Posted on Feb 8, 2017
Volunteering eases veterans' transition to civilian life
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RP Members and Connections I don't disagree with volunteering, but how does that pay the bills for our military families that are transitioning?
Your thoughts and comments based on this research and article?
Veterans could better transition to civilian life by volunteering with civic service programs in their communities, Saint Louis University research suggests.
"When veterans compete their military service, they go through a transition like all of us, when we change jobs, move to a new town or retire. It is a transition that takes focus, deep reflection and new information to discover the next challenge they will pursue along their journey in life," said Monica Matthieu, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and assistant professor of social work at Saint Louis University.
"This study tells us that formal volunteering in a civic service program that engages the veterans in community service in their hometown is one option to aid in that transition. Some may call this a gap year, I call it a fulfillment year."
The research is the first peer-reviewed and published national study of civic service among U.S. military veterans. It examined how volunteering affected the health and social life of U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, then participated in a formal civic service program.
Civic service has accountability requirements, clearly defined goals and a stipend, making it more like a job than less structured forms of volunteering, such as helping out with child care or setting up for a church function.
Researchers evaluated the impact of The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit that deploys veterans on six-month volunteer service missions with community agencies. The organization was founded in St. Louis in 2007 by Eric Greitens, who stepped down as CEO in 2014 and now is Missouri's governor.
Your thoughts and comments based on this research and article?
Veterans could better transition to civilian life by volunteering with civic service programs in their communities, Saint Louis University research suggests.
"When veterans compete their military service, they go through a transition like all of us, when we change jobs, move to a new town or retire. It is a transition that takes focus, deep reflection and new information to discover the next challenge they will pursue along their journey in life," said Monica Matthieu, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and assistant professor of social work at Saint Louis University.
"This study tells us that formal volunteering in a civic service program that engages the veterans in community service in their hometown is one option to aid in that transition. Some may call this a gap year, I call it a fulfillment year."
The research is the first peer-reviewed and published national study of civic service among U.S. military veterans. It examined how volunteering affected the health and social life of U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, then participated in a formal civic service program.
Civic service has accountability requirements, clearly defined goals and a stipend, making it more like a job than less structured forms of volunteering, such as helping out with child care or setting up for a church function.
Researchers evaluated the impact of The Mission Continues, a national nonprofit that deploys veterans on six-month volunteer service missions with community agencies. The organization was founded in St. Louis in 2007 by Eric Greitens, who stepped down as CEO in 2014 and now is Missouri's governor.
Volunteering eases veterans' transition to civilian life
Posted from eurekalert.org
Transition
Volunteering
Community Service
What Would You Do
Income
Edited 7 y ago
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 27
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I think it pays dividends down the road. It's networking at it's best. Your giving when you haven't much to give, while at the same time making contacts with people that might know a family member or friend that has exactly what you need. You must have faith !
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs I like the idea of community service, but in context of what the article is about a bridge gap and transitioning to civilian life not so much. I am lucky as a full time Guard member- I serve the community on duty and off. When I hang up my boots for the last time in a few years, I plan on my "job" being devoted more towards the veteran, youth, and health/fitness related charities I am currently working in my spare time. As far as transitioning to a civilian career- you make connections, but people need to pay the bills and community service doesn't do that. Not disagreeing with the research, just hard to do if you have a family to take care of.
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SPC Douglas Bolton
Maj Marty Hogan I have found that volunteering has many rewards, most of the time. I volunteered at a local Boy and Girls Club as a resident counselor. Big rewards there. Coached many years as a volunteer. I volunteered for the Meals on Wheels Organization. Again very rewarding. This was while I was working full time.
Then I volunteered at the State Capital Building for the State of Oregon. It was somewhat rewarding, but I was a doorman. That is a person who watch over the crowds, and make sure they a OK. You can see the legislative floor below you. Al those Senators, and not much seemed to be getting done. That wasn't as rewarding as I would have liked. (Especially since it was a Democratic Senate.)
Then I volunteered at the State Capital Building for the State of Oregon. It was somewhat rewarding, but I was a doorman. That is a person who watch over the crowds, and make sure they a OK. You can see the legislative floor below you. Al those Senators, and not much seemed to be getting done. That wasn't as rewarding as I would have liked. (Especially since it was a Democratic Senate.)
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
When I was out of Service the 1st time, I was on a TDRL(Temp. Disab. Ret. List). I was pretty much set up to start school in a few weeks time.. Until then I kept busy.. we got slammed a few times with snow.. After clearing our drive, I rested and went up the street to a elderly couple's home.. They were in Fla. but I didn't know that then.. I cleared their drive and walk (one of the few older homes that had a walk up the center of their yard to the house).. cleared the back walk to back where g cans were. When I got done, a neighbor told me they were in Fla. Oh well, I stayed busy
next day I saw lights on in the house and I rang the door buzzer..
A younger man answered and told me he was their Grandson. A year or so younger Than I was.. he told me a neighbor told him that A young man four houses down cleared the drive and walk..!he said he was thankful, he had a prosthesis and it was kinda hard..
he said his folks would be home in a few days.. I said I hope it didn't snow again for a while... so we talked and had a few beers.. we said our g'byes and I went home.
It was worth the shoveling.. a few other neighbors were out doing their driveways. I seen a couple kids out doing a snow man .. I was glad to get in, those beers actually warmed me.. not as cold as the temp was.. Next day I seen an older man doing his drive on another block, I asked if he'd like a break and I shoveled the rest of his drive.. I met up with him later again at the V.F.W. We had a few drinks.. I told him my sitrep and I heard his .
