Issue 4 | March 2018

VCC Maricopa County/Phoenix Update

To our VCC Resource Members: We had a full quarter of connecting veterans, military, and spouses to community members who have the knowledge and expertise they were looking for. Each day we get new requests. If you haven't been contacted yet, we still value your willingness to be a part of our resource database and ask you to hang tight as we could use your knowledge/expertise at any point. In the past few days our requests have included: Career development in training/development, human resource management, and engineering Advice for getting a degree in accounting Volunteerism with veterans and animals Home and car repair If there have been any changes to your contact information since signing up, please let us know by emailing maricopa@vetscommunityconnections.org.

VCC and #ProjectGiveGood Starbucks recognized VCC Program Manager, Ganay Metoyer, and Blue Star Families' (BSF) Lauren Pierce, for all they do for the veteran and military community in Maricopa County. Through Starbucks' Project Give Good initiative, VCC and BSF were nominated by the Dysart & Camelback store to help Starbucks in their mission of spreading holiday cheer by giving away $1 million in Starbucks gift cards. As an extension of the Starbucks Give Good award, VCC held its first Community Coffee Hour on February 13th, where we recognized seven community members for their assistance and support in the veteran and military community. VCC will continue hosting Community Coffee Hour events around the Valley as a way to recognize those who make a difference in the community, and also to connect more veterans to these resources.

WWP's Warrior Family BBQ On February 18th, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) held its Family BBQ event at North Mountain Park in Phoenix. Veteran and military families ate BBQ and enjoyed music, games (VCC hosted the 3-legged race), and a chance to learn more about the partner organizations that participated. VCC had the opportunity to engage with the warriors and share about how VCC could be a resource for their families.

VCC's Careers in the Community Initiative

VCC Maricopa County is excited to launch its new "Careers in the Community" (CitC) initiative in April. The goal of this program is to introduce military/veterans/spouses to career tracks they have an interest in pursuing by offering small group tours of local organizations. Tours include discussions with personnel and HR managers. The CitC initiative is part of VCC's commitment to facilitate military/veteran/community interaction in the Valley of the Sun. The first CitC host is Vantage Mobility International ( VMI), one of the largest manufacturers of wheelchair van conversions and a pioneer in the mobility vehicle industry. If you are a veteran, military, or spouse who is interested in learning more about VMI or the manufacturing industry, call 602-324-2817 or email Ganay@VCCPhoenix.org. For more information about how you can be involved in an upcoming CitC event, click here.

JOIN US: VCC and Blue Star Families are partnering for Coffee Chats at Starbucks in Litchfield Park (5104 North Dysart Road #400). Want to talk about community resources that will meet your needs? Come and join us the 2nd Wednesday of each month between 6AM and 9AM for coffee and a chat.

‌ ‌

Visit our website