping veterans get off the streets, find jobs, and feel the true love of Americans who are in awe of their sacrifice,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous.“My pledge will be to always serve those who served and ensure that the men and women who fought to defend our streets never, ever live on them” Typically, the event is attended by over 600 veterans every year. However, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Booker and the GI Go Fund over the last four years in and around Newark of helping veterans find housing and collect their benefits, the number of

veteran attendees this year dropped sharply to 200-300.

During the Stand Down, veterans received haircuts, photo ID cards, medical checkups and HIV testing, as well as counseling and information support groups about employment services, state and federal VA benefits, substance abuse programs, vocational rehabilitation, recovery

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programs, hospice care, and legal services, including City legal support to address outstanding criminal matters.

Veterans were also provided lunch cooked by New Jersey Army National Guard. Afterwards, they were given a full range of Army surplus and civilian winter clothing, including boots, underwear, ski caps, pants, and personal toiletries. Clothing and hygiene supplies were generously provided by the Disabled Veterans National Foundation and Operation Gratitude.

The GI Go Fund is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 that has been recognized for its unique and innovative solutions to addressing the homeless veteran population.

The group has been successful in helping veterans living in Newark with all of their needs, turning Newark into the model city of providing veterans with the services and care that they deserve. Their successful model of assisting homeless veterans has received national attention, as the organization’s work has been showcased on Fox News and the ABC reality show “Secret Millionaire”.

GI Go Fund Hosts Military Career Workshop for nearly 100 Veterans with Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Young, and Citi Employees More than 50 former members of the military currently working for Fortune 100 companies provide job mentorship and employment assistance to hundreds of unemployed military veterans; Workshop was the third of its kind this year

By James Fanous

GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous addresses the nearly 100 veterans looking for employment assistance at the Military Career Workshop at the Johnson & Johnson Headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ on September 28, 2013.

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The GI Go Fund hosted a Military Career Workshop for nearly 100 veterans looking for work at the Johnson & Johnson facility in New Brunswick. During the event, employees working at Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Young, and Citi volunteered their Saturday to work with the unemployed veterans to help them improve their job search skills and improve their chances of landing the career of their dreams.

This event was the third of its kind this year held by the GI Go Fund. The previous workshops this year in New Brunswick and at the Ernst & Young facilities in Times Square assisted over 80 veterans with their job search efforts.

The workshop featured over 50 volunteers working at high level positions within the companies, including Courtney Billington, Vice President Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain at Johnson & Johnson and a West Point Graduate. These corporate mentors showed veterans how they can translate their military experience into a civilian career, provided assistance with veterans looking to improve their resumes, and gave veterans the chance to share their transition stories with other veterans who have successfully transferred their military background into steady employment.

“Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Young, and Citi have done great work today,” said GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous.“Many companies talk about helping veterans find work, but few go above and beyond the way Johnson & Johnson and the rest of the volunteer employees have here.This is corporate leadership at its best.”

Isaac Trinidad, a Navy and Air Force Veteran from Perth Amboy, NJ, was grateful for all of the information he received from his mentor Sean Cavanaugh, an Army veteran himself who landed his job at Johnson & Johnson after attending a GI Go Fund Veterans Job Fair in 2011.

“This has been great, very helpful,” said Trinidad.

“I have my bachelor’s degree, and I feel I have the skills for any job, but it has been difficult for me transitioning back home after so much time in the military.

But it was very good for me to come here and have my resume looked at by Sean, a professional who was in the same position as me once before. He taught me how to talk to employers, how to treat every job application differently. I am very glad that I came today.”

The GI Go Fund is an organization committed to linking veterans to the best employment opportunities and offer assistance to help them find a steady, solid career. Workshops like these have been a staple of the organization’s efforts to help veterans better prepare for the job hunt, working with corporate leaders like Johnson & Johnson, PSEG, and Ernst & Young to provide resume writing and job interview assistance to young vets transitioning home.

