Businesses look to connect with veterans at job fair

By Tessa Roy
Posted 4/27/17

“If I walk out of here and I’ve got one good name, it’s a victory. I wouldn’t mind having more than that, but one is acceptable,” said Brian Mullaney at the Operation Stand Down Rhode …

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Businesses look to connect with veterans at job fair

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“If I walk out of here and I’ve got one good name, it’s a victory. I wouldn’t mind having more than that, but one is acceptable,” said Brian Mullaney at the Operation Stand Down Rhode Island’s annual veterans job fair.

Mullaney, who represented insurance services at the fair, said he’s a veteran himself and is active in veterans organizations locally. He said taking part in the job fair was a good opportunity for him to begin his recruiting season.

More than 60 other businesses set up shop in the CCRI commons on Friday for OSDRI’s annual veterans job fair. This year, the fair was also open to spouses of veterans.

Bob Leonard, manager and co-owner at the Coast Guard House Restaurant, said he met OSDRI’s Employment and Training Specialist Michael Previty at a South County Business Alliance event and thought participating in the job fair would be a beneficial activity.

“We’re always looking for help. If we can employ some Rhode Islanders and some Rhode Island veterans, that’d be great,” he said, adding the restaurant currently employs four or five veterans from the state.

OSDRI Executive Director Erik Wallin said it’s difficult to track exactly how many veterans may be unemployed or homeless, but that OSDRI services and houses about 600 homeless veterans annually. Despite claims to the contrary, the problem of veteran homelessness hasn’t dissipated, he added. What Wallin said has changed is the amount of veterans, many of which are unemployed, experiencing chronic or long term homelessness, meaning they’re being placed in housing at a faster pace.

In addition to it not often being in their nature to ask for help, many veterans, especially those with mental disorders like PTSD, either avoid going to shelters or don’t identify themselves as veterans when they do seek help from a shelter, Wallin said.

However, he does find that veterans are more perceptive to asking for help from OSDRI’s staff because many of them are veterans themselves and have an understanding of what they may be experiencing.

OSDRI has plenty of upcoming events occurring next month, namely the Boots on the Ground Memorial - 1st Annual Gold Star Gala on May 25. For more information on the organization and its events visit osdri.org.

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