NonProfit NewsPod: Veterans Job & Resource Fair Coming to Elk Grove March 13

Jeff Holden: [00:00:00] Welcome to this nonprofit podcast News pod where we amplify the voices of nonprofit leaders making a difference in their communities. I'm joined by Luisa Varella, director of Operations, and Tim Swaney, president of Veterans Entrepreneur Tribe of Sacramento. This is a relatively new organization, and when I heard what you guys were doing next month for our vets, I just had to be sure to do what we could do to help you get your event shared with our audience, Tim, give us a quick overview of the organization if you would.

Tim Swaney: Well, first, thank you for having me on. When Luisa mentioned you, I was super excited and super excited to talk about vets, so vets. And it at its core, it stands for the Veteran Entrepreneur Tribe in Sacramento, and it's where community is built by Veterans for Veterans. And [00:01:00] our focus is to help military connected founders take what they've learned in service and turn it into real sustainable businesses.

This means education, mentorship, networking, but more important we access to resources that actually move the needle. We, we truly believe when we created this that no veteran should have to figure things out alone after they get out. Most veterans do have to figure out alone. And so vets is that community that's about ac accountability and impact building that not only help, help strengthen our veterans, but the economy at the same time.

Jeff Holden: And we know on that, that exit transition from military to civilian life. So many vets get lost and they get lost in the shuffle. They get lost in the cycle, end up being unsheltered homeless in cases and, and sadly it's a very high suicide rate as well. What are you seeing in Sacramento? [00:02:00] 

Tim Swaney: I'm seeing that there are a lot of veterans that are lost, and being that it's Sacramento, there are so many people coming in and out that.

There's not a voice for veterans. And when this organization was created, we didn't realize how many veterans there were. And now they're, they're everywhere. Right. And it's, it's really exciting. It's really, it's really motivating. It's, it's, it's eye-opening. I came back, I came here in 2019, thought, hey, I was alone.

Six years later or seven years later, I realized it's we're an impactful bunch. 

Jeff Holden: What prompted you to pick up some of those pieces and support the vets in this entrepreneurial experience, so to speak, or even experiment? 

Tim Swaney: Well, [00:03:00] you know, it's funny that you asked that. So when. When I first, I'll try to make this as quick as possible.

When I first came to Sacramento, uh, I had just left the Navy after nine years and when, when I was trying to find a place in life, we call it a transition, but in, in reality, I think it's, it's more of a reset 'cause you have to relearn everything and unlearn your what, what some people might consider bad habits and.

I was trying to find a job and I could not find a job, and so I said, let me try to start a business by doing that. It was, there was a lot of suffering and there was a lot of struggle, but I ended up connecting with another veteran organization that was happened to be up out in San Francisco, which is not even here in Sacramento, and they helped me.[00:04:00] 

Transition my skills to create a successful business. And so this is just a long way of me saying I suffered and I don't want other veterans to suffer. 

Jeff Holden: And through your experience, you have the ability to share that, to minimize some of that grief that they might go through otherwise. 

Tim Swaney: Exactly right. 

Jeff Holden: And I know Luisa, who's not feeling very well, is, is gonna sit a little bit more quiet today, also had this similar situation of having to find work when she transitioned out of the military.

Same situation, a lot of difficulty, concern as a single mom. And it's just a tremendous amount of pressure that if it doesn't have to exist, let's do what we can to help support it. And I think that's really what you're looking at doing with this event that you've got coming up. The event that you've got coming up is one that I think is really significant.

It's the veterans resource and hiring Fair. Tell us a little bit about it. 

Tim Swaney: Yeah, so like you mentioned, it's a veteran resource hiring fair. [00:05:00] It's in March if you're local, it's in Elk Grove District 56, and it's something that, Luisa is the one that her idea and something that we're really proud of. We're bringing over 50 resource providers, vendors, and organizations.

Into one space. Everything from employment and hiring to education, healthcare, mental health, housing, legal support, benefits, and of course we'll be there. So entrepreneurship. And on top of that, we'll have employers who are actively hiring veterans. The goal is simple, really, for us, is to make it easier for veterans to get access to what they really need.

Without running all over the place or without even knowing they really needed it. 

Jeff Holden: So you can have actually providers who can help a vet who's maybe considering becoming an entrepreneur, starting a business. And I remember Luisa sharing, you have some significant organizations like SUD and [00:06:00] Starbucks and Nugget, the Veterans Administration for Hiring five Star Bank.

