Wounded Warrior Project's Warriors to Work Program

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hi everyone, welcome to the show. To those of you in the United States and around the world, speaking of around the world, I cannot thank you enough for all of those who are listening to this show. For example, China has a large listening audience, but so do so many other countries. Thank you, and know this: you are changing lives of people with disabilities. I don't care if there's just one person listening in a country. You can spread the news. And a special shout out to my good friend Yoshiko Dart Yoshiko, the wife of the late, great Justin Dart. And this year, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the ADA, who more could we think of than Justin and Yoshiko? We all love you, Yoshiko. We love you. And to my friends from the State Department, starting with Richard Roberts. Richard, I love you. Thank you so much. Richard is in Okinawa, Japan. He is with the State Department. I first met him when I was in South Korea. So when an embassy somewhere in the world is looking for an expert on the employment of people with disabilities, they frequently ask me to visit. So when I went to South Korea, I worked with him and my other wonderful friend, Gang Young, and they were the embassy representatives that stayed with me the entire time. Oh, I loved him then. I cried when I left, but guess what? Then he went to Okinawa and I got to see him all over again. I love you both. And how about my new friend, Cheryl, in Tunisia with the State Department? I'll tell you what, we are really rocking it. Around the world, we are. Thank you, Highmark, Wells Fargo, Peoples, and the Employment Options for being supporters and sponsoring our show. Great companies that care about people with disabilities. Well, as you all know, this is Veterans Month, the month that we celebrate our great Heroes, veterans, but we are going to focus on talking about one group that I love so much, veterans with disabilities. You know, I always say, people have heard me say this, and all the times I've been a presenter at different conferences, I always say, and about hiring veterans with disabilities, If they come back to this country and they cannot find employment, if they are homeless, here's what I have to say to you: Shame on you. I say that because they go and fight for our freedom. They don't even know you. They don't know any of us. And they fight for our freedom. Why would we not support them? And that is why it is my honor and privilege to have a specialist who works with the Wounded Warrior Project, Mr. Sean Harris, with us today as my guest. Sean, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Joyce Bender. I'm just really excited to be here today. So I just had the opportunity to come and talk a little bit about the Wounded Warrior Project, something I I'm always excited to do. So thank you again for inviting me.

Oh, it is our pleasure. So how about if we start by you telling our listeners around the world what made you decide to join the force? What made you decide to join the military to protect our freedom?

Sure, sure. I think it was probably mostly influenced by my father, really. My dad had served in the military, the Army actually, the artillery unit back back in the Vietnam era. And growing up, you know, he always just made it very clear to me that military service was just an honorable thing to do. It was honorable thing to do, he said, for your country. It was honorable thing to do for your family. And he said, it's an honorable thing you could do for yourself, son. And he said, it's not what you get out of that service, but what you become. And he always told me that, you know, he always respected himself for serving his country and that others, you know, down the road when you're looking for a job and your military service is over, that's something that will always be respected. So I kind of took that lead and then one day we had a couple of Army recruiters that came into our local high school and I was able to sit down with them and just kind of get some additional information about the different opportunities available through the armed forces. And, you know, being a farm kid from Illinois, I hadn't even been in an airplane by that time in my life. And the chance to, you know, travel, to, you know, have a, you know, even a possibility of a career with the military. At the time, they were offering some great programs through an Army College Fund and assistance through a GI Bill to help pay for college, you know, after your service. And I think just the opportunity to be something, you know, be part of something that was just bigger than myself and to be able to serve others. That's just kind of how it all started. So came home with that information and talked to my dad, and my dad helped talk to my mom, and ended up getting signed up for the program and headed off, you know, to serve. I served 4 years, Regular Army, with the 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red One. Spent 2 years stateside and 2 years overseas, and after my regular service, I came back, did 5 years in reserves, and then continued my education, utilized my GI Bill, my college fund to start my civilian career.

Wow, and what did you do then? What did you do in your civilian career?

When I came back, I actually, my first degree was in criminal justice. And then I got involved in actually sales and then recruiting, and then shortly after that into recruiting. And I did about 10 years full cycle recruiting for organizations serving the off-highway global equipment industry organizations like, you know, John Deere and Caterpillar, you know, working with them to, you know, help them staff their engineering departments, supply chain management, that sort of thing.

