Archive 2008 - 2019

MetroWest Veterans Consortium Meets

by Andrea Pessolano
3/19/2015

Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin); Rep. Chris Walsh (D-Framingham); Rep. Carmen Gentile (D-Sudbury); Chris Lessard of MA Fallen Heroes; John MacGillivray; Rep. Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston); Dennis Giombetti of Sen. Spilka’s office (D-Ashland); Dave Hencke, Outreach Coordinator, VA Boston Healthcare; and Dan Magoon of MA Fallen Heroes, attend the MetroWest Veterans Consortium Event

Members of the MetroWest Veterans Consortium, including founding member Representative Carolyn Dykema, as well as Representative Chris Walsh, Representative Jeff Roy, and Representative Carmen Gentile met at Framingham State University to discuss ways our Commonwealth can better assist veterans searching for employment after returning home from service. In Massachusetts, the unemployment rate for post 9-11 veterans is 11.9%, nearly 5% higher than the unemployment rate for the general population.

“It was great to have so many veterans’ advocates from across MetroWest come together to discuss economic opportunities for our returning service members,” stated Representative Dykema. “The meeting started a great dialogue on ways our veteran service officers, state officials, community members, federal providers, and nonprofit organizations can coordinate to provide veterans the tools they need to help find them employment once they come back home.”

Representative Carolyn Dykema founded the MetroWest Veterans’ Consortium in 2012 to bring together leaders in the Veterans community to share experiences and successes as well as highlight needs and concerns of veterans in the MetroWest area. The aim of this consortium is to provide local veterans’ advocates with up-to-date information about veterans’ services, encourage dissemination of this information in the 19 member communities, and build consensus and support for initiatives that support local veterans.

To find out more about the MetroWest Veterans Consortium, please call 617-722-2680.

 

Representative Carolyn Dykema represents the communities of Holliston, Hopkinton, Southborough and Precinct 2 of Westborough in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.