Recent unemployment reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that young post 9/11 era veterans are currently suffering from an unemployment rate of over 18%, almost three points higher than the national average. Opportunities are available for veterans to connect to solid employment opportunities with employers willing to step up, including the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credits, which will provide a tax credit of up to $9,600 to employers who hire veterans.

Veterans will have the chance to use these highly beneficial skills in the immediate future, as these veterans will be using these lessons at the GI Go Fund’s South Jersey Veterans Job Fair on Tuesday, October 1st at the Aloft Hotel in Mount Laurel, NJ. For more information, log on to www.gigofund.org.

Courtney Billington, Vice President of Janssen Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain and a West Point Graduate, addresses the nearly 100 veterans looking for employment assistance at the Military Career Workshop at the Johnson & Johnson Headquarters in New Brunswick, NJ on September 28, 2013.

Isaac Trinidad (left), a Navy and Air Force veteran, receives employment tips from Sean Cavanaugh (right), an Army veteran who landed a job at Johnson & Johnson after attending a GI Go Fund Veterans Job Fair in 2011.

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Newark Mayor Cory Booker, GI Go Fund Pay Tribute to 9/11 Attacks With Day of Remembrance and Service Event honors emergency responders and remembers victims of the attacks of September 11th, 2001; Volunteers pay homage to military members who fought for our country with a service project developing care packages for homeless veterans

By Staff Writer Newark Mayor Cory Booker (left) and GI Go Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous pay tribute to those who died on September 11th, 2001 during the “Day of Remembrance and Service” honoring the twelve year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Newark City Hall.

Twelve years ago, America’s resolve and resiliency was put to the ultimate test when terrorist orchestrated the worst single day attack in world history, with nearly three thousand civilians perishing on that fateful Tuesday morning, including five residents of Newark. On this anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the city of Newark and the GI Go Fund paid tribute to the lives lost on that day, and offered their services to the men and women who fought to defend our nation in its darkest days.

Mayor Cory A. Booker, GI Go

Fund Executive Director Jack Fanous, New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Commissioner Raymond Zawacki, Voices of September 11th representative Sheri Burkat, and Newark Fire Director Fateem Ziyad honored the victims and heroes of September 11th, and the men and women who have served since the attacks, with a “Day of Remembrance and Service” ceremony at the First Floor Rotunda at City Hall.

“September 11, 2001, was a day on which we saw and endured unimaginable horror and unimaginable

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pain,” said Mayor Booker. “We saw the very worst of humanity in the terror and destruction, and the very best of humanity in the response of emergency workers that day. Today we honor the thousands of lives lost on 9/11, including five Newark residents, and the courage of the first responders and our armed forces that day and in the years of conflict since then, and the resilience of our entire nation as we remember and rebuild. ”Remembrance is not enough, and we take from 9/11 a call to action and service, and today we are answering that call by joining with Newark youth to manifest our love of fellow Americans who have served and sacrificed on foreign battlefields to protect our freedom, by preparing care packages to support homeless

and disabled veterans in Newark. I am proud of how the GI Go Fund and the City of Newark partnered to create this memorable Day of Remembrance, and thank the family of Reverend Sean Booker, who was killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11, for joining us today,” Booker added.

On September 11, 2001, our country suffered the worst attack in its history, with thousands of Americans dying in the Twin Towers of Manhattan and the Pentagon in Washington DC. Among the dead were five Newark residents, who sadly lost their lives in a senseless and barbaric terrorist act. In addition, Newark Airport saw the departure of United Flight 93, the lone hijacked plane that failed to reach its intended target thanks to the bravery of the passengers that fought the terrorist off and crashed the plane in a field in Shanksville, PA, saving thousands of American lives.

“Twelve years since that horrific day in Manhattan, in Washington, and in a field in Pennsylvania, the United States of America still stands united, strong, and free,”

said Jack Fanous. “We owe this to the men and women who showed incredible bravery when it would have been easy not to in the moments following the attacks, and in the months and years that followed.

