Veterans Services of the Carolinas Stories
Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Enrollee John Sides
John Sides is an Air Force Veteran who recently enrolled in the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) employment and training program in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. He is currently homeless and stays in a local shelter due to losing his job and transportation issues. Mr. Sides is a certified electrician and has been in the profession for over thirty years, so he came into the program ready to get on his feet and find employment quickly.
With his own determination and the help of VSC Case Manager Erin Kyle, Mr. Sides was able to land a new job making a salary above the living wage! The VSC program was also able to assist with paying for his auto insurance and gas cards so he could make it to his training and begin working at his new job. We celebrate with him and look forward to seeing how his life will continue to improve. VSC is ready to help with other service needs that he might have in the future.
— Lori Seger, VSC Marketing Mgr.
Navy Veteran Receives a Vehicle
At the beginning of this year, Navy Veteran Charlene Anderson was enrolled in the VSC employment program on the East Coast, but did not have reliable transportation. The VSC team operates a Veterans employment program in 12 different counties in Eastern NC. They work in tandem with other organizations, like NCWorks, to make sure that our Veterans are completely covered, no matter their needs. In January, VSC Employment Case Manager Charles Lee received a call from NCWorks DVOP (Disabled Veterans Outreach Program) Specialist Tim Baker. Tim extended an opportunity for a Veteran to receive a car that retired Navy Senior Chief Kevin Kesterson and his wife were generously donating. Charles Lee immediately put forth Navy Veteran Charlene Anderson's name for the car, as she had recently joined the employment program but was in need of more reliable transportation. Charlene was able to receive the car and is now able to travel freely around Wilmington, NC! Over the next several weeks, her case manager, Charles, will continue to work on her behalf to make sure she receives any additional job training or needed supplies that she might need in order for a livable wage job. Charlene is pictured here with Kevin Kesterson, as well as with Charles Lee and her new-to-her car!
Christmas Eve
Army Veteran, Tim Richardson, came to VSC homeless after he had been living in his truck for almost two months after losing his job. We were thankfully able to act quickly to temporarily house him in a hotel just a couple of days before Christmas with our Emergency Housing Assistance program, funded by the VA.
In the coming weeks our team will search for long-term, permanent housing for him. He has also been enrolled in our employment program, funded by the US Department of Labor, which will seek to help him gain job training and livable-wage employment for a sustainable future. Additionally, we were able to buy him food supplies through our VA housing program that will help ease financial stress while he gets started in our various programs!
Throughout the year of 2021, our VA housing program has been able to find long-term housing for 248 Veteran families in Western North Carolina and the Foothills/Piedmont. During the last grant year, our DOL employment program placed 136 Veterans in new jobs in 49 counties throughout North Carolina.
Pressing On In 2021
NC Serves Team
Between Christmas and the New Year, I normally take the time to review our organization’s newly developed strategic plan and really dive deep into the growth of our staff and leadership development in order to be a true servant leader. During this time I was reminded of all 2020 brought, the challenges and barriers we faced, and how we overcame this adversity to stay true to ourselves and to our mission. It became clear to me that we still live with so many blessings and so much to be thankful for both past, present and to the future.
In a recent memo to my entire team, I stated that we should be proud of our accomplishments for the many Veterans and families we directly impacted with all our programs across North Carolina. I also reminded them to be humbled to be a part of such a great team with passionate teammates, incredible community partners, serving our Nation’s best; all backboned by a first-class organization supported by over 300 churches and over 6,000 unique volunteers that continue to grow the kingdom of God.
In this memo I introduced our internal training campaign for 2021. This annual campaign supports the intensive training that improves performance, enhances work skills across all our programs, cultivates our culture and creates synergy around both individual and organizational growth. This year’s training campaign ‘Press On 2021’ is based on scripture Philippians 3:13-14. During Paul’s imprisonment for preaching the gospel he wrote to the church in Philippi and exhorts his readers to remain steadfast in their faith and to imitate the humility of Christ, who “emptied himself” and “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
As we all move into 2021, and as some of us have already felt some discouragement early on, I would like to encourage you all just as I have our team to take the time to read this passage in its entirety, and to apply this message to our daily lives and to the work that has been set before us. We should continue to ‘Press On’ with perseverance, dedication and faith, in order to serve. I am grateful for the blessings I have received and for the team I currently work alongside and will do as Paul instructed in his letters: ‘Press On and toward the mark of the high calling’ for we still have so many that need us to be strong for them and in doing so we will find strength that we as individuals, organizations and communities possess as a result.
—Brandon Wilson, Managing Director