Dozens of Vets Seek Employment At Sanders' Job & Resource Fair

State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village) held a successful Veterans Job & Resource Fair on Thursday, October 15, at the Rosedale American Legion. Dozens of veterans, representing nearly every branch of the military, packed the hall seeking job opportunities and other assistance. There were about 30 different organizations on hand to help with their needs.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spoke about health care, housing and after life benefits, while those from Vet Center explained the organization's re-adjustment counselling services. The NYS Comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds helped veterans conduct on-the-spot searches for money they may have had awaiting them, and AMVETS, a veterans advocacy group, offered free memberships. 

A wide array of job opportunities were also available. Roto-Rooter sought to hire licensed plumbers, while representatives from agencies like the NYC Board of Elections wanted to train and hire poll workers. 

Senator Sanders, who is a Marine Corps veteran, shared stories of his experiences in the military, and called upon veterans to support each other and join organizations like the American Legion and AMVETS, so they could look to their fellow service members for support and understanding. 

"My friends, we are gathered here because we need to take care of ourselves," Sanders said.  "If you are looking for this society to do right by you - forget about it. We need to do for ourselves, and with ourselves. We need to work with our organizations. If you are a young veteran, one of the first things you need to do is get connected. Don't try to deal with the system on your own." 

Senator Sanders' Veterans Job & Resource Fair event is the beginning of what will be continued outreach by his office to the veteran community. 

Featured guests at the event included: AMVETS, NYC Board of Elections, Calverton National Cemetery, Cambridge Business Institute, CVS, Farmers Insurance, FDNY, Helmets to Hardhats, Home Depot, House-A-Soldier, Jericho Project, Iron Mountain, Lynn's Creations, MTA, New York Legal Assistance Group, NYC Business Solutions, NYS Comptroller's Office of Unclaimed Funds, NYC Mayor's Office of Veteran's Affairs, Primerica, PSEG Long Island, Queens Borough President's Office, Queens College, Richmond Hill Army Recruitment Center, Rosedale American Legion, Roto-Rooter, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Miracle Center, Veterans-In-Command, Vet Center, Vets Inc. and Vivint Solar.

Special thanks to our co-sponsors City Council Member Donovan Richards and Vets Inc. We would also like to express our gratitude to Commander Lee Blackmon of the Rosedale American Legion.