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Veterans Service Organizations and The Media

Alex Mack and Mark Brenner at LA Metro Event
Alex Mack and Mark Brenner at LA Metro Event

For the past 30 months I have worked in the non-profit Veterans arena as Founder and CEO of Veterans Career Xchange (formerly Silhouettes for VETS). I have met numerous people and partnered with organizations that do an excellent job of working with Veterans and their families as they transition to civilian life. I have become part of many committees that assist those Veterans in need of civilian employment – we not only assist these Veterans but guide them toward a career.

In these 30 months I have watched and read as the Media all but trashes Veteran non-profits because of those few organizations that take advantage of our transitioning Veterans for their own financial gain – they have become the “man bites dog” lead headline for the media. Yet the real stories of Veteran Service Organizations are those of us who are making a difference – but still no recognition or media headlines!

Over the past year, there have been media reports about Veteran non-profits organizations spending up to 50% of the funds that are donated on their overhead which includes: parties, lavish organizational meeting, salaries, and other unnecessary cost that do not help our Veterans. Some of these organizations raised hundred of million of dollars only to see the donations used not for Veterans but for their own self gain. I have seen politicians tout the accomplishments of Veterans organizations only to find out that these organizations are not actually non-profits who are helping Veterans or in some cases are not even approved non-profit organizations!

Unfortunately these are the stories that make news! The few non-profit organizations that take advantage of transitioning Veterans have made all of us who are committed to seeing the unemployment rate for Veterans decrease, eliminate homelessness, and address the substance abuse and PTSD issues look like we are doing this to make money off of our donors.

Perhaps the Media should seek out those Veterans Organizations who are making a difference for our Veterans and who spend the majority of the funds raised to help Veterans.

To every media outlet that has reported on these few Veterans non-profits who take advantage of Veterans I ask you to take a deeper look! Those of us who are helping and assisting Veterans as they transition to the civilian workforce, who become homeless and have substance abuse or PTSD issues, are doing this work with limited funding and just a simple commitment to assist our returning heroes.

Veterans Career Xchange is an organization that is dedicated to educating, coaching and preparing Veterans for the civilian workforce. Our experience coupled with our commitment to putting a Veteran into a civilian career is unmatched when compared to other Veteran Service Organizations. In 30 months we have placed over 80% of the Veterans we have coached! We have been able to retain an astounding percentage of over 82% of those Veterans placed in career positions.

So to all the broadcast media, print media and Internet bloggers who have reported on those Veteran organizations who are taking advantage of our Veterans, I challenge you to take a look at Veteran non-profit organizations that are making a difference by working to decrease Veteran unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse or PTSD issues!

The Los Angeles Veterans Collaborative by USC (Center for Innovative Research for Veterans and military families) is an initiative that addresses Veterans issues – employment, housing, legal, faith based and substance abuse and PTSD. A scheduled monthly meeting discusses the issues and the solutions for transitioning Veterans with Veteran Service Organizations. It is time that recognition is given to initiatives that take pride in addressing the plight of our transitioning Veterans and the companies that make up the support for our transitioning Veterans, like Veterans Career Xchange.

Perhaps you, the media, could for once not just consider the headline – instead address the real story! Organizations like Veterans Career Xchange are making a difference by putting our transitioning Veterans to work in a civilian career! Please visit our Website at: www.vcxchange.org

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Listen to VCX Mark Brenner on LA Talk Radio

On June 22nd, CEO and Founder of VCX Mark Brenner was a guest Christina Silva’s Show on LA Talk Radio, the topic was “Educating Our Veterans”.

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Click to listen to the show here

Christina Silva — The career path is made more seamless with the Veterans Career XChange one-on-one coaching and ten step program implemented by Mark Brenner and the team of professional coaches at VCXchange.com.  Find out more about the ten key components necessary to find the right position and the commensurate salary as you transition out of military uniform into corporate professionalism.  Be encouraged by resume writing skills, networking strategies and an all new strategy of  improvisation role playing necessary to earn the interview. Understand the workforce and learn how to use social media to Get a Job!  Also maintain an active lifestyle, family time and Remember Everyone Deployed. Each week we remember each service member  in our sports entertainment segment entitled: “R.E.D. Balls” by CRS with co-host Larry “The Sand Man”. Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers historic NBA Finals Championship 2016. #BEESAFE

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…

I take great pride in announcing that Silhouettes for VETS is changing our name!

After many months of research and surveys with our Board of Directors and other Veteran organizations we have taken the first step in scaling our operations by changing our name to: VETERANS CAREER XCHANGE.