Yeah, and why—

Shortly after that— Oh, sorry. No, go ahead, go ahead. And then shortly after that, or after that, I spent some time just I got kind of involved on a volunteer basis working with various different types of charities and then had an opportunity actually to go back to Germany where I had served and work with another veterans organization called SAFHA, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, and you know, served as a volunteer support manager there. You know, just kind of helping and supporting a volunteer network that supported serving soldiers and families while they were serving an overseas post, and veterans who had maybe, you know, left the military and stayed overseas, and, you know, just providing practical support and financial support to those veterans and those families to make sure that they had stable lifestyle that they needed.

What a wonderful opportunity. Wow, that, that is wonderful how you served our country and worked in so many areas, but now you are with the Wounded Warrior Project as a work specialist for the wounded warriors. So can you explain to everyone— I would be shocked if you haven't heard of Wounded Warriors, but I'm sure there are some that have not. But would you mind telling everyone what is the Wounded Warriors?

Sure. The Wounded Warrior Project is something— I've been with the Wounded Warrior Project now for— which is actually coming up on my 2-year anniversary. And the Wounded Warrior Project is just a fantastic military charity that I'm just so proud to be part of, Joyce, to be honest with you. It's just amazing what I get to see and be a part of in supporting veterans with disabilities and their families every day. Basically, the Wounded Warrior Project has a focus of delivering support and empowering post-9/11 veterans, those who served post-9/11 who sustained some level of injury or illness during their military service that resulted in some level of disability rating through the VA. We not only help, of course, the warriors, but we also allow every warrior that's part of the Wounded Warrior Project program or alumni member, we also offer the same program and and support to up to 3 of their family support members within their home. So it might be their wife or husband, or it might be a child over the age of 18. They can get the same help and services, access to those same kind of programs as the warrior does. It really started out really kind of small as a grassroots effort. When, you know, during a lot of these post-9/11 conflicts, our veterans or our warriors, serving soldiers actually, were being pulled off the battlefield and, you know, due to injury, and medevaced into these military hospitals. And of course they don't get to stop and pack their stuff, you know, to bring it off the battlefield with them, so they're arriving in these hospitals and, you know, trying to recuperate with really had nothing more than, you know, maybe the hospital gowns that they have on their back really at that point realistically. And there was a small group of people that just, you know, wanted to show support, you know, for those who served, you know, serve our country. And as you said, you know, fight and protect our freedoms and decided to put together 50 of these backpacks. And these backpacks had things in them like, you know, toiletries, toothbrush, toothpaste, toothpaste, shampoo, maybe a couple extra pairs of socks, t-shirts, sweatpants, maybe a deck of playing cards, something to let them know that they were appreciated, that they were thought of, and gave them something to have in their possession again and kind of start being able to look towards what normalcy might look like. And these 50 backpacks, you know, then turned into requests coming in for more backpacks, hundreds of backpacks. And now, you know, the Wooded Warrior Project has distributed thousands of these backpacks, you know, to veterans transitioning out of the military. It's just a fantastic program. And from that just small basic startup, that it has grown now to what it is, this focus on empowering and honoring these disabled veterans or veterans with disabilities that are leaving the military, these wounded warriors, and trying to help them build stability in all kinds of different areas in their life such as mental health and wellness, you know, physical health and wellness, financial health and wellness. We have an independent a case management program that helps support these veterans living with disabilities maintain their independence in their living situations. We have a program for benefits to help to make sure that veterans with disabilities are getting the right, you know, compensation through their VA benefits and that sort of thing. Individuals within the organization that their sole job is to advocate for veterans with disabilities in D.C. and to promote the good works that we can do. We have a— we have multiple resource centers throughout the country that are set up, and these are accessible to veterans of all eras, not just post-9/11 veterans, but our resource center is set up to help guide and put veterans to the resources, veterans with disabilities and without, to make sure that they have everything that they need to be successful. Just a fantastic program. They also work with many other veteran support agencies. You know, to just provide as much support and empowerment as we can to those within the project.

I gotta tell you, such a great project, and Shawn, you have such a wonderful enthusiasm and passion. But you know what? That's what makes the difference. That is what makes the difference. So, Thank you. So, what do you do, Shawn? What do you do for wounded warriors?

