Published: June 14, 2009 10:43 pm      

Veterans help one another at conference

By VANESSA WELCH

vanessa.welch@register-news.com

INA — As red, white and blue waved this weekend in honor of Flag Day and the U.S. Army celebrated 234 years of service, veterans reached out to help fellow veterans during the fifth annual Veterans Informational Conference at Rend Lake College.

Hosted by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, presenters and attendees discussed current options for health care, social security benefits, education and small business development among other topics.

“We have a pretty good turnout but of course we’d always like to have more,” IDES veterans employment representative Catherine Matyas said.

“A majority of what veterans want to know about is their medical benefits because with the economy the way it is, not all employers are offering those. Maybe quite a few people here today aren’t working right now so medical benefits are quite important.”

Jeffrey Lewis Jr., a veterans service officer for Jefferson and Wayne counties through the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, discussed state and federal benefits. During his presentation, Lewis said veterans with chronic conditions, which may have also caused secondary conditions, linked to active duty are eligible for VA compensation. Other services available for veterans that Lewis mentioned included education, home loans and burial and memorial benefits.

Veterans interested in applying for Illinois government jobs learned how to showcase their skills and ensure they are not bypassed when employers hire.

“Getting a job in state government is not easy,” said Gregory Curran, assistant to the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs. “Remember this — most people in government are looking to hire a friend.”

Curran noted veterans should polish their resumes to list specific duties and management experiences. Preparation for performance tests is also important if a job requires a specific skill such as typing. By requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act on whom was hired for positions, Curran noted veterans ensure their rights are not denied.

Other presenters included Cindy Webb of MAN-TRA-CON; Mark Shively, Brian Ouellette and Cynthia James of VA Medical Center; Robin Keele of Social Security Administration; Joy Gaddis of ClearPoint Financial; and Nick Lemay of RLC Small Business Development.