Ordinary men and women, firefighters, policemen, EMS, and our military took a nation that was reeling and mourning and kept us together through their own sheer will. God bless them all, and God bless the American Spirit.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Mayor Booker and Jack Fanous joined 20 student volunteers from the Newark Educators Community Charter School to prepare care packages for homeless veterans of the Armed Forces, many of whom fought to defend the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq. Supplies for the care packages were provided by Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit organization that has provided over 1 million care packages to active duty military personnel stationed overseas since our involvement in conflicts after September 11th, 2001.

The care packages will be

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Mayor Booker (right) and Jack Fanous assemble care packages for homeless veterans with students from the Newark Educators Community Charter School, with supplies generously provided by Operation Gratitude, during Newark’s “Day of Remembrance and Service” honoring the twelve year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Newark City Hall. given to homeless veterans in and around the area, including during the Stand Down for Homeless Veterans in Newark on October 12, hosted by the GI Go Fund and Stand Down of North Jersey, Inc. The country faced its most difficult challenge on 9/11, with our strength and our passion being put through the ultimate test. But we have come through this most difficult time with tremendous success and resolve, and we will never forget those who we lost that day nor those who fought to defend us from future attacks.

Veteran Profile: Jack Kane Jack Kane, a lifelong resident of Nutley, is a Vietnam Era Army veteran who served from 196869, where he received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal among other accolades.

However, since returning home from combat, he has served as a leader in the veteran community. Last June, he was elected state Junior Vice Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In addition to his official post, he is also chairman of the VFW National Home for Children, and has spent many hours assisting veterans in applying for benefits, visiting those who are hospitalized, driving them to doctor’s appointments and just talking about benefits available to them.

“I have been out of the Army since 1969, and I immediately joined the VFW, so I am proud of my membership with the VFW this whole

time,” said Kane. “I feel that I have done more in my time with the VFW than in my two years of service in the Vietnam era.”

Now, he is being discussed as possibly the next State Commander of the VFW, a role Kane feels he can accomplish a tremendous amount of things for the veteran community, because it already has for so long.

“The VFW is trying to let people from across the nation know what we do,” he said. “No one does more for veterans. We helped get $3.7 billion in benefits for veterans in 2012 alone, and we’ve helped provide millions more in financial aid and family support over the years.”

Moving forward, Kane said his priority is recruiting younger vets into their organization. He believes that is the key to maintaining the VFW’s effectiveness as it fights for the entire veteran population.

“We need to continue to spread the word of all the great things we do, and work to recruit more and more younger veterans to join the VFW,” said Kane. “As we have mostly older vets from Korea and WWII, we want to reach out to the younger vets to become members so that they can enjoy the great things that the VFW has to offer. We also have to keep strong in numbers so that we can get the same kind of legislative support in Washington and the State House that we have in the past, as that is the ultimate test in helping vets get the care they need going forward.

Rest In Peace -Richard Dvorin

A great leader and mentor to our organization and the father of Army Lt. Seth Dvorin, the inspiration to the founding of the GI Go Fund, passed away at the age of 71.

On behalf of everyone at the GI Go Fund, it is with profound and inexpressible sadness that we share with you that Richard Dvorin, US Air Force Veteran, retired New Brunswick Police Officer, and the father of our late friend Lt. Seth Dvorin, passed away at the age of 71.

Rich was a fierce leader and incredible partner of our organization, helping lead the group founded in honor of his son as a member of our Air Force Veteran Richard Board of Directors. He was also an unparalleled supporter and friend to Dvorin (r) with Army Spec. the veterans’ community beyond his work in our group, supporting thou- Jeans Cruz, the soldier who sands of veterans and their families while working as a counselor at UMD- captured Saddaam Hussein NJ’s Vet2Vet program. in Iraq, at the GI Go Fund Moreover, he proudly served as a member of the Jewish War Veterans Veterans Day Gala in 2011. of America, and was once the Commander of the JWV Post 172 in Old Bridge, which he helped rename the Lt. Seth Dvorin Post.

He was, and always will be, a bright light that will guide our work in helping all members of our Armed Forces. And now, as he reunites with Seth, both father and son will forever serve as inspirational heroes to us all.

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