Well, my primary role, I work, I serve as a Warriors to Work Specialist within the Warriors to Work Program. And the Warriors to Work Program falls under that financial health and wellness, you know, umbrella. Primarily, you know, I'm working, you know, on a daily basis with warriors and family support members, you know, just to help them realize their employment and long-term career goals. This can be, you know, include things like, you know, identifying a career path, helping them build a strategy to approach those goals, you know, help them build those tools that are really going to empower them, you know, overall in their search for employment.

Well, thank you for partnering with us. As you all know, listening to the show, Bender, although we have a great software product, Eye Disability, and provide digital accessibility testing, we all— the heart and soul of Bender will always be employment. Always. In fields from engineering, you know, to human resources. And if you're listening to the show, I just want to urge you to hire veterans with disabilities because, you know, as I said, when you come back after providing this great service, you supported us, we should support you. So I just think that is so important. Important. And you mentioned a couple things, but what do you think— what would you rank as some of the key reasons that you believe Wounded Warriors Project is making a difference?

Oh gosh, yeah. Wounded Warriors Project, you know, as you can probably just tell my excitement, I just— I think they make such a positive impact. In the lives of our wounded warriors in so many different ways. I think one, just the early-on decision to kind of have that focus of that post-9/11 demographic, I think it allows the organization to really provide a more targeted kind of service and identify the most meaningful ways to support, you know, this particular era of veterans. And to help them in their transition from that military service into civilian life. I also think that because Wounded Warrior Project, you know, this isn't, it's not like a handout type situation. It's about empowerment and it's the whole project, whatever program that we're talking about, it's focused on that empowerment. Empowerment, and that empowerment through those key components of a warrior's life, whether it be physical, mental, financial, that are going to give them that firm foundation and stability to be able to make that transition more smoothly. I also think that it's able to make such a positive impact because of the people that are in our organization. You know, all the people, you know, employees of WWP, and I'm not trying to brag, but I just, I witness this every day, the passion that the individuals have within this organization, you know, and how they're dedicated to that mission. Of honoring and empowering warrior families. It's just amazing. We've got great leadership, you know, trying to, you know, help us, you know, keep us on that right direction and that right path and that interaction every day, you know, to make a positive impact. The opportunity is there every single day I come to work. It's so fantastic. I leave at the end of the day and I just feel like, gosh, I've accomplished so much and I feel good that I've been the support and empowered somebody in their journey from, you know, through that transition from that military service to their civilian lifestyle.

I do have a question. I don't think people realize this, but I assume that you're a service, when you were talking about transition, that would be difficult, you know, to leave combat, come back here, and immediately start working. I mean, in the business environment. Is that true, or is it different for everyone?

Oh gosh, I think it's very true. You know, many of the warriors that I talk to every day, Joyce, are, you know, they've never held a civilian career. You know, if you look, if I stayed in the military as a full career, you know, I left right out of high school and joined the military and then worked my way through my service there, as do many of of the veterans that we work with. So, you know, a lot of them, that's all they know is that military service. So, you know, when we think about, you know, obstacles for veterans, you know, with disabilities, you know, seeking employment or any veteran, you know, leaving the, you know, the military and transitioning into that civilian marketplace, I think you be very daunting, you know, and very, you know, kind of a scary, scary thing. And, you know, I think just having an organization or multiple organizations, because it's not just Wounded Warrior Project, there are many other great, you know, veteran support organizations and agencies that are there to help for that transition, but it's just having that stuff available that I think makes a big difference to help make that transition smooth.

Yes, I just think that is going from a regimented environment to now civilian work where it can be totally different. So, I think that's so wonderful you do that because I really think that is important And I'm glad that you do that. So other than what I just stated, what would you say is the most difficult obstacle, Shawn, for veterans with disabilities seeking employment?

You know, I think it's in that transition, Joyce, and I don't even know if it's just veterans with disabilities. But veterans in general as they're leaving that military service, when they're making that transition, it's trying to figure out what direction to go, just knowing where to start, trying to understand and figure out how their military skills and training and experience translate into the civilian marketplace, I think that can be really confusing. And, you know, a lot of— if you're in the military, you know, you're talking a lot of times in acronyms and a lot of different things. And, you know, you come out of the military and you're in an interview and you say, well, you know, I was 11 Bravo. And, you know, to you that means something, you know, as a service member, but, you know, to the person on the other end of the line or the other side of the desk and just make you think that you're really good at the phonetic alphabet. But, you know, so it's— I think it's really just helping, you know, looking at how to translate that experience and those skills into, you know, into speak that can be understood by hiring authorities and, you know, and then adapting those skills and experiences to the type of interest that they have in the marketplace.

