Tag Archives: Paralyzed Veterans of America

Continued Support for Paralyzed Veterans

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During our 10th Annual Paralyzed Veterans Golf Open (PVGO) earlier this year, Agility partnered with the Stand Up and Play Foundation to donate two new Paragolfers to Andrews Airforce Base and Ft. Belvoir Army Base, with the intent of making them available to use by disabled veterans. The Paragolfer allows disabled veterans to stand up and play sports and engage in everyday activities. October 6th was a day to remember for Agility on our continuing journey of supporting paralyzed veterans. It was the official handover of the Stand Up and Play Paragolfer to Andrews Airforce Base Golf Course located at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

Caption: Mike Thomas, General Manager of Andrews AFB Golf Course with Anthony Netto, Founder of the Stand Up and Play Foundation

Caption: Anthony Netto, Founder of the Stand Up and Play Foundation poses for a photo with soldiers stationed at Andrews Airforce Base.

Anthony Netto, Founder of the Stand Up and Play Foundation, attended the event and engaged in a live demonstration of the Paragolfer, showcasing its features to veterans and golfers.

We are very proud of this partnership and very excited that this wonderful equipment will be available at the golf course to support any paralyzed or handicapped veteran who wants to play golf but did not have the means to engage in the sport.

-Dan

 

2014 Mission:ABLE Awards Dinner

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I attended the Paralyzed Veterans of America’s 2014 Mission: ABLE Awards Dinner and it was a very memorable event. The awards recognized some outstanding individuals and companies that truly go above and beyond in supporting paralyzed veterans. You can’t help but to be very moved by these heartwarming stories. Thank you PVA for a wonderful evening and for the work you do in support of these very deserving veterans.

– Dan 2014 Awards logo v4

A New Test of Service and Sacrifice

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Memorial Day allows us to recognize the tremendous sacrifice of the men and women of our armed forces, while also honoring their ongoing service to their communities. This year, the leadership of the philanthropic sector will inspire a renewed significance to this special day.

After nearly 13 years, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will have come to an end and nearly 2 million service men and women will have returned home. This stateside surge presents new opportunities to offer support to military families as they transition home. Faced with challenges in employment and access to physical and mental health treatment, but also offering unique leadership and skills, we must ensure our veterans have a successful return to civilian life.

As a reflection of our commitment to help meet these needs, Agility Defense & Government Services is taking the Philanthropy-Joining Forces Impact Pledge with more than 30 philanthropic organizations to make sure veterans and military families receive the long-term support they deserve. We are proud to be working in close partnership with the Joining Forces initiative led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and supported by groups from the nonprofit, philanthropic, and corporate sectors.

This effort includes a combined commitment of more than $170 million over the next five years to help create affordable housing, provide health and wellness services, support education and job training, prevent domestic violence, expand economic opportunities, and more.

Agility DGS is proud to host the annual Paralyzed Veterans Golf Open (PVGO) on June 9, 2014.  As the Founding Sponsor of the event, we underwrite all costs of the tournament, so 100% of contributions go directly to Operation PAVE (Paving Access for Veterans Employment). PAVE is Paralyzed Veterans of America’s program that provides free, one-on-one career assistance, benefits counseling and support to any veteran and assistance to employers committed to hiring veterans.

To date, the PVGO has raised $1.8 million for Operation PAVE and helped open new program centers in San Antonio, Augusta, Tampa and Chicago. This year’s proceeds will help fund the continuing expansion of the PAVE program.  The PAVE program expansion is strategically aligned and in collaboration with Department of Labor and the Veterans Administration to service veterans in multiple locations across the country.

For their commitment and selflessness, our veterans and military families deserve the best support. As Americans come together to recognize their great sacrifice this Memorial Day, I am honored to be a part of group of philanthropic leaders that are dedicated to ensuring our service men and women receive the long-term support they deserve.

– Dan

Agility DGS Efforts Help Veterans Move into Workforce

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This program is truly making a difference in the lives of some very deserving Veterans. This is not a hand out but a helping hand that is focused on getting great American jobs. I’m proud to be associated with such an effort. 

-Dan

​Rich Brooks, President, DGS Inc., with the President of PVA, Bill Lawson.

​Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) recently joined forces with Agility Defense & Government Services in Tampa, Florida to open a vocational rehabilitation center that helps disabled veterans attain job skills, training, education and other assistance that they need to find jobs and start careers.

The center was established at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa with funds raised by Agility DGS at its annual Paralyzed Veterans Golf Open. Agility DGS has raised more than $1.8 million over six years, funding vocational rehabilitation centers at veterans hospitals in San Antonio, Texas, and Augusta, Georgia.

Rich Brooks, president of Agility Defense & Government Services Inc., attended the opening of the Tampa center. “We owe a great debt to those who have served our country. We need to make sure they get every chance to find and thrive in productive, meaningful careers,” he said. “I’m confident that employers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and across Florida will step up and look to this center for help in hiring veterans. They understand the value veterans bring to the workplace.”

PVA is a non-profit organization established to empower and build brighter futures for injured U.S. veterans. PVA’s national vocational network includes seven centers at veterans hospitals around the United States. The centers work with veterans to understand their benefits options and identify the path to long-term employment.

Since 2007, 1500 veterans have received services through the program. More than 700 companies and organizations have committed to hiring clients from the program.

The Tampa opening was attended by officials from PVA, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, local congressional offices, the Florida governor’s office, the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Also attending were veterans who are currently receiving services and employment counseling at the Tampa center.

Terry Gerton, deputy assistant secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training Services at the U.S. Department of Labor, said: “It is incredibly important that we help our veterans not only get back into society, but also to help them find jobs in order to make a living and support their families. Veterans are the hardest-working employees employers can find.”

Florida is home to the United States’ third-largest veterans population and the third-largest number of disabled veterans. The state is expected to experience a large influx of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq as they resettle, retire, and move into the civilian workforce.