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For veterans in a bind, civilian group moves to the front line with help

Scott E. Allen was at a tough place in his life when he found the guys at the G.I. Go Fund.

The Marine staff sergeant was unable to get a job and about to be kicked out of an abandoned house in Sun City, Calif., that his family was occupying.

A 13-year career left Allen, 39, with a ruptured Achilles tendon and nerve pain from two discs in his lower back.

In June, disheartened and almost penniless, Allen signed on to Twitter in search of help.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, an avid Twitter user, responded and sent Allen's information to the nonprofit G.I. Go Fund, located in the basement of Newark City Hall.

Within days, founder and executive director Jack Fanous, 29, of East Brunswick connected Allen by phone with a Veterans Affairs administrator in Washington who was able to get his case out of the backlog of claims.

Since 2006, the guys at the G.I. Go Fund have fought to get veterans the services they need, providing everything from groceries to guidance, all in the name of their close friend who died in Iraq.

"I went from nothing happening at all to having everything happen really fast," Allen said.

Soon after the intervention of the G.I. Go Fund, he received a phone call from the VA in California to schedule an appointment to advance his case.

"What's weird about it is that I have no bond with them at all," Allen said. "What motivates them to be so passionate like that?"

There are numerous support groups around the country where veterans help other veterans, but the G.I. Go Fund is unique in that its members did not serve in the military.

Fanous, 29, and his brother James, 23, of East Brunswick, and co-founders Nick, 28, and Alex Manis, 26, of South Brunswick, a civilian band of brothers, can often be found at veterans outreach events throughout the state dressed in a uniform of dark suits.

Their motivation to help veterans is inspired by the memory of their friend, Army 2nd Lt. Seth Dvorin, of South Brunswick, who died in early 2004 in Iraq when trying to dismantle a roadside bomb.

Jack Fanous, Nick Manis and Dvorin all went to South Brunswick High School together. Fanous and Dvorin played Thanksgiving football games in the field near their home and the Goldeneye video game in Dvorin's basement. They were in on inside jokes together and teased each other relentlessly, from elementary school through Rutgers University. Dvorin enlisted in the Army after college. Fanous didn't.

"Wherever we go, we take Seth's memory with us," said Fanous, "and that's why we do it."

Honoring a friend

The four came together through e-mails, phone calls and dinners in the months after Dvorin's death and discussed how best to honor his memory.

Now the members of the G.I. Go Fund work out of donated office space in the basement of Newark City Hall.

"I am unaware of any organization that consistently works for veterans like they do," said Gary Englert, director of veterans services for the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

DMAVA has reimbursed the G.I. Go Fund for thousands of dollars in the last couple of years as part of the Yellow Ribbon Grant. The grant provides up to $5,000 in emergency financial support for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Money is used for everything from paying rent and mortgages to diapers and car repairs.

Recently, the G.I. Go Fund organized a job fair, which was attended by 4,000 veterans, in Atlantic City and has plans for another. It also is working on a guide to translate military occupational specialties to civilian job responsibilities, and is exploring how to better use social media like Twitter, Facebook and online chat programs to help veterans.

"These guys have essentially missed a year of their lives," Fanous said. "We are just trying to help them get it back."

Veterans walk in off the street after meeting with their council members or after being recommended by congressional representatives or counselors.

Steven Rivera, 30, of Newark was recommended by his social worker at the East Orange hospital. She suggested he go to the office to get help with a resume.

Alex Manis was seated at a computer under a large framed replica of the Constitution.

The graduate of Rutgers Business School coaxed Rivera to expound upon his duties as a sous-chef and baker aboard an amphibious assault ship during his nearly 10 years in the Navy.

"Keep going, there's more," said Manis, as Rivera listed his myriad responsibilities, which included serving up to 12,000 meals a day. "This is the military."

"I highly doubt a civilian would have served 12,000 meals in a year," Manis said. "This is what we are trying to tap into right now."

If the VA were a father figure, said Rivera, the G.I. Go Fund and the staff "would be kind of like an older brother."

Five veterans walked into the office and three phoned that day, some seeking job help, another to pick up an emergency grocery card, and another for advice on how to take advantage of the new educational bill for veterans.

"Whenever I help any veteran, any soldier that comes in here, I treat them as if I'm helping Seth, or at least I try to," Fanous said. "Because if he asked me anything, I wouldn't say no."

Allen is still in a tough situation, but he said is heartened by the support from the people on the other side of the country.

"I can't even tell you how good it feels to know there are people out there who have your back," Allen said. "I wasn't getting anywhere with doing this on my own."

Tomas Dinges may be reached at (973) 392-1544 or tdinges@starledger.com.