Mt. Adams Institute staff members Brendan Norman, Aaron Stanton, Katie Schmidt, Jimmy Pardo, and Laura Linn receive Forest Service Award from David Wickwire of the U.S. Forest Service and Smokey the Bear. (Submitted photo)
Mt. Adams Institute staff members Brendan Norman, Aaron Stanton, Katie Schmidt, Jimmy Pardo, and Laura Linn receive Forest Service Award from David Wickwire of the U.S. Forest Service and Smokey the Bear. (Submitted photo)
The Mt. Adams Institute based in Trout Lake was recently recognized as the 2015 Forest Service Volunteers & Service Citizen Stewardship & Partnership Award winner for its innovative VetsWork program.
In correspondence from the Chief of the Forest Service, Thomas Tidwell, Mt. Adams Institute was recognized for, “. . . the career development and transition programs for returning veterans offered by the Mt. Adams Institute are changing people’s lives and making a difference for the Forest Service. Supporting veterans as they prepare to re-enter the civilian workforce is important. We (Forest Service) are particularly pleased to have been able to employ many of the veterans engaged through your program as Forest Service Employees. By working together, we are providing pathways for veterans to do outdoors work which is rejuvenating and healing, and for careers with the Forest Service.”
Mt. Adams Institute developed the VetsWork program in 2014 to support the needs of both veterans and public lands agencies. Participants spend 45 weeks in an internship with agencies like the Forest Service where they learn new skills, gain knowledge and build a professional network that supports them as they seek employment opportunities.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that over 50% of participants are offered jobs upon completion of the program.
Such positive results have allowed the program to grow in scale across the country. Originally intended to serve veterans in Oregon and Washington, VetsWork currently operates in eleven states.
Program Director, Aaron Stanton, explains “the program came about at just the right time. Many of our veterans are struggling to find meaningful work that meshes with their service ethic and our public lands are in critical need of additional support. It’s a perfect match.”
The Mt. Adams Institute is able to operate the VetsWork program through the substantial support of AmeriCorps, a national program that engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at more than 21,000 locations across the country.
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