He asked what I did in the AF, I told him I'm a Cook/Baker Supervisor, A SSGT.. he said I looked mighty young to be a SSGT.(I was 24 then) I worked at moving up not being stagnant. I asked him what he did in the Navy and he said he.been a baker.. I found he'd retired from the Navy with 26 years as a CPO.... we traded stories. I found his quite interesting.. He told me about when he'd used the Post's kitchen the past autumn and made some
Cakes and strudels for the Arts and Craft Sale and they got bought up real fast... the ladies were upset their items didn't get purchased as fast.. He just thought it wise to not say anything .. a year Later I was in the same-like Sitrep. He called his wife to pick us up .. I didn't have a car then yet.. Eventually I got involved in the Post's Bingo's and Hospital Visits.. I got a vehicle to go to go to school., from within the family. My parents thought I should give the bingoes a break and concentrate on being rested up for school. I had me an idea and made up some questions like we might have in our tests/quizes at school.. one of our players was a retired teacher, One Thursday eve I passed out questions and she caught me on a round the floor tour and she gave me the answer.. I got it of course.. she gave me the directions for making a ganache and that's what I answered her with.. On Fridays we didn't have school.. but I studied anyway. So after that, I'd give her some questions/answers and she'd do that twist.. giving me the answer and I gave back the answer.. well d'ya know how wherever you go and do s'thing somebody'll throw
S'thing in to screw up what you're doing, even if what you're doing has good intentions?.. an old gal a few
Seats down said we stole the Jeopardy game way of doing questions and answers and it was copyrighted.. and she was such a blabbermouth about it all.. I worked what I could.. I did get places to check out for jobs.. but at the time I thought I should concentrate more on school.. I didn't work every bingo. Maybe Sunday afternoon and Thursday eve. I managed to schedule my school with my volunteering.. the VA counselor asked how that worked for me.. I just told her it did.. but not that I had players asking me questions about my subjects.. My grades were right at the top in Culinary and the other foods related classes like Food Svc accounting. Business operations..
next day I saw lights on in the house and I rang the door buzzer..
A younger man answered and told me he was their Grandson. A year or so younger Than I was.. he told me a neighbor told him that A young man four houses down cleared the drive and walk..!he said he was thankful, he had a prosthesis and it was kinda hard..
he said his folks would be home in a few days.. I said I hope it didn't snow again for a while... so we talked and had a few beers.. we said our g'byes and I went home.
It was worth the shoveling.. a few other neighbors were out doing their driveways. I seen a couple kids out doing a snow man .. I was glad to get in, those beers actually warmed me.. not as cold as the temp was.. Next day I seen an older man doing his drive on another block, I asked if he'd like a break and I shoveled the rest of his drive.. I met up with him later again at the V.F.W. We had a few drinks.. I told him my sitrep and I heard his .
He asked what I did in the AF, I told him I'm a Cook/Baker Supervisor, A SSGT.. he said I looked mighty young to be a SSGT.(I was 24 then) I worked at moving up not being stagnant. I asked him what he did in the Navy and he said he.been a baker.. I found he'd retired from the Navy with 26 years as a CPO.... we traded stories. I found his quite interesting.. He told me about when he'd used the Post's kitchen the past autumn and made some
Cakes and strudels for the Arts and Craft Sale and they got bought up real fast... the ladies were upset their items didn't get purchased as fast.. He just thought it wise to not say anything .. a year Later I was in the same-like Sitrep. He called his wife to pick us up .. I didn't have a car then yet.. Eventually I got involved in the Post's Bingo's and Hospital Visits.. I got a vehicle to go to go to school., from within the family. My parents thought I should give the bingoes a break and concentrate on being rested up for school. I had me an idea and made up some questions like we might have in our tests/quizes at school.. one of our players was a retired teacher, One Thursday eve I passed out questions and she caught me on a round the floor tour and she gave me the answer.. I got it of course.. she gave me the directions for making a ganache and that's what I answered her with.. On Fridays we didn't have school.. but I studied anyway. So after that, I'd give her some questions/answers and she'd do that twist.. giving me the answer and I gave back the answer.. well d'ya know how wherever you go and do s'thing somebody'll throw
S'thing in to screw up what you're doing, even if what you're doing has good intentions?.. an old gal a few
Seats down said we stole the Jeopardy game way of doing questions and answers and it was copyrighted.. and she was such a blabbermouth about it all.. I worked what I could.. I did get places to check out for jobs.. but at the time I thought I should concentrate more on school.. I didn't work every bingo. Maybe Sunday afternoon and Thursday eve. I managed to schedule my school with my volunteering.. the VA counselor asked how that worked for me.. I just told her it did.. but not that I had players asking me questions about my subjects.. My grades were right at the top in Culinary and the other foods related classes like Food Svc accounting. Business operations..
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Agree, I volunteer when I am layed-off and looking for a job. Employers these days want to see you doing something other than sitting at home doing a job search and most employment specialists will tell you not to spend more than 40 hours a week looking for a job........the isolation and rejection you get can easily lead to depression. I helped the City where I live with it's History and in locating city specific Historical artifacts like the first plot of the City. It also shows that your self confident you will find another job instead of in full panic mode and desperate.
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