Featured Articles
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Stand Up and Be Counted
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Mission: Veterans 2 Entrepreneurs
The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs is here to help you navigate the many federal, state, and local resources and benefits available to veterans. Whether you have a specific question or would simply like us to help identify programs and benefits for which you may be eligible, our Veteran Service Officers are standing by to help.
By Standing Up to Be Counted, you will also be assisting your fellow veterans by helping IDVA and the entire veteran advocacy community to gain a better understanding of who and where Illinois' veterans are. This will help us plan for future services, lobby for further federal VA funding and facilities, and generally serve Illinois' veterans better.
If you are an Illinois Veteran who owns your own business or possesses the skills and determination to start one, then “Mission: Veterans 2 Entrepreneurs” is for you. Hosted by the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) and Illinois Central Management Services (CMS), MV2E events are a great opportunity for you to learn how to start your own business, explore procurement opportunities with the State of Illinois as well as local and federal government agencies, and become aware of the numerous resources provided by the State of Illinois, the U.S. Government, and many not-for-profit organizations.
In addition, this free program will guide veterans through the process to have their companies become certified as a veteran-owned business in the State of Illinois and be eligible for the 3-percent goal of all state contracts and services.
Welcome to the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, a state agency dedicated to empowering veterans, as well as their dependents and survivors, to thrive. We do this by helping veterans navigate the complex veteran support system and assisting them in obtaining benefits; by providing long term health care for eligible veterans at our four Veterans’ Homes; and by working with other government agencies and non-profits to help veterans address education, mental health, housing, employment, and other challenges.
Focus Items
Illinois Hires Heroes Consortium
The Illinois Hires Heroes Consortium is a group of Illinois employers who recognize the great value veterans bring to the workplace and operationalize the term "veteran-friendly" by committing to implement military veteran recruitment, training and retention practices - one in each aforementioned human resource category. Consortium members are then rewarded through no cost recruitment of veterans and the ability to exclusively display the IHHC logo, which will be a tell-tale sign to veterans and consumers that the company meets specific goals to be truly “veteran-friendly.” An initiative of Governor Pat Quinn, the Consortium will mobilize public attention and employer commitment to addressing the issue of veteran employment. Employers interested in taking the pledge and/or for further information on this great initiative, please click here.