Farmers to Donate Thousands of Suits to Fort Meade-Area Service Members During ‘Marching Our Veterans Back to Work’ Event Saturday, March 18 in Glen…

Farmers to Donate Thousands of Suits to Fort Meade-Area Service Members During 'Marching Our Veterans Back to Work' Event Saturday, March 18 in Glen Burnie

GLEN BURNIE, Md., March 17 -- Farmers Insurance, an insurance company, issued the following news release:

Farmers Insurance(R) is helping hundreds of veterans and military personnel in the Fort Meade region ease the transition from service to civilian life by donating more than 2,600 suits and pieces of professional attire to "Marching Our Veterans Back to Work," a special event taking place on Saturday, March 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Glen Burnie.

With the help of local businesses, ZIPS Dry Cleaners and St. John Properties, Inc., Farmers(R) was able to collect, dry clean, and distribute men's and women's work apparel to military personnel entering the civilian workforce. The efforts are part of the insurer group's national "Suits for Soldiers" campaign which culminated in the collection of 70,000 suits last fall.

"Farmers has a proud tradition of working with veterans to assist their transition from active duty responsibilities to the civilian workforce," said Mike Haas, a Pennsylvania-based Farmers Insurance agent and U.S. Air Force veteran. "As one of the nation's largest insurer groups, Farmers helps insure homes, cars, and life; meanwhile the military insures our way of life. Suits for Soldiers is another way Farmers can give back to members of the military who have given to their country."

More than 700 Fort Meade-area veterans are anticipated to attend the event, where they can "shop" for new business attire to enhance their wardrobes. Elected officials, Veteran's Affairs case workers and local employers will also be present to offer even more resources for service members.

More than one million military personnel will make the transition from the military in the next three years, according to the Department of Defense office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), and many of these veterans may not own appropriate business attire to go to networking events, interviews or even to work. Suits for Soldiers started with a goal of collecting 50,000 items that can help create an easier transition for veterans into the civilian workforce. The total now exceeds 70,000 pieces of attire.

Participation in "Marching our Veterans Back to Work" is the latest in a series of recent honors and efforts that showcase Farmers passion for veterans, both as an employer and as a corporate citizen. Farmers is designated as one of the top military friendly employers by MilitaryFriendly.com, and is a finalist to earn RecruitMilitary's 2017 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military(R) award. Additionally, Farmers signed a statement of support with the Department of Defense office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, committing to seek ways to increase opportunities for guardsmen, reservists and veterans. Many of Farmers 22,000 employees and nearly 14,000 exclusive agents are military veterans, and Farmers has an active employee resource group dedicated to former military members.

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