Yeah, and then in addition to that, I mean, people with disabilities have the highest unemployment rate of any group in America. So, you know, it's veterans with disabilities. So now you have the transition you were just talking about, and you are a person with a disability. So, you were also facing what all people with disabilities face in addition to being a veteran. So, I could see how that could be like an additional layer of an obstacle to overcome. But let me just say—

Absolutely. And leaving that service, especially coming from from a battlefield type situation, making that transition, there's work that may need to be done physically just to make themselves ready for work. There may be work that needs to be done to overcome invisible injuries so they can have the right mindset to sustain employment in the marketplace. And that's why I think we just, develop these other programs to try to, you know, again, build that solid foundation to make that transition as smooth as possible. Also, you know, supporting the caregivers to the warriors, you know, because they're going through everything with the warriors and, you know, helping them overcome, you know, their— and live with, you know, these disabilities that were brought on through the military service.

Yes, and I'm glad you mentioned like the non-apparent disabilities. For example, post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. A lot of— and again, this is with people with disabilities, not just veterans with disabilities— but when someone says they want to hire a veteran with a disability, a lot of times they seem much more more comfortable if the person had an amputation or they're in a wheelchair or they're deaf or they've lost their vision, you know, in combat. But when it's post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, it seems so much different. And yet, those are the two biggest injuries from the Absolutely, absolutely.

And I'd have to agree with you. I think there's a bit of a stigma there, you know, to overcome. And I know the Wounded Warrior Project, they've spent a lot of time and effort, you know, educating, you know, trying to educate employers, you know, about PTSD and what PTSD looks like, what it might look like in the marketplace. And, you know, there are a lot of different, you know, traumas, you know, is what causes, you know, life trauma is what causes PTSD. And it's just something that, you know, it's so new. I think, you know, we didn't have this and, you know, didn't have a label for this, you know, in the earlier eras of veterans, you know, that were leaving the military. So just education, trying to overcome, you know, answer the questions, you know, overcome the stigma, I think is something that we really focused on trying to do. And then, you know, helping employers understand what reasonable accommodation looks like, you know, in that kind of situation, you know. I think certainly certainly makes things a little bit easier.

That is right. I agree 100%. Well, it's on the half hour is our newsbreak, Advocacy Matters, with our great anchor, Perri Jude Ratajkic. Perri Jude, are you with us?

I am. Good afternoon, Joyce Bender.

Good afternoon to you also, Perri. What do you have for us today?

Well, today, uh, the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was argued in front of the United States Supreme Court. The lawsuit is really an attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. The real question in front of the court today is whether the individual mandate to purchase minimum essential coverage is severable from the rest of the Affordable Care Act. So, we're going to talk about that. Congress had kept the individual mandate. That meant we all had to have health insurance coverage, but they eliminated the penalty. If you remember, we had to have health insurance, and if we didn't, we were going to suffer a penalty, and that penalty came when we all filled out our tax returns. So the law as it stands now says we are supposed to still have health insurance. However, the IRS does— no, doesn't impose the tax penalty for individuals who do— don't comply with the law. So that's the status of the individual mandate. The State of Texas came along, and the State of Texas claimed that once the individual mandate was removed, the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. So how could that be? It's called severability, or in this case, inseverability. Texas claimed that you can't separate out one part of the law, in this case the individual mandate, without the entire law becoming unconstitutional. Others, like many disability organizations, argued that there is a clause called severability durability in the law so that if one provision was removed, the entire rest of the law still stands. Now, on our website at disabilityrightsPA.org, we have a link to what's called an amicus brief where at least 18 disability rights organizations filed an amicus brief. In that case, where we argued that if the individual mandate provision was no longer the law, the entire rest of the Affordable Care Act still stands. So again, go to disabilityrightsPA.org, click on this show today, Advocacy Matters, and you'll find the amicus brief of at least 18 disability disability rights organizations making that argument to the Supreme Court. So, prior to the Affordable Care Act, remember, private insurance was often not a real option for disabled people. We had annual limits on our benefits. We had lifetime caps on our benefits. There were bans on waiting periods for coverage if we had preexisting existing conditions, which we did. And we often had outright refusals to cover things like mental health care, durable medical equipment, and more. So disabled people, young people under the age of 26, now have unprecedented access to health and mental health care as a result of the Affordable Care Act. This lawsuit really challenges all of that, all because of the individual mandate. So advocacy matters. This is one of the most important legal cases on the Affordable Care Act, and it has made its way all the way to the Supreme Court, and so much is at stake. We don't know how long it will take for the court to rule on this case. Sometimes the court waits all the way till the end of their term when they issue their most controversial decisions, which is June, June of 2021. So all we can do is wait for the next Congress to get sworn in and watch to see if any legislation will anticipate an unfavorable decision from the Supreme Court. So that's what's happening today, Joyce.

