Veterans can get a haircut and lunch and enjoy the good company of other veterans at the Rid-All Armed Forces Day Military and Community Resource Fair this Saturday, May 17.
Employers, resource agencies, and sports teams will be on hand to offer giveaways and services to veterans and their families. Activities for kids and tours of the Rid-All facilities are also planned. The fair features a pinning ceremony at 11 a.m. to honor veterans of the Vietnam War.
Rid-All Green Partnership, an urban farm in Kinsman, has hosted the Armed Forces Day Military and Community Resource Fair for five years. The farm hosts other veterans programs throughout the year, including the monthly Cleveland Veterans Collaborative, which discusses everything from larger issues like the possible impact of federal funding cuts and housing for veterans to individual cases of veterans in need.
Rid-All co-founder and vet David “Doctor Greenhands” Hester said the pinning ceremony is the most rewarding part of the fair for him.
“The veterans that had not gotten their roses all this time, they get the opportunity to shine that day,” he said. “And the community is getting the opportunity to see what Rid-All farm is like.”
Haircuts to help veterans’ mental health
Waverly Willis, who heads the Urban Barbers Association, will be at the fair to provide free haircuts to veterans.
“In this day of technology-driven everything,” he said, “the fact that we can, you know, just have a human, interactive conversation, and then at the end of that, that haircut, you look like a new person. It can really change a person’s perspective for that day, or for the next couple of weeks.”
‘Not just a job, but a career opportunity, like the military was’
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland are just two of the employers looking to talk to veterans at the fair about open positions.
“We have hundreds of military veterans that work [here],” said RTA’s Senior Talent Acquisition Manager Ida Ford Marshall.
RTA employee and active-duty combat veteran D’Artagnan Glenn leads the RTA’s veterans group: “We tell [veterans] how veteran service kind of aligns with our different positions here at RTA. As you leave the active duty service, you have very distinct skills, and you don’t know how they align with the civilian market.
“We look at RTA as another career opportunity, not just a job, but a career opportunity. Just like the military was a career opportunity.”
Positions available at the Huntington Convention Center
Cheryl Urban of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland said their priority is increasing awareness of the center both as a member of the community and as an employer.
“A lot of people in the community don’t even know that we have events here, that we’re an employer,” Urban said. “And so it’s always been really important to get out into the community to introduce ourselves, and then also share all of the employment opportunities that we have available.”
Positions available at the Huntington Convention Center that may interest veterans include security, guest services, housekeeping, and setup operations.
Urban said she will direct veterans at Saturday’s fair to the company’s website to apply online but will also be taking resumes and providing paper applications.
“I’ve found that sometimes, directing individuals to a website can be a barrier. Sometimes they don’t make it that far. So I’m more than willing to take resumes, and I also have a stack of paper applications with me, just in case. I don’t want there to be any barriers.”
“[The fair] is a great event and we’re excited to attend again this year,” Urban added.
