As a 30-year-old veteran with

a master’s degree,

prestigious internships under

her belt, and stellar grades,

Jennet Posey would seem to

have employers fighting for

the chance to hire her.

But Posey, who returned

from a stint in Iraq in 2004, is

underemployed and working

as a housekeeper at the

Jesse Brown VA Medical

Center in Chicago.

“It’s not good enough,” said

Posey of her experience. “I’m

so mad. I’m still just out here.

Young Female Veterans Find Jobs Elusive by Tanya Basu March 19, 2013

Female veterans also have

an increasing rate of poverty,

10 percent in the most recent

report, – an unprecedented

statistic. Celia Renteria

Szelwach, founder of the

Women Veterans Network in

North Carolina, thinks a

combination of

socioeconomic factors are to

blame.

“There’s a number of

reasons why women

veterans are unemployed or

underemployed,” she said,

pointing to transitioning from

military to civilian work,

health and education as

primary factors.

I’m so frustrated.”

It took Posey several

months to even land the

housekeeping job, which she

keeps so she can be

independent.

Returning veterans have

historically been plagued by

chronic unemployment and

underemployment. But for

women returning from the

latest conflicts in Iraq and

Afghanistan, the numbers

are astonishingly high--a

disconcerting fact

considering female veterans

are fast rising in numbers.

Seventeen percent of

female veterans are

unemployed, compared to 11

percent for their non-veteran

counterparts, according to

the National Center for

Veterans Analysis and

Statistics.

factors.

A troubling trend

For young female veterans

like Posey, the job search

can be excruciating, and

finding any job, let alone one

that matches professional

qualifications, is daunting.

“I don’t know what I have to

do,” said Posey, who has a

journalism degree from

Columbia College in Chicago

and a master’s from

Southern Illinois University in

Carbondale. “I mean, it pays

more than my unemployment

but it’s like, I don’t care about

that. It’s just so frustrating.

I’m at a loss.”

In fact, in 2009, female

veterans classified as “young

women veterans,” or those

between the ages of 17 and

24, were 50 percent more

likely to be unemployed than

their civilian counterparts,

according to the National

Center for Veterans Analysis

and Statistics.

Szelwach, a former captain

and paratrooper who served

in the U.S. Army from 1990-

1995, recently published an

Board of Directors

Nicole Smith Chairman-At-Large Vacant Vice-Chairman William Pittman, CPA Treasurer Loretta Scott Secretary Albert Braggs III Member Vicky L. DeShazier Member Dr. Shalanda Dexter Member Charita Pruitt Member Evonda Thomas-Smith Member

Advisory Committee

James Scott Chairman Vickie Coleman-Anderson Member Sherell Carr Member Cheryle T. Hamlet-Collins Member Jacquline Huckabee Member Shavon James Member Lisa Johnson Member Louise Phillips Member Loretta Scott Member Donald Smith Member Evonda Thomas-Smith Member Fundraiser Committee

Albert Braggs III Chairman Marsha Redmon Member

March/April 2013 The Advocator

Dedicated

Opportunity

Living and

Leaning forward

The Advocator Page 2 of 9

article exploring female

veteran unemployment

trends in rural areas.

Rural areas have been

particularly hit hard, said

Szelwach. Manufacturing

plants that would have

otherwise accepted workers

without a college degree

have shut down as the

country has transitioned to

being more service-oriented.

Female veterans seeking

jobs are also hampered by a

lack of a support system,

Young Female Veterans Find Jobs Elusive Cont.

said Szelwach.

“With this generation, there

is no emphasis on

developing networks outside

the military,” said Szelwach.

“Access to network and

people working in the

industry is absolutely

essential” for making the first

step towards connecting with

an employer for an interview.

There are also a multitude of

health issues affecting this

recent crop of veterans.

“Their first need is to get

themselves healthy. When

they are healthy, they can

get gainful employment,” said

Szelwach. Perhaps the

biggest obstacle female

veterans face in getting

employed is education.

Though grants are available

to provide funding for

education, female veterans

often

Publishers Credits:

The content of our news letter is developed and produced with the help of dedicated Volunteers. Loretta Scott Editor James Scott Photography Loretta Scott LeeAnn Summers Writers Loretta Scott LeeAnn Summers Layout & Design

must balance lost time with

childcare in their role as

primary caregiver.

