On March 22, 2024, Education & Health Centers of America, Inc.’s (EHCA) Director of Veteran Services, Mr. Robert Looby, received the First Region’s Mary Roebling Service Award, presented by the Association of the United States Army (AUSA).
Mr. Looby, a proud United States Army Veteran, was recognized for his outstanding service and dedication to the veteran community.
His contributions to the veteran community include:
- Raised and directly purchased $165,000 in furnishings for a 44-bedroom homeless veteran building addition at Veterans Haven South. Subsequently, coordinated a total of $3,000,000 of donations for homeless veterans. As a result, received 6 National Homeless Veteran Outreach Awards, as judged by the National Veterans Affairs (VA) headquarters and National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV). These efforts initiated the New Jersey chapter of the American Legion’s homeless program, which continues today.
- Designer and Author of KOVA, “Keep Our Veterans Alive,” which currently serves as the only New Jersey statewide veteran suicide awareness program, conducting 4 statewide and many regional events in the community.
- Initiated and managed 75 Homeless Veteran Stand Downs, Veteran Career Fairs, and Veteran Resource Fairs.
- Managed and conducted 16 Boots to Business Workshops in conjunction with Syracuse University and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
- Designed and implemented the Education & Health Centers of America, Inc. (EHCA) Incarcerated Veterans Initiative (IVI), wherein 800 veterans have been assisted while still “behind the walls” with military discharges, Veteran Affairs (VA) registration, employment, housing and mentoring after release.
- Key contributor and organizer in hosting 26 “Hiring Our Heroes” Career Fairs with 5,257 veterans in attendance and a total of 1,052 hired veterans to date.
- Key contributor and organizer in hosting 10 American Legion Career Fairs with 708 veterans in attendance and a total of 509 hired veterans to date.
- Key contributor and organizer in hosting a dedicated Longshoreman Career Fair with 400 veterans hired, and leading to the first National Employer of the Year. A second award was facilitated with the largest auto mall in New Jersey.
- Key contributor and organizer in hosting 5 dedicated Casino Career Fairs for veterans.
- Hosted 9 Resource (Veteran Benefits) Fairs with a total of 785 veterans in attendance.
- Hosted 16 Stand Downs with a total of 958 homeless and at-risk veterans in attendance.
- A total of 1,006 individual homeless cases were managed, in addition to all Stand Downs.
- A total of 453 DD214’s Discharges obtained for veterans in need.
- Received two New Jersey Meritorious Service Medals in the past, AUSA’s (Association of the US Army) Distinguished Service Award—with recognition as the “#1 Veterans Advocate in the Northeast Region.”
In addition to the AUSA’s – First Region’s Mary Roebling Service Award, Mr. Looby received a congratulatory proclamation letter from the New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy (pictured below).
On behalf of Education & Health Centers of America, Inc., we recognize Mr. Robert Looby for his outstanding accomplishments in the veteran community and we congratulate him for this well-deserved award! CONGRATULATIONS from all of us at EHCA!
