Vet Corps Member Receives National Award

Press Release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kelly Nutty, Director of Resource Management
920­378­8527, [email protected]

UW Oshkosh Vet Corps Member Receives National Award for Service at Riverview Gardens

Appleton, WI (October 12, 2015) – Riverview Gardens, Inc. announced that University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Vet Corps member Alexander Feest received one of four national Excellence in AmeriCorps Programming and Service Awards at the 2015 AmeriCorps State and National Symposium in Arlington, VA on September 16, 2015.

This award, also known the Harkin Excellence in Service Award, named in honor of retired US Senator Tom Harkin, an inspiring champion for national service, honors a “member with disability (ies) who significantly contributed to increasing participation of other individuals with disabilities in national service.” Alex is a returning combat veteran from the United States Marine Corps.

Alex’s award recognizes his service in furtherance of Riverview Gardens’ mission. According to Kelly Nutty, Director of Resource Management at Riverview Gardens, “Alex single­handedly conducted significant outreach to numerous local groups to promote teambuilding days and special events for military members and veterans at Riverview Gardens. Because of Alex’s efforts, veterans from all branches of service have joined Riverview Gardens as community volunteers, and veterans in need have connected with us and joined our job­training program. We are so grateful for our partnership with the UW Oshkosh Vet Corps program. It is a vital program to give veterans who have honorably served their country the opportunity to serve and help transform their community.”

Riverview Gardens, Inc.’s mission is to provide critical transferable skill­based job training for people in need in downtown Appleton, WI.

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Vet Corps is an existing AmeriCorps grant operated by the
university’s Center for Career Development and Employability Training (CCDET) that aims to help college veterans to fully integrate back into civilian life after their military service has concluded. The UW Oshkosh Vet Corps program is the only veteran­focused Americorps program in Wisconsin and one of only a handful of such veteran programs in the nation.

For more information, please contact Director of Resource Management, Kelly Nutty, at 920­378­8527 or [email protected].