“If you’re a young female

veteran who is a junior

enlisted soldier, you probably

haven’t had time to go to

school to get your degree,

“observed Szelwach.

“In the current marketplace,

many front end jobs require a

bachelor’s degree, putting

the female veteran at a

disadvantage.”

A generational

disconnect? Data suggests

that older female veterans,

particularly those who served

in the first Gulf War of the

1990s, don’t feel the direct

effects of unemployment as

much.

Persian Gulf War veteran

Michelle Malone believes the

economic issues facing

veterans is due to the

recession –not necessarily

discrimination.

“I think it has a lot to do with

the economy and what’s

going on in the world,” said

Malone. “If we weren’t going

through the economic

struggles we were going

through, it would have been

easier for a veteran to find a

job.”

Malone doesn’t think that a

stigma exists. In fact, she

thinks being a veteran

provides a leg up in the

selection process.

“If you have a veteran

looking for a job without a

mental or social issue and if

they had a bachelor’s degree

like a civilian, they have a

better chance [at getting a

job],” she said.

She may have a point.

According to the VA, 76

percent of female veterans

are employed, compared to

71 percent of non-veteran

women.

Employment rates would be

arguably higher when

considering that females

in general have higher rates of taking off from work to raise children, being disabled, and/or pursuing higher education. Not so for Evan Aviles, 29, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “I think the biggest [obstacle] was understanding, not discriminatory,” she said. “I think they didn’t know how to approach the topic or how to understand the work. It was difficult for them to understand what I did [in the military].”

Aviles, who worked on Army training manuals initially sought work in an administrative capacity but found some initial hurdles. “No matter how much schooling we did and how much education we got, it was really difficult for us to get out. The stigma that there is of being veterans, especially in the last generation of veterans – it’s prevented people from seeing beyond that.”

About Our Organization…

The mission of DOLL, Inc. (a

not- for-profit 501 (c)3) and

The Smith Residences is to

provide transitional and

permanent housing for

women veterans whose

livelihood has been adversely

and severely impacted due to

homelessness, loss of

employment, marital status,

PTSD, or abuse.

The Advocator seeks to

support DOLL, Inc.’s mission

to assist the Veterans by

promoting underserved

women awareness of our

programs and services, and

by providing both housing

and social service assistance

to the women who have

served our Country.

The AdvocatorPage 3 of 9

Operation Iraqi Freedom

veteran Jennet Posey is

part of a growing

population of female

veterans who can't find a

job that matches her

skills.

Help Social programs are available to help female veterans transitioning from military status to civilian life.

“Grants determine the

amount of support [veterans]

receive,” said Malone. “We

have a homeless veterans

reintegration program and

some assist with employment

and resume building. If they’re

lacking essential computer

and interviewing skills, we

provide that for all veterans.”

But Szelwach believes

Young Female Veterans Find Jobs Elusive Cont.

On March 17, 2013 Doll, Inc.held it’s Annual Salute of Excellence Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Dynasty Banquets in Hammond, IN. and on March 30, 2013 an Easter Egg Hunt was given for the children in Ford Heights, IL. Doll, Inc. would like to thank all those who attended the event and those who showed their support by sponsoring an Ad in the program booklet. We especially want to Thank our Board Members, Committee Members, Volunteers, Vendors, Family and Friends for all their commitment and effort in making this event a success. We are looking forward to next years’ event. To see more pictures visit our web site thesmithresidences.com

employers should do more.

“Employers have a

responsibility to look at some

of these jobs and see

whether this person really

needs to have a bachelor’s

degree to perform effectively

in this position,” said

Szelwach. “Can someone

who has been performing

very effectively in the military

and under a lot of stress for

their country – can they

perform this role?”

Posey will keep working as a

housekeeper while she

continues her job search.

“I’m not saying ‘Give me the

job,’” she said. “If you meet

the minimum qualifications,

you should at least be

granted an interview to have

a shot at it.”

Employment out of

unemployment

Female veterans are

getting creative while

unemployment.

Jennet Posey filmed a

half-hour documentary

on the plight of young

female veterans called

“Through Her Eyes”

that has garnered

attention to the issue. It

is available at

https://vimeo.com/5337

5992 (viewer

discretion is

advised).