So we have no idea then, uh, how can I say this, the temperature, so to speak, of how this is going with the different judges? I mean, do we have any idea how we feel this will go?

Well, Joyce, some court watchers thought that Maybe the Supreme Court was favorable to the Affordable Care Act and the severability of the individual mandate, but we won't know until decisions are written.

Okay. And what happens without preexisting conditions covered?

Well, that means all of us who have preexisting conditions, if if we switch insurance, might either have an outright ban or will have to wait for a period of time before our insurance kicks in.

Right. And, you know, I have epilepsy and we know so many people have preexisting conditions. So why I wanted you to state that is I just want everyone to realize how serious this is. And how it would impact directly the disability community. So please go disabilityrightsPA.org and look, go to Advocacy Matters and look at it and get involved. Is there anything else we can do, Perry? Is there anything our listeners can do?

Really not right now. You can read the brief from the Disability Rights disability rights organizations. I also have a link to the Supreme Court where you can find the briefs that have been filed in this case. I even believe C-SPAN had the oral arguments on today. So if you wanted to hear how it went for over an hour today, you can go to C-SPAN and they had a link to the oral arguments today.

Okay.

Thank you and keep us up to date. Great job. Thanks, Perry.

Sure, take care, bye-bye.

All right. Well, boy, this would impact veterans with disabilities. How about that? So, we've talked about so many things, and you know where my heart and soul is, and that is employment. What is Wounded Warriors doing in reference to employment?

Shawn. Sure. Actually, yes, the focus of the Warriors to Work team basically is just to connect warriors to employment opportunities. You know, our specialists, I think we've got 37 now across the country covering various territories, you know, are helping to match up, you know, skills and interests of the warriors to the jobs that they're most qualified for. and then provide that— you know, Warriors to Work likes to then provide that career transition guidance that we talked about and services to warriors and family support members just to help them prepare for gainful and sustained employment and meaningful careers. You know, we do that by offering support in resume writing. We have professional resume writers that we bring in to We help develop resumes, whether we're looking at civilian resume or a federal resume for our disabled veterans. We do interview coaching on a daily basis. We work on building their personal brand and their presence on networking sites, professional networking sites like LinkedIn. We also spend time calling and advocating for them once they've applied with the hiring companies. We do that to try to raise awareness to their application and to also to get feedback, to share with those warriors so they know that one, that their application has been received and if there are any concerns consideration, and we also try to get that same kind of feedback, you know, after an interview, after an interview process. And then we do everything that we can to try to connect them with opportunities. You know, we do virtual hiring events, networking coffee mornings. We have a— we've developed our own Wunduwar Project, WWP we call it, job board that was developed for us just a little over a year ago by Monster.com. And our leadership team is constantly out there, you know, trying to build relationships with those warrior-friendly hiring companies, just trying to open up, you know, inroads, you know, for our veterans, you know, living with disabilities in their pursuit of employment. And then, you know, preparing them for that engagement, you know, and some of the things that I mentioned earlier, you know, the programs such as, you know, the mental health, the physical health, you know, making sure they got that crucial stability needed to move forward on their job search. And then another thing I think that we do that is very important is that it's not just, here, you're hired, good luck, see ya, glad you were part of the program. Follow-through, it's follow-up. And every employee that we work together to help them secure a position in the marketplace, we put them on a 30, 180, and 360 follow-up plan. So we're calling, we're checking in, we're making sure that they have the things that they need to be successful and to sustain retain that employment. And, you know, that's a service to our warriors, but it's also a service to the companies and organizations that are, you know, investing in our warriors, you know, helping them train and retain. And no, I think it's— there's so much going on, you know, in the support of this. We've even got one of our programs that fall under the financial wellness program as emergency financial assistance. And we've had emergency financial assistance actually help veterans when the opportunity maybe is not in their backyard, maybe it's in, you know, maybe they live in Pittsburgh but they're looking at a position in Cincinnati. We've even been able to provide, support, you know, through that program to help them, you know, make that transition and, you know, cover some of those moving costs and, you know, get them to where they need to be so they can be successful.

