Welcome to “Mission: Possible … Veteran & Family Symposium.” This is the first-ever Calumet – Outagamie – Winnebago (COW) tri-county symposium of its kind hosted by the Veteran Service Organizations. This is not “just another expo” – this is REAL life with real questions & answers from Veterans and other subject-matter experts supporting Veterans. This is truly where the “rubber meets the road.” We want YOU there! Admission is FREE!
We’re bringing in Jessica Lynch, the first successful rescue of an American prisoner since Vietnam and the first ever of a woman. She lived it; she overcame; she’s telling her story to inspire others! She is an outstanding role model for so many.
Website: https://www.powjessicalynch.com/
We’re bringing in Tom Farley, the late Chris Farley’s brother who is a New York Times Best Selling Author and dynamic speaker. He’s joining us to have the difficult conversations about the effects of substance abuse he witnessed first-hand. They say he’s the funnier brother.
Website: https://premierespeakers.com/thomas-farley/bio#:~:text=Biography,to%20teens%20and%20young%20adults.
We’re bringing in J.P. Lane, US Army Veteran & Purple Heart Recipient. He’s a Green Bay native who was blown up THREE different times in Afghanistan; the third blast (200lb IED) ripped through a “blast proof” MRAP and took both legs (plus 26 other injuries) and sent him on an extremely difficult path of healing and overcoming. Yet, he uses his story, his comedy, his music, and his charisma to reach Veterans and families to encourage them to push through those difficult moments.
Website: https://jpsjourney.com/meet-j-p-lane/
Just these three invited guests would be enough to encourage most to attend. We have SO much more in store though! We have rented the ENTIRE Fox Cities Expo Center – all floors, all nooks & crannies, all rooms (even the coat room), and HUGE open expo hall – chalked full of incredible resources, Veteran-owned/affiliated small businesses, local businesses, colleges, food trucks, snacks, horses (yep!), a photo booth, and more! This is a FREE family-focused event and will include a fun area for kids of all ages!
There will be mini interactive seminars throughout the event to learn the latest and greatest about topics like the VA Home Loan process, how to improve your credit score, career preparation (resumes, dress, LinkedIn, etc.), panel discussions from recently-retired Veterans, motivational speakers, musical guests, and more! PLUS, we’re inviting local colleges & skills-driven programs who will talk about how they support Veterans!
Stop by the 3rd floor and re-live an era our military men & women experienced in Vietnam through museum-quality displays & living testimonies of “Reflections of Vietnam.” We’re inviting the Hmong Veterans of Wisconsin. Many of these unsung heroes went unthanked for their service to the United States in the difficult region of Vietnam and surrounding countries. We get to honor them.
Then, there’s the Career Enhancement Event on the 4th floor. Free head shot photos for those LinkedIn profiles as well as face-to-face conversations with the HIRING authorities of Veteran-Friendly, Veteran-Ready, & Veteran-Focused employers ready to hire expeditiously. These are NOT your “seat filling” jobs; we’re screening these businesses to ensure our Veterans can start/continue a career with some of the challenges many face, to include time off for VA appointments. We also have three local Unions sharing about their internship programs!
But wait, there’s even more! We’ve invited the Green Bay Vet Center mobile truck, offering confidential help for Veterans and families in areas like PTSD and counseling. We’ll also have other VSO & VA representatives who can help with claims and inquiries and/or set up future appointments for a deeper dive, often required for fully developed claims. There will be an entire large room with these resources for YOU! We know it can be overwhelming, so we’ve set aside a “Quiet Room” for some R&R with light refreshments and a private adjacent room if you need to talk.