Pennsylvania Heroes Nick Yost

Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Pennsylvania, a seat to which he was first elected in 2006. He previously served as Pennsylvania Auditor General from 1997 to 2005 and as Pennsylvania Treasurer from 2005 to 2007.

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Casey is the son of Bob Casey, a former Governor of Pennsylvania. After graduating from Scranton Preparatory School in 1978, he attended the College of the Holy Cross. He received his J.D. degree from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. Casey practiced law in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before beginning his political career as Pennsylvania's Auditor General, a post to which he was elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2000.

In 2002, Casey attempted to follow in his father's footsteps by running for Governor of Pennsylvania, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by eventual general election victor Ed Rendell. After being term-limited out of his position as Auditor General, Casey was elected Treasurer in the 2004 election. Casey defeated two-term Republican incumbent Rick Santorum in the 2006 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania. He was reelected in 2012 and 2018, becoming Pennsylvania's first ever Democrat to win a third consecutive term in the Senate.


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paheroes/support

No Barriers Warriors helps Veterans redefine their identity, purpose, and community as they face past and present challenges.

Our Veterans’ programs serve as both an opportunity for growth and a catalyst for change as these brave men and women stretch physical and emotional boundaries, foster camaraderie, push through adversity, and step up to serve others.  No Barriers Warriors programs are FREE, for Veterans with service connected disabilities.  Learn more about our Essential Eligibility Criteria to see if a Warriors program is right for you.

The Problem

According to a 2019 Department of Veteran Affairs study, while the Veteran population is declining, the percentage of Veterans with a service connected disability has been steadily rising.  These injuries, both visible and invisible, add to the potential struggle a Veteran can face after transitioning out of military service, and reintegrating into their civilian communities.

Our Solution

Using the No Barriers life philosophy, we craft an experience that challenges Veterans to critically think about where they are in life, where they want to be, and how to get there.  This experience gives them new tools, strategies, and drive to overcome barriers that are holding them back – as well as a new support team that will be with them throughout the program.

Warriors programs are separated into two categories: At-Home and Expeditions. Our At-Home programs are a perfect way to engage with the Veteran community, as well as work through self-improvement, from a space of your choosing.  Expeditions are adventure based trips, where we bring Veterans to us, to take a deep dive into the No Barriers Life, while challenging them to overcome some serious obstacles in the wilderness.


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paheroes/support

Pocono 3C is a program designed to give persons who are homeless, or in danger of becoming homeless, a job and case work, to get back up on their feet. These individuals often face difficulties finding work due to not having an ID or address, not having a bank account, or having a minor criminal record, to name a few. To help them overcome these obstacles, Pocono 3C provides them with work picking up litter in Monroe County. This not only gives them an income at the end of every workday but provides them with experience and references for a résumé. In addition to the job, they will be provided lunch the days that they work and case management.

Please visit their website to learn more: https://www.poconomountains.com/pick-up-the-poconos/pocono-3c/


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paheroes/support

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the

Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) announced today that a new

Pennsylvania law waives the requirement for Pennsylvania residents who are current and

former military members and who operated a commercial vehicle as part of their duties, to take

a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Knowledge Test when applying for a CDL. Previous

legislation – Act 133 of 2008 – established a waiver of the CDL skills test for these individuals.

“We are pleased to announce this important change and hope that it helps military members in

their transition to civilian life find good-paying, sustainable employment to begin their new lives,”

said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian.

Act 131 of 2020 allows the PennDOT to waive the CDL Knowledge Test for Pennsylvania

residents on active or reserve military duty or recently honorably discharged veterans, provided

those service members have at least two years of experience operating a commercial motor

vehicle as part of their military job requirements.

The waiver applies to CDL applicants who wish to operate vehicles similar to those they

operated in the military. For example, those who drove combination type commercial (Class A)

motor vehicles in the military will be eligible in Pennsylvania for a waiver to drive a combination

type vehicle and those who drove a single motor vehicle of commercial type (Class B) in the

military will be eligible in Pennsylvania for the waiver to drive that type of vehicle. Applicants

must complete form DL-398, “Application for Military CDL Test Waiver,” to request the waiver.

Doubles, triples and school bus endorsements cannot be waived under this program. PennDOT

will waive the knowledge test specified, subject to the limitations in the 49 Code of Federal

Regulation Section 383.77, to an applicant who meets all the requirements for a waiver.

“Service members gain many valuable skills in the military that translate well into the civilian job

sector,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s acting adjutant general and acting head

of the DMVA. “This program is a huge opportunity to assist our veterans and service members

with these skills to get good jobs as Pennsylvania is critically short in CDL drivers.”

Military personnel and veterans interested in taking advantage of the CDL skills and knowledge

test waivers can find further information by visiting www.dmv.pa.gov, click on Driver Services

and choose Military Personnel Veterans from the dropdown. Form DL-398 can be found under

Forms and Publications on the homepage.


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paheroes/support

Co-Founder/Executive Director of the LRJ Foundation, Teressa Ruspi was born and raised in Pennsylvania and currently resides in Georgia. Graduate of Marywood University, Pennsylvania, with a Bachelors in Nutrition & Dietetics, current grad student at Mercer University attaining her Masters in Leadership with a focus on nonprofit management , a motivational speaker, a mother of three, and in her spare time its an fitness enthusiast and obstacle course racer. Teressa’s vision is to share with you what her unstoppable team strives for each day. A team who’s mission is to transform the attitudes, choices, and behaviors of our youth and community though the most important element we were born for, “connection”. Which they call their most powerful tool to the puzzle pieces of, suicide prevention. 

Be sure to follow Teressa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for even more great information!


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paheroes/support

Co-Founder/Executive Director of the LRJ Foundation, Teressa Ruspi was born and raised in Pennsylvania and currently resides in Georgia. Graduate of Marywood University, Pennsylvania, with a Bachelors in Nutrition & Dietetics, current grad student at Mercer University attaining her Masters in Leadership with a focus on nonprofit management , a motivational speaker, a mother of three, and in her spare time its an fitness enthusiast and obstacle course racer. Teressa’s vision is to share with you what her unstoppable team strives for each day. A team who’s mission is to transform the attitudes, choices, and behaviors of our youth and community though the most important element we were born for, “connection”. Which they call their most powerful tool to the puzzle pieces of, suicide prevention.
Be sure to follow Teressa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for even more great information!

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/paheroes/support