So if a company wants to hire veterans from you, what should they do?

I just think just Just contact the Wounded Warrior Project Warriors to Work program. You know, most of our specialists, as I said, we're all working, you know, regionally. So, for instance, my region, I cover pretty much Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and then I've got probably about half a dozen warriors and family support members that I'm working with that are in Germany that are getting ready to make that transition out of the military and going to be looking for opportunities back in the States or want to remain in Germany and keep working. So, you know, it's contacting your local WWP office, finding out who the— who the Warriors to Work specialist is. And connecting with them, and they will get you definitely going in the right direction. They can also call our resource center to get connected with those individuals, and I could give you that number if that would be good to have.

Yeah, go ahead.

All right, that's 888-997-2586, and if you want to connect with Wounded Warrior Project on for any of our programs, that's a direct connection for you, and the individual answering the phone will make sure that you get put in the right direction there. So that's definitely how I would go about that.

Okay, now every organization needs support, no matter who they are, or how can they work and do the services they're trying to do. Is it possible for our listeners to contribute to the Wounded Warriors?

Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. There are obviously different avenues to be able to, you know, support the Wounded Warrior Project and the efforts that we're putting forth to try to, you know, support and support this post-9/11 era veterans in their transition. But, you know, sometimes we'll have our alumni program, for instance, does a lot of work out in the communities. They're trying to build those relationships, those warrior communities, and, you know, do outreach, you know, to let our demographics know that there is opportunity opportunity to come to Wounded Warrior Project and get help in so many areas. And I know that through that program, a lot of times there's gift in kind for services or products that might support the mission. So that's one way. And then of course, being donors to the Wounded Warrior Project, donating directly is something that's also possible. Actually, there's an initiative going on for Veterans Day. It is my understanding that the group, the Blue Angels Foundation, is going to match dollar for dollar any donation that is made on Veterans Day for for anybody that wants to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project. So there's a fantastic opportunity there, and you can access that through www.woundedwarriorproject.org/give-back. And you can also be connected to them, to that department through the resource number that I gave earlier.

Okay, well, I would encourage everyone to do that. Um, I mean, give us that website again, or the way to contribute, donate.

Sure, and it's, it's www.woundedwarriorproject.org give-back.

Oh, what a great thing. And you know, if you're thinking, wow, look what's coming up— Thanksgiving— isn't this a great time to give back? And who better to give back to than our military? Hey, I, I want to mention something just for a minute, uh, Off topic, when I was saying Veterans Day is coming, I mean, Thanksgiving is coming up. Please be careful. You know, if you watch on the news, Fauci and different people are advising you to have a very small intimate gathering this year. Stay home, no big family dinners, because you know what? Sadly, we're up to 100,000 cases a day. Oh my goodness. So, you know what? Here's a tip for you. That's what I wanted to tell you. I have a tip.

Zoom.

Get on Zoom. Get on Zoom. Believe me, it's hard for me because not only am I family-oriented, I'm Italian. So, you know, I like to cook, but You know, this too will pass. It will pass someday. Will be in history books, no doubt about that. You know, just like in 1918 with the Spanish flu, but we're tough, we're American, and this too will pass. Shawn, for any veterans listening to the show, you know, veterans with disabilities that are seeking employment, but everywhere they go, they're facing many obstacles, and they're listening to the show right now, what advice do you have for them?