IS NOW…

During our first two years it has become evident that there were some issues with our previous Brand name – Silhouettes for VETS. It was obvious that it is just too hard to spell but more importantly we saw that the brand did not effectively communicate the essence of who we are and what our mission is. It became obvious that it did not communicate to Veterans the quality coaching and educating service the organization could provide to them.

We wanted to distinguish ourselves from other Veteran Service Organization and preclude words or expressions that have, in some circles, been overused! Words like Heroes or Warriors were disqualified. We also did not want our unique services to be confused with other organizations that are also doing great work. Veterans Career Xchange, first suggested by Alex Mack, Executive Director, was the one name that stood out.

Transitioning military personnel who have been familiar with the Post Exchange (PX) or the Base Exchange (BX) can now work with the great coaches of the Career Xchange (CX)!

We are not just working to put Veterans in jobs! We are coaching and preparing each Veteran for a career position in the civilian workforce.

To that end we have also changed the descriptor for our core program from “GET YOUR JOB” to, “Xchanging a Military Uniform for a Civilian Career”. Our unique and customized model of educating, coaching and preparing Veterans for the workforce remains the same. Our other Programs (Veterans Improv and our Woman’s Veteran Program – WANTED) remain the same.

General Ruth Wong (Ret) Director Military and Veterans Affairs – County of Los Angeles and Mark Brenner

We are excited about our new Branding and how it will reach and impact the Veteran community. Our Programs depend upon you – our supporters! Our analysis has revealed that our cost to put a Veteran to work is right around $1000.00. Just imagine what $1000.00 can do? A Veteran working at or above a living wage decreases homelessness, decreases the amount of assistance they receive from the Government, decreases the suicide rate among Veterans, increases the taxes for both the State and Federal government and stimulates our consumer based economy by injecting spendable dollars.

We are asking for your continued support by making a donation (donations start at $5.00). Just as the presidential candidates receive millions of dollars through small donations, imagine if the Veteran Career Xchange could received just $20.00 from 50,000 supporters? That would put over 1250 veterans to work generating over 60 million dollars of spendable income for the economy. Donations to the Veteran Career Xchange are crucial to the goal of expansion throughout the United States and would enable the Veteran Career Xchange to all but eliminate Veteran unemployment.

www.vcxchange.org/please-donate

Our mailing address and phone number will remain the same however our email and website will reflect our new name:

 

Veterans Career Xchange

www.vcxchange.org

 

Mark Brenner

mark@vcxchange.org

818-724-9022

 

Alex Mack

alex@vcxchange.org

818-860-0844

 

Thank you everyone for your support!

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2015 in Review…

It has been a while since my last Blog and I wanted to update all of our supporters about all the great work we accomplished in 2015.

We have completed two years of working with Veterans throughout Southern CA. In twenty-four months we have coached and prepared over 200 Veterans for the civilian workforce. Our placement percentage of the Veterans we have coached is over 80%! In 2015 we coached 140 Veterans and placed 114 Veterans into positions that are at or above a living wage with an average annual salary of close to $50,000.

The results have been rewarding and far above those of other Veteran Service Organization. Our percentage of placement coupled with a retention rate of Veterans in new positions for over 6 months has exceeded our goals. The work of our Executive Director, Alex Mack a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, our staff of Volunteers has allowed us to achieve our goals.

The Veterans we have worked with are working across all industries from aerospace, to entertainment to technology companies. Our 10-Component Program has shown that it works and we will continue to improve our process. Our Veteran Improv Program has been developed and we are undertaking a Pilot Program with the assistance of USC (CIR). Once completed, we are sure that this program will become an industry standard for interview preparation.

Over the course of 2015 we have added three key members to our Board of Directors. Sal Esparza, PhD and assistant Director of the Center of Health and Wellbeing for CSUN, Lisa Phalen a nationally recognized coach and motivational speaker and Mary Gomez, a senior executive and Human Resources expert. We welcome our new Members and are confident that together with the rest of our Board we can become the Premier Veterans coaching organization in the nation.

Due to other commitments two Board Members, Marvin Rapaport and Nancy Butler has decided to step down as Board Members. We wish them both well in their endeavors.

We are pleased to announce that we have received Grants from both The United Way and The MVAT Foundation. We have currently submitted 7 other Grants for consideration. Further we have received donations from over 100 individuals who have been generous and supportive.

And finally we are in the process of migrating to a new Brand… Silhouettes for VETS will be changing it name in the course of the next few weeks to “Veteran’s Career Xchange” – I am sure you all remember the Post Exchange (PX) or the Base Exchange (BX)? Well now every Veteran will have access to the Career Xchange (CX). I will be notifying everyone once the new name is official and the new Website in up and running. Of course we will soon have a new Facebook page and Twitter handle

For 2016 we have developed our goals and results that will further benefit and impact the Veteran unemployment rate. I will be sending out Blog each week to give you updates and our results.

