Easier job access for veterans

While the country is climbing out of recession, there are a disproportionate number of military veterans still looking for jobs. HVAF has partnered with GTECH Indiana to give formally homeless veterans new and powerful tools as they seek new jobs and opportunities to return to self-sufficiency.

GTECH Indiana, in partnership with the Hoosier Lottery and Microsoft, will cut the ribbon for the second GTECH Indiana Computer Lab at an HVAF property on February 25 at the Donald W. Moreau, Sr., Veterans House where 39 veterans call home.

The Technology Lab will benefit veterans and their families by providing them a means to conduct job searches, apply for employment online, complete online courses, and contact the Veterans Hospital and Veterans Administration sites for assistance.

Tyrone F.

The new technology lab will help veterans like 51-year-old Tyrone F., a 6-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves who came to HVAF in February of 2013 with an addiction to alcohol but a willingness to beat homelessness. Access to the first GTECH lab at HVAF helped Tyrone recently secure a job with the Westin Hotel Indianapolis.

“I used the computer lab for a number of different reasons in addition to job search,” says Tyrone, who was hired as a security officer. “I have my renewed my license, birth certificate, and completed the online process to receive my high school diploma. And I was able to create a new email account to get in touch with employees, use a flash drive and update my resume.”

“I was able to tap into so much having easier access to the Internet and it’s also helped me stay focused on my sobriety,” Tyrone says.

GTECH Indiana, in partnership with the Hoosier Lottery, launched its first GTECH Indiana Technology Lab at HVAF in August 2013.

For more information on the ribbon cutting, please RSVP to Debra Des Vignes, VP of marketing and communications at 317-333-8976 or ddesvignes@hvaf.org.

Lab to provide critical resources to help America’s heroes find jobs

GTECH Indiana donated a computer lab – the first of its kind donated by the company in the nation – to HVAF of Indiana, a United Way nonprofit which focuses on improving the lives of homeless Hoosier veterans and their families. The lab, which cost $15,000, includes eight Dell desktop computers, a Dell SonicWALL, an all-in-one printer and software from Microsoft.

Charles Haenlein, HVAF's president, said the ability to access that lab will serve as “one more lifeline” for veterans like Mark Williams, a 53-year-old Marine Corps veteran who is continuing his education at Ivy Tech Community College. “In many cases it will mean an outlet for continued education, applying for veterans benefits, communications and connecting with friends and relatives,” says Haenlein.

54-year-old Army and Marine Corps veteran Mark W. addressed the group and said the computer lab is more convenient than waiting in line at the library.

“This computer lab could not have come at a better time,” says Mark. “Anymore, you have to use a computer for just about everything we do to transition back into a normal life."

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard – who is a Marine Corps veteran – said the lab will provide “critical resources to help America’s heroes find jobs.”

And Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson said she couldn’t “think of a better way to thank our veterans” for “heroic service to our state and country” than helping them “apply for jobs, search for housing and gain additional education.”

Special thanks to Bill Moreau and Bob Grand of Barnes & Thornburg LLP. 


Media coverage included Indy Star, WTHR, WISH-TV, The Statehouse File and NPR. View the stories at the links below.