President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today launched Joining Forces, a national initiative to support and honor America’s service members and their families. Joining Forces is spearheaded by Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden, who created the initiative to address the unique challenges and needs of military families. The initiative will focus on key priority areas – employment, education, and wellness, while working to raise awareness about the lives of military families.
As part of the initiative, a new website – JoiningForces.gov – allows users to show their gratitude to our service members and their families. Visitors can send messages of thanks, find opportunities to get involved and share stories of service.
Code for America, a public service/technology fellowship program, is also utilizing some of its fellows to work with the Department of Labor, the VA, and multiple tech companies, including Indeed.com and Linkedin to provide military families with technology support and new tools to find jobs and gain valuable skills they will need to be competitive potential employees.
Erik Michaels-Ober, 2011 CfA Fellow said of the initiative, “We believe matching veterans with career opportunities presents a unique and promising opportunity for innovation and collaboration. We will work to bring together the public and private sectors across the country, where veterans and their families are returning home every day.”
A variety of other companies have also committed their support to developing programs in the other core focus areas including education and wellness. The result will be a network of programs and services available to military families to ensure that each member of the family has access to opportunities for a better quality of life.
“There are so many ways that every American can lend a hand and make a difference,” said Dr. Biden. “We have met individuals and groups across this country who are supporting our troops and their families and showing all Americans that there are countless ways to help – some large and many small. But all important. And I can tell you from personal experience, all appreciated. That is why we are here today – and why Michelle and I are trying to rally American communities to join us.”
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