©2001 - 2013 Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University. A publication of the Medill School.

3rd Annual Salute of Excellence Fashion Show

The Advocator Page 4 of 9

The AdvocatorPage 5 of 9

Easter Egg Hunt March 30, 2013

Page 6 of 9 The Advocator

Redeveloping the Celina Blake Housing development in Ford Heights Illinois which has been vacant for approximately 2.5 years to house homeless women Veterans and their children, is in the process of being deeded to DOLL, Inc. in June 2013. The Mission of The Smith Residences Veterans Village (The Village) is to provide a peaceful, supportive, transitional, home environment for homeless women Veterans suffering and recovering from Post-Traumatic stress Disorder and drug and substance abuse through our two year transitional housing and case management program, which includes early childhood development services and support for the children of our women Veterans.

We seek to offer what we call holistic services to our Veterans as a person has many areas of need which can be addressed either directly by DOLL, Inc. or via indirect services by our partner organizations. There are also opportunities to facilitate economic development by working with the Mayor to bring various companies to the area such as Aldi’s, Walgreens, and the 3G Corporation which is the parent company for entities such as Burger King. We have an agreement with Ford Motor Co. to employ qualified workers and seek to establish similar agreements/relationships with other employers in the area.

5917 South Princeton, Chicago, IL. Before and after photo. This building has two (2), three bedroom apartments. Looking for one veteran family that needs a three bedroom apartment. Please join with us to solidify the completion of this project.

Project Rehab: Chicago

2013 Vision for veteran village – Ford Heights

After Before

Easter Egg Hunt Volunteers: Evonda Smith George Carr-Easter Bunny Sherrell Carr Nicole Smith and Family HACC Staff Sister Stacie Atkins - Umoja Chapter Sons of Solomon #968: Bro. Ronald Collins Bro. Norvell Ingram Bro. Benson Rodney Bro. Rick Williams Bro. Donald Smith Bro. Jessie Harris Bro. James Moore

The AdvocatorPage 7 of 9

We will be in need of the following:

Volunteers

Skilled Craftsmen

Working Materials

New Furniture

New Appliances

Office Equipment

Office Furniture

The Village will also have positions available for Village and Ford Heights residents.

Proposed Services: • Permanent/transitional housing

• On Site Support Groups

• Resident Council

• Case Management

• Coaching and mentoring

• Early Childhood Center

• Healthcare (mental, emotional, and physical)

• Job Placement Assistance

• Tutoring for ACT prep

• Educational & Vocational

• Counseling

• Employment Training

Although the Veterans Village will not be directly managed by HACC we will still seek to facilitate some of the same goals and as such will continue to work with HACC to accomplish those goals. This includes but is not limited to providing employment opportunities to local residents especially those that typically have no to limited access to such opportunities. Housing authority and Ford Heights residents in general will be able to make use of supplemental services such as the Career Services department and any career fairs hosted by DOLL, Inc. We operate under the philosophy ‘I am because we are’. In light of this philosophy we seek to provide services to those in need whenever possible because when you do better we do better.

Operations:

• We plan to launch full operations within 12 to 18 months approximately November of 2014.

• Staffed by experienced in various areas including but not limited to the following; property management, program design, implementation, and evaluation, Certified Public Accountant, business and management consultation, fund management, nonprofit administration, and Veteran services.

Funding:

We have identified nearly 100 potential sources of funding of which no individual source will fund 100% of the project. Sources of funds include; grants, individual and foundation donors, fundraising, and loans. DOLL, Inc. is a registered, State of Illinois, Tax Exempt. 501(c) 3 Not-for-Profit Incorporation. As such, your donation will be tax-deductible, and we will list you among our charitable donors in our Annual Report. Thank you, in advance, for your support and consideration to help make DOLL, Inc. and its programs and operational strategies a success. Any amount that you can give will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your support.

Page 8 of 9 The Advocator

Upcoming Events

ETA Theater Outing June 15, 2013

Golf Outing September 2013

Bowling Outing November 2013

DOLL, INC

2040 Fairview Ln. South Holland IL

60473-3781

PHONE: (708) 822-3370

FAX: (708) 889-1819

E-MAIL:

dollsmith@thesmithresidences.com

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thesmithresidences.com Facebook and Twitter

We need your DONATIONS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT