WISE Program Partnership
Shaun Swanson
WISE Program partnership with Veterans 1st of NEW. Our mission is to help veterans stabilize by offering housing, skills training, and
counseling. Veteran’s 1st of NEW is slated to start construction on a Tiny Homes Village and Community
Center in Green Bay starting in the fall of 2023. The WISE Program is the Wisconsin Senior Employment Program
Veterans’ 1st Secretary, Resource Navigator, and WI Certified Peer Specialist, Gail Nohr became familiar
with the WISE Program as a Program Participant Assistant helping participants to train, upgrade skills
and find employment. While part of the WISE Program, Gail completed her college education in Substance Abuse counseling
and is a Case Manager and Group Facilitator working with women who have substance abuse issues.
"The WISE Program is a very supportive agency to work with and is my inspiration to try to bring job
training opportunities to veterans with our Tiny Homes Village,” says Nohr. “I will be using what I
learned in the WISE Program to help give our veteran residents a "hand up" not a handout, working
together to find suitable employment so they can start to save money in the Transitional Homes to
move into an Affordable Home of their own," explains Nohr.
An older person may need to get a job, but it is often difficult for older adults to enter the workforce.
Changing technology often requires older people to get training to be marketable. People 55 and older
can upgrade skills through the WISE Program, which helps by placing them in paid training positions. The
goal is to help participants gain regular, unsubsidized employment. The program serves a wide variety of
people from all walks of life and are proud to serve our Veterans. Training is provided by non-profit or
governmental host agencies that supervise the progress and abilities of each participant. “We are
hoping that people who want to re-tool and re-enter the workforce will give WISE a call,” says “D”
Darice Hannon, Title V WISE Coordinator. Call for information and eligibility guidelines, at 920-469-
8858 or email: [email protected]. Visit GWaar website at www.gwaar.org.
More information about the programs and services that Veterans 1st will be providing to our residents
can be found at the following links:
https://veterans1stnew.com/counseling-and-therapies-veterans-residents-self-sufficiency/
