Back (L-R): Dr. Lewis Chartock, President and CEO, MERS/Goodwill and Bob Graf, a veteran served by the grant; Front (L-R): Beth Brown, Assistant Vice President/Director, MERS/Goodwill Lippmann Center, and Corliss Strathearn, Vocational Rehabilitation Division Officer at Dept. of Veterans Affairs
MERS/Goodwill ranked second in the country, of all Goodwill Industries International, Inc. community-based organizations, for number of veterans served in 2011. MERS/Goodwill provided more than 3,700 veterans in the Missouri and southwestern Illinois area with vocational and rehabilitation services. The agency has been actively assisting veterans in the area for more than 20 years. In October, the agency received a grant from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to continue its Vet Success Program, providing critical services to veterans with disabilities.
“MERS/Goodwill is privileged to provide vocational rehabilitation and employment services to service men and women,” said Dr. Lewis Chartock, President and CEO of MERS/Goodwill. “For more than 20 years, MERS/Goodwill has been aiding veterans, helping them find meaningful employment throughout the area. We are honored by the ranking and will continue to provide services to these men and women who proudly served our country and its people.”
The agency assists veterans seeking aid with vocational and rehabilitation services. In addition, MERS/Goodwill’s Vet Success Program partners with The Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City to provide services at each of their area vocational rehabilitation offices throughout the state. Services include vocational evaluation and counseling; educational and vocational career planning; case management; employment services; independent living assessments; life skills and job coaching; and job site analysis. Sub-contracting services are procured through a partnership with the Center for Specialized Services in St. Louis.
“We have a long history of assisting veterans and other individuals with disabilities,” said Beth Brown, Assistant Vice President/Director at MERS/Goodwill’s Lippmann Center. “MERS/Goodwill is committed to supporting veterans both in their return to civilian employment and independent living.”