Local veteran organizations are partnering with government agencies to bring support for veterans to Columbus County in the form of job opportunities and transition assistance.
NCWorks, with help from the Columbus County Veterans Council (CCVC), is hosting a job fair and veteran stand down at the Columbus County Fairgrounds on March 2. Employers looking to bring in new hires will be present for this free event, as well as veteran advocacy groups, food trucks, and a blood drive.
The fairgrounds will be open March 2 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Admission is free.
This event is open to the public, and everyone is invited to participate.
David Patello, chairman for the CCVC, shared his motivation for organizing the event. An Army veteran himself, the retired lt. colonel said the event was a way to continue supporting his brothers and sisters-in-arms. “I believe one of our missions when we retired is to reach back and pull people forward,” Patillo said.
An estimated 60 employers are expected to be on site looking to hire and will include Black’s Tire, UNC Health Southeastern, Novant Health, Honeycutt Produce, Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation, Smithfield Foods, Columbus County Corrections, NC Department of Transportation, among others. Military recruiters will be present to discuss opportunities in service.
Veteran agencies such as the Veterans Affairs (VA), American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Vietnam Veterans, and the Sheepdog Foundation will be on hand to assist veterans and their families with a number of challenges they might have involving benefits, transportation to VA health appointments, mental health, and more. Veterans should bring a copy of their DD-214 to better facilitate assisting them.
Everyone is encouraged to bring resumes, Social Security cards, state identification, and a pen for the job fair. Someemployers may hire on the spot while others are taking applications for later interviews. Job seekers are encouraged to be prepared for both circumstances.
The event is working with The Blood Connection to coordinate the blood drive, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Blood Connection is offering $25 gift cards for donations. To preregister for an appointment, visit the link below, or call 1.800.392.6551 and mention the Columbus County Job Fair and Veteran Stand Down.
https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/224261
NCWorks has also organized a similar event for Bladen County on April 6. The event will be held at the Elizabethtown VFW with support from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8062.
