Georgia Magazine - November 2017 - 30

COURTESY GEORGIA VECTR CENTER

James Pascarella, manager of veterans
certification at the Georgia VECTR Center,
coaches a military member regarding
education opportunities.
30

COURTESY GEORGIA VECTR CENTER

and took additional advanced
classes.
All of that landed him a new job
with Layer 3 Communications, a network systems integrator that serves
school systems, local governments
and hospitals in Atlanta.
"I could have gotten a job in another field, like warehousing, when I
left the military, but I felt like I'd be
wasting my knowledge and skills,"
Rumsey says. "Now I'll be helping
doctors maintain access to their patients' records."
Josh Hager also is taking the
CCNA course, which will make him
eligible for promotion and better
job opportunities. The U.S. Marine
developed a bacterial infection in
Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C.,
which made him eligible for 40 percent VA disability benefits but also
meant multiple hospitalizations.
He found a job after earning an
IT degree at Middle Georgia State
University in Macon but needed
certification to progress.

Graduates of the commercial truck driving program offered through Central Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins gather for a photo outside of the Georgia VECTR Center building in October 2016.

"A friend told me they could
help me at Georgia VECTR. I walked
in on Monday, got the needed
paperwork and registered for the
CCNA class on Tuesday," Hager says.
"The Georgia VECTR staff is knowledgeable, and they can answer just
about any question you have-or
find someone who can."
It's not uncommon for a veteran
to come in for one service and end
up using several. Moore says her job
differs from person to person, but
it begins by listening. As a military
wife and counselor, she is good at
listening.
"Sometimes I hear the deepest
and darkest secrets-things they
don't even want their families to
know," she says. "I tell them this is a
'no-judgment zone,' that we are here
to help."
Moore doesn't have access to
money, but she has knowledge and
connections to a variety of resources. "I help them figure it out," she
says.
She's helped clients avoid eviction and get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. She's prevented a suicide.
"I try to pair people with the resources for which they'll most likely
qualify, and when I run out of ideas,
I turn to our passionate team and
partners for ideas," Moore says.
She follows up regularly with
clients from throughout Georgia and
even out of state.
"If a veteran calls, we'll help,"
More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

Moore says. "People tell us that the
encouragement alone makes a big
difference."

Plans for the future
About 60 percent of the Georgia
VECTR Center's clients come from
the 11 counties surrounding Warner
Robins, and 40 percent are from the
rest of the state. With 93.5 percent of
its target population located outside
the region, the center is working on
expanding programs and outreach,
Richardson says.
"The Technical College System
of Georgia just designated $100,000
to help us market the program
around the state, and we are doing
that," Ross says.
She's also talking with representatives from Kentucky, Tennessee
and North Carolina who are studying
the Georgia VECTR Center's model
for establishing their own programs.
"No one has brought together
the resources that we have," Ross
says. "We're the only one in the nation doing what we do."
"We're proud to be serving those
who have served us," Richardson
says.
Laura Raines is a Mabletonbased freelance writer and a member
of GreyStone Power Corp.
For more information
To learn more about the Georgia VECTR
Center or to seek its services, visit
gavectr.org or call (478) 218-3900.
GEORGIA MAGAZINE

http://www.gavectr.org http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - November 2017