I mean, those, those are some big names that you've got there as well. 

Tim Swaney: Yeah, definitely. It's, uh, it's something that it's. Super exciting and super thankful for it, right? It's, I think about me in 2019. If, if I had something like this, it, it would be so, so beneficial. A lot of us that first get out, never interviewed in our life, we've had four or five, maybe even 20 year career, and now you're saying, Hey, let's go find this job.

Oh, by the way, you gotta write a resume. Oh, by the way, you have to interview, oh, by the way. We're not gonna teach you how to do it. Right? Mm-hmm. And, and this, this fair is to, to fill that gap. 

Jeff Holden: Who would you say the event is for? 

Tim Swaney: The event's for veterans? Any, any veteran and supporter, right. The event is to [00:07:00] showcase the importance of veterans as well as to sh to to show the, the, the economy.

Hey. When you put veterans together, look what we can do. Look how we may not be able to articulate how to do things because our vocabulary is different, but when we're given any type of struggle, we'll, we'll get through it, right? We have a a saying, embrace the suck. Something we're really good at, right?

We're really good at just getting through it, right? And this is to show that for, for veterans saying, Hey. All veterans, whether, whether you are new, new to civilian world or civilian, civilian world, or experienced, please come out because you never know. It goes, like I said, it, it goes back to you don't know what you need until you need it, and it's, it's there.

Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: For our [00:08:00] veterans who are listening right now, organizations that you know, work with and, and serve veterans or employees, community partners who want to help. What's the one thing you want to be sure they know about what's going on on March 13th in Elk Grove? 

Tim Swaney: That they're gonna, they're gonna find real opportunities, not just tables, not just pamphlets, not just entry level jobs, actual real opportunities with, with over more than 40 businesses that are looking to hire veterans.

This is where people can have real, real conversations with employers, and it's not just a. Just a a resource fair. It's a, a fair to where an employer can meet with multiple veterans and see, okay, this is how veterans talk, this is how veterans walk. And so it gives more insight of, Hey, are we actually hiring correctly?

Are we looking at the problem correctly? And that gives that opportunity, right? While most [00:09:00] career fairs, it's all kinds of people, this is very specific. To those veterans to say, oh, they, they can do the job. We just needed to be able to listen and observe more 

Jeff Holden: and have an opportunity for them to engage.

Tim Swaney: Exactly. 

Jeff Holden: I mean, this sounds like a great place to not only meet peers, people in similar situations, but to talk who talk with employers who have an interest in them. 

Tim Swaney: Yes, sir. 

Jeff Holden: Why don't you give us all the details again, because we've kind of touched on it. March 13th, elk Grove, district 56. Give us the rundown where it is.

How do they find out more information? How do they learn timing and everything on this resource and hiring fair that's going on? 

Tim Swaney: Yeah, so the resource fairs, it's on, I said in March, but it's March 13th to be specific in Elk Grove District 56 is from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM You don't have to be over there all day if you want to.

Great. It's completely free for [00:10:00] Veterans Service members. It's, it's free for everyone. But let me, let me, let me specify. It's free for everyone. We'll have over 50 providers. More than 40 employers are actively hiring free food. A lot of veterans like to go for the food. So if anything, show for the food Network.

And if you need more details, uh, you can always. Visit our website. It's veteran entrepreneur tribe.org. Make sure you EU not ue. I do it all the time and, uh, we'll have everything linked, you know, show notes as well. We love to see people there of all kinds. We'll have a lot of speaking engagements as well, and a lot of experts.

So it's not just about hiring, it's about helping getting your leg up. So that's why it goes back to. Education, mental health, legal help, housing and benefits as well. [00:11:00] 

Jeff Holden: Wonderful. Well, Luisa, Tim, next time Luisa, we speak. I hope we get to hear from you a little bit more. I know you weren't feeling well, so I appreciate you even coming on to, uh, to give some moral support here.

Thank you so much for what you're doing to benefit our veterans and these are the very people who have done so much to benefit us. And thank you both for your service and once again, the website is veteran entrepreneur tribe.org. Good luck with the event on March 13th. We're looking forward to hearing back on on how well it went, how well it was attended.

Tim Swaney: Thank you, Jeff. Thank you for having us. 

Jeff Holden: Thanks for listening. If you like our program, please subscribe. Give us a positive review and share with someone you know. This nonprofit podcast News Pod is a production of Hear Me Now [00:12:00] Studio.