KPBS Midday Edition

Program Assists San Diego Veterans Entering Civilian Workforce

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Patty Lane / Producer, Amita Sharma / Investigative Reporter

Published March 18, 2014 at 8:30 AM PDT

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

Program Assists San Diego Veterans Entering Civilian Workforce

GUESTS:John Funk, Director of Operations, Military and Veterans Services, Easter Seals of Southern California Tim Crisp, veteran U.S. Marine Corps

Many new veterans in San Diego are adjusting to civilian life and at the same time trying to enter the job market. But transitioning job skills from the battlefield to the job site is not always easy, and it can provide challenges.

We take a look at Easter Seals' Work First Military & Families program and how it's helping remove barriers that veterans face when looking for a civilian job.

Easter Seals recently received a gift from the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation to help the organization's national veterans outreach and advocacy effort. The 3-year $1.1 million grant is making the Bob Hope Veterans Support Program launching in San Diego this month.

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The program provides support to help veterans with or without disabilities who are transitioning out of the service to civilian employment.

KPBS Midday Edition

Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Amita Sharma

As an investigative reporter for KPBS, I've helped expose political scandals and dug into intractable issues like sex trafficking. I've raised tough questions about how government treats foster kids. I've spotlighted the problem of pollution in poor neighborhoods. And I've chronicled corporate mistakes and how the public sometimes ends up paying for them.

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