AmeriCorps: Veterans and Military Families—Employment and Volunteerism

Nominee: Community Blueprint, Points of Light, Veteran Leader Corps

As nearly 1 million service members transition out of the military and return home over the next four years, communities nationwide are asking how to help veterans and their families in a meaningful way. Although thousands of organizations across all sectors are engaged, too often these efforts are isolated. With the goal of facilitating a coordinated, collaborative approach to this need, Points of Light spearheaded the Community Blueprint— A scalable and adaptable framework comprised of tools, resources, and specific “Community Solutions”, bolstered by the support of the Community Blueprint Network—and—designed to help communities in their effort of supporting and engaging veterans and their families.

To further strengthen the impact of Blueprint “Communities”, Points of Light established the Veteran Leader Corps (VLC), a designated subset of State/National AmeriCorps members. With a unique peer-to-peer structure, the VLC program is designed to enlist veterans as local leaders and support outreach efforts to inform and engage exiting service members about programs that they can utilize to make their transition smoother. Serving as the “boots-on-the-ground” in Blueprint Communities dotted coast to coast, we are honored that veterans and military family members comprise the majority of VLC members. By offering opportunities both for and by members of the military community, the Community Blueprint combats chronic challenges of reintegrating service members. VLC members are charged with addressing two critical areas: job readiness (employment) and volunteerism.

In just six short months since the program launched, VLC members have provided 766 veterans with job readiness services and assistance, and engaged more than 7596 volunteers in civic engagement opportunities. It is the work of VLC members such as retired Chief Petty Officer Robert “Ski” Rotkosky, a former Navy SEAL who dedicate his professional career to protecting our way of life. After 20 years of faithful service to our country, he decided that his duty was not complete. He elected to continue his service and support his fellow sailors, marines, soldiers, airmen, and guardians by enlisting in the Veteran Leader Corps in Huntsville, AL. Ski’s work with Still Serving Veterans—a Blueprint Community—has contributed to the organization’s ability to add over 7.7 million dollars in new salaries, benefits, and services to the payroll for their community.

At Points of Light we recognize the extraordinary power of collaboration and coordination at the community level. We also appreciate the varied and refined talents of veterans and their families, and emphasize the innumerable ways in which they serve as assets to their communities. By melding the VLC program with the Community Blueprint, the impact of the initiative has been realized in 50+ communities across the country, as well as on the national stage. As the Community Blueprint continues to grow, our “boots-on-the-ground” continue to transform Community Solutions into Community Successes.