HAMPTON, Va. — When Michelle Whitaker shared her struggle to find work, her story sounded familiar. For months, I’ve been tracking solutions to the issue of military veterans and spouses facing unemployment. Whitaker, both a U.S. Army veteran and a military wife, got rejection after rejection when applying for jobs. That’s even if she got a response at all.
“It can leave you feeling very demoralized sometimes, and that can be very tough to deal with,” she told me recently. “The job search for me was like shouting into a void, honestly,” she added.
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Free service connects military spouses & veterans to job opportunities
Blaine Stewart 6:30 AM, Jan 11, 2024
Whitaker moved to Hampton Roads for her husband’s Air Force job near the end of 2023. She became one of the approximately 21% of military spouses facing unemployment. But, one phone call would be the beginning of a big change in her job search.
“The moment I picked up the phone and called the Hampton Roads Veterans Employment Center , that is the moment that everything turned around for me,” she said.