QC Veterans Roll Call Radio Show October 30, 2016
Good morning Quad Cities! Today's show covered a wide range of topics and we had a super group of guests. Our show just keeps getting better and better!
Up first was Mr. Nick Grant and Ms. Tasha Greenwood from Farmers Insurance. They are leading the local charge for the "Suits For Soldiers" campaign. We've featured this on our Facebook page. If you've got gently worn professional attire, here's your chance to donate for "re-issue" to our fellow Veterans. Drop off locations are at the our local Sears store and also at the Farmers Insurance office at the District Office, Quad Cities Branch 4436 N Brady St., Suite 103, Davenport, Iowa 52806. You can call the office at 563.275.4124. To reach Nick, please email him here or click on their web address:
Here's the flier for the event:
We appreciated having both Nick and Tasha in the studio to share the word about this important program. You have until November 30th to make your donation. Veterans can report to the Davenport American Legion Post#26 (702 West 35th Street) to get fitted for a suit If you are a Veteran and need a suit, please come out and take advantage of this opportunity to "dress for success!"
Our second guest was Ms. Robin Wilkins. Robin is the Founder, President & CEO of Boots Up. This is a not-for-profit group with a presence in 22 states. They exist to celebrate and support our Veterans and assist them in their process of re-integrating back into the civilian world. Their website is: http://bootsup.us/
Robin discussed an upcoming fund-raiser for the organization with a number of J Crew stores in the New York/New Jersey area. A percentage of proceeds are being donated to support Boots Up with their mission.
Although we do not have a huge (yet) listening audience in the Tri-State area, if you know of anyone out there who needs to get a jump on their Christmas/holiday shopping, please share with them this information.
Robin also shared with us her vision for tackling Veterans' homelessness. Specifically, Robin and her group want to utilize vacant commercial properties, such as malls, to create housing for homeless Veterans. It is an ambitious plan and we are cheering on Boots Up in this most noble endeavor. I found this article online that shows how this ides does have legs.
Our third guest was Dr. Christopher Whitt, Associate Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at Augustana College. Dr. Whitt is incredibly busy, especially this time of year. Due to his academic obligations and travel schedule, Dr. Whitt was unable to appear in the studio. However, he wanted to be on our show and we're grateful we were able to host him telephonically.
We discussed a variety of issues with the upcoming election. If you're a regular listener, you are aware of our show's focus on getting people out to vote. Dr. Whitt is without question a subject-matter expert on elections and the political process. He stated that Iowa is a swing state and Scott County is definitely in play. In other words, if you live in Iowa, your vote has never been more important. Of course, if you live in Illinois, Dr. Whitt will not let you off the hook. He stressed that every vote in every election matters. He praised the service of our Veterans and military and reminded all of us of our civic duty to vote. By voting, we all are honoring their service and sacrifice.
We also discussed the issue surrounding the disproportional make-up of our military from individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, especially in our enlisted ranks. I followed up with this subject at the end of the show about the controversy surrounding the issue of the enlistment bonuses with approximately 10,000 members of the California National Guard. Here is a link to a USA Today story on this issue.
You can read Dr. Whitt's bio here.
This was a great show today and I am so honored with the guests who appeared on this and previous shows. Thanks to everyone who supports our show!
I do have one favor: Please send a request to join our Facebook page. You can visit the page here.
Best regards,
Jeno
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