(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that Partners in Careers, in Vancouver,
WA, has been awarded $173,280 from the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL)
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. This investment will help the group
launch their new Veteran Women Program (VWP)-Homeward Bound to expand their
services to homeless men and women veterans with children. Murray had
written a letter to the DOL supporting Partners in Careers’ grant application
Yesterday, Senator Murray fought to pass her bill to provide
services and support to homeless women veterans in Washington state and across
the country, but was
blocked on the Senate floor by Senate Republicans.
“I
am so glad that Partners in Careers will be receiving this federal investment
to help local homeless veterans get the support they need to stay off the
streets and get their lives back on track,” said Senator Patty Murray.
“I am fighting to help homeless veterans in Washington state and across the
country because I believe that it’s up to us to make sure that the veterans who
have sacrificed so much for all of us get the services and support they have earned
when they come home. I was deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans blocked
my bill yesterday, but I am not going to stop fighting for veterans in
Vancouver and across Washington state.”
Read
more about Senator Murray’s Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with
Children Act
“We
will be hitting the road this summer with our Homeward Bound traveling office
in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. We will be connecting with homeless
veterans and their families providing assistance with housing, childcare and
employment services,”
said Pam Brokaw, Executive Director of Partners in Careers. “This
program will employ veterans in our program assisting with outreach. Veterans
will be teamed up with our program coordinator Emily Stoutsenberger, a US Navy
veteran. “
Said
Stoutsenberger,
“This is all about vets helping vets. I am looking forward to joining with
my fellow veterans in reaching out to homeless veterans and their families.
This grant will significantly expand the program to provide additional
resources to our veterans and their families,”
The VWP piloted their ground-breaking program on December of 2009
to specifically address the needs of our underserved women veterans. PIC would
like to further increase the program’s capacity to meet the growing needs of
homeless veterans with children and to connect them with employment
opportunities, transitional housing and quality childcare. PIC plans to
launch the Homeward Bound program in the Southwest Washington area.
VWP’s Homeward Bound program aims to build a diverse base
of partnerships, and to capitalize on existing veteran outreach efforts
addressing mental health, childcare, housing and other basic needs. In
addition, collaborative efforts will be made with local businesses to make
employment placement for homeless veterans a priority.
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