Ford Graduates Women Military Veterans from Intensive Workshop to Help Ease Transition Back to Civilian Life!
The Graduating Class of Ford “Freedom’s Sisters REBOOT”
PHOTO CREDIT: Louis “Kengi” Carr
LOS ANGELES –Ford Motor Company in collaboration with the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. graduates on a three-week workshop designed specifically to address the issues women veterans face as a growing number of them are returning to civilian life and a possibly uncertain future.
The Freedom’s Sisters REBOOT Workshop ran from March 9-27 on the campus of National University here. Up to 25 women veterans were able to attend free classes five days a week that focus on employment and career, personal well-being, achieving goals. Also included is a personal makeover session to re-establish their personal style after a career in military uniform.
As a group compared to men, women veterans are less likely to be married, and are more likely to be single parents and unemployed. In addition to higher rates of homelessness, they also often face gaps in medical care for women’s health issues as they enter a veterans system geared toward treating males. These issues are expected to grow as the number of women veterans increases. Women are expected to comprise 11 percent of the veteran population by 2020, up from 9 percent now.
“These brave women have served and sacrificed to defend our freedom, and yet there are few programs that address their unique needs as they return to the home front and to their families,” said Pamela Alexander, director of Community Development, Ford Motor Company Fund. “It’s another opportunity to say thank you, while also helping them make a successful transition.”
As Women’s History Month gets underway in March, Ford is providing support for the workshop in conjunction with the National Veterans Transition Services, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting veterans in adjusting to civilian life. The group has been running REBOOT workshops for all veterans since 2010.
“We designed this program to meet the unique needs of women, and the training builds upon the participants’ military training, skills and experience,” said Maurice Wilson, co-founder, REBOOT Workshop and retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer. “The workshop addresses the professional, social and personal aspects of life, along with connections to community resources that could also be of help.”
Freedom’s Sisters REBOOT Workshop takes its name from Ford’s earlier support of the Freedom Sister’s traveling exhibition, which celebrated the life of women civil rights pioneers, as well as present-day women who are making a difference in their communities. Several current members of the Freedom Sisters from the Los Angeles area will serve as mentors for the women’s’ REBOOT workshop in Los Angeles.
Women veterans and the wives of combat veterans can learn more by visiting www.nvtsi.org/women-veteransspouses.
Ford’s support of military veterans dates back more than 90 years, when Henry Ford organized a cross-country caravan of 50 Model T Fords to take disabled veterans to the 1922 national convention of the Disabled American Veterans in San Francisco. Since 1974, Ford and Ford Fund have provided more than $8 million to veterans’ organizations. Today, Ford employs more than 7,000 veterans plus hundreds of active military personnel, reservists and guardsmen.
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About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. The Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 60 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 25,000 Ford employees and retirees each year work on projects that better their communities in 30 countries. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 187,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
About National Veterans Transition Services, Inc.
National Veterans Transition Services Inc. (NVTSI) is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves veterans making the significant transition from military to civilian life. We advocate, inform, and provide comprehensive transition services for veterans, with a focus on recently separated service members (RSS), veterans and service members within 12 months of anticipated separation. For more information, visit: www.nvtsi.org
About REBOOT Workshops
REBOOT Workshops is a free three-week intensive military-to-civilian transition workshop that provides extensive training focused on three areas: Personal Transition, Lifestyle Transition & Career Transition. REBOOT addresses the personal and social aspects of transitioning to civilian life by using research-based, outcome-driven methods drawn from best practices in career planning and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Workshop training is supplemented with extended follow-up that enhances career opportunities, promotes social networking, and leverages peer support. REBOOT is available to military active duty, veterans of all wars, and spouses.