Sure, I would say take advantage of the resources available. There are so many resources available with just a little bit of research or even just calling that 888-997-2586 phone number for the Resource Center. They can get you connected with those veterans' resources. But there is so much out there to take advantage of. You know, there are resources through the VA, like vocational rehab. There are, you know, placement agencies that specialize in job placement for individuals living with a disability, like Bender Consulting. You know, I love you guys, and I always have Gerald, you know, come over and talk to us on our coffee networking mornings and share about the connections that you guys help to also empower individuals living with disabilities in their search for employment. You know, reach out to veteran support organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, you know, Hire Our Heroes, you know, all those different kinds of places. There's a large number— even locally here in Pittsburgh, we've got Pittsburgh Hires Veterans. You know, there's so much out there to help and support them in their pursuit for employment. I would also say that I would encourage them to start preparation right away. You know, be ready to seize the opportunity when it arises. And one of my favorite kind of quotes is from a gentleman by the name of Zig Ziglar, and if you're aware lawyer or family support member has ever been on my caseload or worked with me through the Warriors to Work program, I know you've probably heard me say this many, many times, but, you know, Zig said, "Success is when opportunity meets preparation," and I believe that so much. I think that, you know, if you're thinking about employment, you're thinking about getting a new start on a career, start researching the companies that you're interested interested in, you know, today. Start practicing your interviewing skills, you know, today. Start networking with those other professionals, you know, in your desired industry today. You know, work on your elevator pitch because you just never know when that opportunity is going to come up and you're going to have that 30 to 90 seconds to be able to just talk about, hey, you know, what can I do to open up this opportunity and interdict— introduce yourself to an opportunity. So I think that's the best advice that I could give.

You were mentioning Pittsburgh Hires Vets. Is that an organization that people listening to the show can also go to?

Yes, yeah, yeah, Pittsburgh Hires Veterans for those in the Pittsburgh area. We work very closely with them through the Warriors to Work program. In fact, they were on my coffee morning this past Monday and shared some great opportunities with our warriors. And what we try to do is we try to work with those like organizations to maximize the horsepower to, you know, to support our veterans with disability in their job pursuits. But definitely Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, if you just Google them for the greater Pittsburgh area, I think you're going to find a great organization that is passionate about serving its area veterans. And they work with veterans from all eras, not just post-Vietnam.

Oh, that's great. Give us that quote again, Shawn. Give us that quote, your Ziegler quote.

Yeah. Success is when opportunity meets preparation.

Oh, that's so good. That is so good and so true. So true. Um, okay, I got my last question here. You've got so much enthusiasm and so much passion, so I have to ask you, who is your role model?

You know, I, uh You know, I got to say that my parents always, always supported me in any decision that I've ever made, that they thought that was a good decision for me anyway. And my wife is a wonderful support. I know she's listening to us in England today, actually. She's in York, England listening to us today. So I have to reach out and tell her I love her as well. I'd have to— sorry, Mom, but I'd have to say my dad. You know, growing up, you know, as sons and dads, you know, do, they can have their disagreements. We, you know, didn't always see eye to eye on every single topic, but I always respected my dad and I just— I love him dearly and my whole life, you know, to this day, thank God is still, still with me. You know, I just— I could be watching my dad and just find myself in awe just of his kind heart and willingness to help others. You know, whether it's, you know, helping the lady down the street, you know, plant a new tree in their front yard, or fix somebody's sink that's broken, or, you know, he'll go around collecting aluminum aluminum cans and giving it to the little guy down the street that's collecting aluminum cans just to encourage him in his pursuit. And it's just, you know, I think that, and honestly I guess I just have to say that I'm sure that part of the reason I choose to do what I do certainly stems from the example that he set for me and and my siblings, you know, the rest of my siblings, you know, during my, my whole life.

Well, uh, you are a great man, and that is a great compliment. By the way, my dad is 95, and he's a World War II veteran from the Navy. That's one of the reasons this is— yeah, thank you. That's one of the reasons this is all so important to me. Well, thank you Thank you so much, Sean, and anyone listening to this podcast, no matter where you are, make sure you share it with someone else. We end every show with a quote, and today that quote is, "In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it," said President Barack Obama. Obama. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters, at voiceamerica.com. Talk to you next week with my guest, Mick Malek, Senior Vice President, now President— was Senior Vice President, now President at Highmark and a great, great person. Don't miss that show. Talk to you next week.

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