Veterans resource fair slated for Jan. 13 at Univ. of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Updated ·4 min read
The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus will host a public Veterans Resource Fair on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Selby Auditorium on campus. The event is open to veterans, families and the general public.
The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus will host a public Veterans Resource Fair on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Selby Auditorium on campus. The event is open to veterans, families and the general public.

Veterans of the armed forces and their family members are invited to attend the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) Veterans Resource Fair this Saturday, Jan. 13, on the campus in conjunction with the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

The reformatted initiative, created to provide more support for active and transitioning military will take place at 8350 N. Tamiami Trail, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Selby Auditorium.

The resource fair is a walk-around event that connects veterans and military families with local organizations and programs that directly support and help those who have been a part of the armed forces.

USFSM director of veteran success and alumni affairs and U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Carlos Moreira said the fair will serve as a starting point for many veterans, and soon-to-be veterans, who could be seeking guidance on transitioning from the armed forces back into civilian life.

USFSM Director of Campus Engagement for Veteran Success and Alumni Affairs, 1st Sgt. U.S. Marine Corps
USFSM Director of Campus Engagement for Veteran Success and Alumni Affairs, 1st Sgt. U.S. Marine Corps

"It’s sort of like a job fair. We are excited to be able to bring everything to these people and to make them more aware of what is out there," Moreira said. "Our community is small but at the same time we have a lot of resources and some of those resources people, veterans, don’t know about or think about. A lot of our veterans don't use these benefits the way they should be utilizing.”

The fair will highlight dozens of local organizations, including the Veterans Affairs (VA) office, that provide services, benefits, health care, and legal services to military veterans.

In addition, USFSM will be conducting six classes (in person and virtual) during the fair that educate attendees on the many benefits for military and veteran families.

Classes being offered for resource fair attendees are:

  • Housing (how to purchase a house, VA loans)

  • Services: (Disability Benefits/veteran Benefits, VA rating)

  • Education (how to use educational benefits)

  • Medical and dental (mental health, counseling, clinics, and dental)

  • Employment (federal, resume, LinkedIn, starting a Business)

  • Legal (VA rating, Legal support for veterans)

Attendees may register in advance for classes by following the registration form on USFSM's website.

About 10% of the students at the USFSM campus are military-connected, meaning they are on active duty, in the reserves or National Guard, or are veterans. Moreira currently serves as a reservist in the Marine Corps and feels events like the resource fair provide more than just support for students and families.

"It's a flow of information, in one space, not only for the military veterans but for their families and we are opening it up to the community. We’ve never done it to this level but we are excited about the partnerships we have doing this with us," he said.

Olympia Baylou, president of Sarasota-based nonprofit Emerging Lotus Inc., is one of the community leaders whose organization will be supporting the Veterans Resource Fair on Jan. 13. Baylou is the spouse of a military veteran who believes in the continued support of military personnel as well as giving back in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. she said.

USFSM Director of Campus Engagement for Veteran Success and Alumni Affairs, 1st Sgt. U.S. Marine Corps
USFSM Director of Campus Engagement for Veteran Success and Alumni Affairs, 1st Sgt. U.S. Marine Corps

"I used to volunteer at the vet center on Swift Road," Baylou said. "That experience opened my eyes to a lot of their needs and their lives. My husband has been fortunate and blessed but many veterans aren't."

Baylou initiated a partnership with USFSM for this year's Day of Service after connecting with the campus's assistant director of student services Darren Gambrell.

“We look at MLK Day as not a day off but a day to enrich their communities better. This year my thought was ‘Why not veterans?’ I had never worked with Carlos or USF but I just feel, for many reasons, veterans are special people in our society. They deserve praise and support … there are always veterans who need us. They sacrifice a lot; they give up a lot and they do need a lot of the resources in our community. We are very excited to be doing this for these special people in our community.”

To learn more about USFSM Veterans Resource Fair or to participate in the initiative, contact Moreira at cjmoreira@usf.edu or Darren Gambrell at dlgambre@usf.edu.

Samantha Gholar covers social justice news for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Connect with her at sgholar@gannett.com or on Twitter: @samanthagholar

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: USF amps up veteran support, resources through MLK Day initiative