Thank you all for your support. In order to impact today’s unemployed Veterans we still need your help. Based upon our analysis for every $1000.00 received in donations we can put a Veteran’s to work! Think about it. That a Veteran going to work for just $1000.00 decreases State and Federal assistance, adds dollars to the economy and improves to the health and well being our Veterans! Our donations start at $5.00 – please help us help our Veterans… www.vcxchange.org/please-donate

I will look forward to hearing your comments and receiving your donations.

Soccer and Fashion Play Ball
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Soccer and Fashion Play Ball

With the World Cup finally upon us, soccer seems to have made its way into just about every aspect of our daily lives.

For some, like stylist and editor in chief of German fashion magazineAchtung, Markus Ebner, that’s nothing new. For him, as for many fans of the game from around the world, soccer is part of life, whether it’s a World Cup year or not. Ebner is the founder of Sepp Football Fashion, a magazine that finds creative, visually compelling ways to pair fashion with soccer (and includes among its contributors Style.com editor in chief Dirk Standen, who has written an essay on the stylistic choices of football coaches). Here’s an exclusive look at issue No. 8 of Sepp, and our chat with Ebner about sport, style, and the most exciting thing about this year’s World Cup.

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INSIDE – Trailer

Toronto’s burgeoning independent gaming scene has dished out a number of unique releases over the past few years, but Queasy Games’ latest musical platformer for the PlayStation Network sets a new standard.

When Queasy Games’ Jonathan Mak first decided to team up with artist and co-developer Shaw-Han Liem in 2008, little did they know their collaboration would gradually evolve into a full-fledged video game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. Back then, Mak had just developed his successful Everyday Shooter project, while Liem was busy producing and performing electronic music under the name I Am Robot and Proud. The duo began working on an audio visualizer for use at live concerts and, with music as their common interest (and with the help of a government grant), they eventually developed the next big experience in Toronto indie gaming.

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The Queen of Scream
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The Queen of Scream

When Courtney Love calls you, you answer. We did exactly that recently, when Love—who’s been touring in Europe to promote her new scream-o-heavy, double A-sides, “You Know My Name” and “Wedding Day”—called us from her Nottingham hotel in the U.K. Our chat (which lasted for more than an hour) with the enthusiastic, focused, and seemingly very happy Love covered topics such as her getting back into acting; being Riccardo Tisci’s first muse; the hopeful Hole reunion; her absolute loathing of flower crowns; being Net-a-Porter’s number one client; why she ditched her “social media friend” Miley Cyrus’ recent party; and, of course, her cheese addiction. Above all, it seems, Love is set on a comeback. With her slew of forthcoming projects, the self-proclaimed “grande dame of rock” is looking to reclaim the throne.

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Special Picks for June
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Special Picks for June

And now that at the proper time and place, after so long and wide a preliminary cruise, Ahab,—all other whaling waters swept—seemed to have chased his foe into an ocean-fold, to slay him the more securely there; now, that he found himself hard by the very latitude and longitude where his tormenting wound had been inflicted; now that a vessel had been spoken which on the very day preceding had actually encountered Moby Dick;—and now that all his successive meetings with various ships contrastingly concurred to show the demoniac indifference with which the white whale tore his hunters, whether sinning or sinned against; now it was that there lurked a something in the old man’s eyes, which it was hardly sufferable for feeble souls to see. As the unsetting polar star, which through the livelong, arctic, six months’ night sustains its piercing, steady, central gaze; so Ahab’s purpose now fixedly gleamed down upon the constant midnight of the gloomy crew. It domineered above them so, that all their bodings, doubts, misgivings, fears, were fain to hide beneath their souls, and not sprout forth a single spear or leaf.

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Strawberries on the Table
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Strawberries on the Table

Asparagus season is basically over. Garlic scapes are pretty much done too, as are ramps and fiddleheads. But rhubarb is still going strong in the New York area, at least for a few more weeks, and I am determined to take advantage of it’s tangy deliciousness as much as I can while it’s still available in it’s freshest form.

The good people over at Good Eggs (my favorite deliverers of locally produced and farm fresh food) just recently shared a killer recipe for their own Rhubarb Toasts and I figured it was my duty to pass it along to you guys while you still have the chance to pick up some big red stems of rhubarb and make some for yourselves. I made it the other night for a little appetizer and it was delicious… the kind of thing one imagines people who live with Alice Waters or Gabrielle Hamilton probably eat all the time.

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