DNR to host employment seminar for military veterans

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hosting a veteran employment seminar Jan. 3 in St. Paul. Many veterans want to work in a natural resources environment, and many military skills translate into DNR positions.

“If you’ve served in the military, you probably have a lot of experience in many of our professional areas,” said Don Matthys, DNR management resources regional supervisor and U.S. Army retired.

At the seminar veterans will have the opportunity to talk to DNR staff who work in the areas of logistics, fisheries and wildlife, informational technology, GIS and mapping, forestry, operations, communications, safety, real estate forestry, enforcement, human resources, engineering and landscape architecture and more. It’s a chance to find out from those who work it every day what the different job responsibilities include, education requirements, and how military work experience translates.

Human resources staff will provide information on how to apply for DNR jobs, set up job searches, and receive job posting notifications.

Veterans will also be on hand to answer questions about how to successfully juggle military – civilian commitments. Information on DNR veteran support resources will also be available.

“I can’t imagine a more military friendly employer,” said John Peterson, DNR emergency planner and currently serving with the 2-135th Infantry MN National Guard. “The DNR has always been incredibly supportive of my service in the National Guard.”

This event is free and will be at the DNR Headquarters, 500 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55101. Space is limited so, registration is required. Register for a time slot between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/dnrvets2018

Veterans will receive a welcome packet with additional information when registration is confirmed.

The DNR is Yellow Ribbon Company – a veteran friendly employer.

MACV to Hold StandDown Aug 1-2

Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) will be holding the 25th annual Metro Area Veterans’ StandDown August 1 – 2, at the Boy Scout Base Camp at Fort Snelling. Free, on-site assistance for homeless and underserved Veterans will include VA medical clinic, housing services, legal assistance (including court, federal and state tax assistance), hot meals, clothing, VA benefit information, employment assistance, mental health resources, DMV, haircuts, public benefits information, and more. There will be a free shuttle to and from the Fort Snelling Light Rail Station. Shuttles will also be picking up Veterans from local shelters.

Sen. Franken Seeks Entrants to Poetry Contest for Minnesota Students

ST. PAUL, MN [03/9/17]—In recognition of the Month of the Military Child and National Poetry Month in April, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced that he is hosting his sixth annual poetry contest for Minnesota students. The theme of this year's contest is "Celebrating the Veteran in My Life."

“There are thousands of students all across Minnesota who have seen or experienced the sacrifices veterans and their families have made for our country,” Sen. Franken said. “Some of them are children of current service members, while others know men and women who have served. This poetry contest will allow students to honor those veterans and to put into their own words what those sacrifices have meant to them.”

The contest is open to all students in Minnesota grades K-12, with three age categories: Kindergarten to 5th grade; 6th to 8th grades; and 9th to 12th grades.  Students can celebrate any veteran or active military member, including a relative, family friend, or neighbor who has had a positive impact on their lives.

Winners will be chosen in each age category. Those selected will receive an invitation to attend a reception at Sen. Franken’s St. Paul office. Guests include Sen. Franken; and honorary judges; Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen; Minnesota National Guard Major General Rick Nash; Minnesota National Guard Brigadier General Sandra Best, and Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius.

Top winning poems in each category will be framed and displayed in Sen. Franken’s offices in St. Paul or Washington, D.C. The overall winner in each age group will receive an autographed book by famed Minnesota author Garrison Keillor.

If you or someone you know wishes to participate in Sen. Franken’s poetry contest, please submit a poem by April 21, 2017 to poetry@franken.senate.gov or by mail to:

                                                            Office of Sen. Al Franken

                                                            c/o ‘Poetry Contest’

                                                            60 Plato Boulevard East, Suite 220

                                                            St. Paul, MN 55107

Participants may submit only one poem, no longer than 250 words. Each entry must include the name of the child, the parent/guardian’s name, a phone number, and the name of the child’s school. Please clearly indicate the participant’s age category.

BBB Offers New Resource to Veterans, Service members

Burnsville, MN – November 10, 2014 – As part of their outreach to the military community, Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota’s local Military Line (BBB) program has partnered with the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance to create a specially-designed tri-fold handout containing tips on scams targeting service members and their families, as well as a list of community resources they can turn to when they have questions, concerns or need assistance.

The handout, which will first be distributed at a MACV StandDown event in Mankato on Wednesday, November 12 – and then made widely available to the military community - is designed in muted colors, to be user-friendly for veterans suffering from symptoms due to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Reports indicate that up to 20 percent of returning veterans exhibit symptoms of having sustained traumatic brain injuries. People suffering from these symptoms find brighter colors and densely-worded materials off-putting and have difficulty processing information formatted in standard fashion.

“This information is important to all service members and veterans, and when we designed this handout, we did so in such a way that it would be accessible to all,” said Lisa Jemtrud, Director of BBB’s Institute for Marketplace Ethics. “Our goal is to reach and help protect everyone, but especially those that need our help most.”

BBB’s new handout for veterans and servicemembers, as well as their families and caregivers, includes:

·         Tips on scams targeting military personnel and their families – and how to avoid them

·         An index of resources available to veterans

·         Information on payday loans and pension scams

·         A list of Do’s and Don’ts designed to protect personal information and help ensure financial security

For more than two years, BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota staff has made presentations at more than 100 events, reaching 10,000-plus people through workshops and military expos. BBB regularly provides information regarding employment scams at job fairs, offers resources to struggling veterans at StandDown events, conducts workshops on buying a car to veterans transitioning from various support programs and educates service members and their families on how to be smart consumers in today's fast-paced economy.