The Royal Newlyweds to Join ServiceNation: Mission Serve at July 10 Veteran and Military Spouse Hiring Fair & Service Project at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiceNation: Mission Serve is pleased to announce the participation of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at a hiring fair and service project at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, California. Co-hosted by the U.S. and Los Angeles Area Chambers of Commerce, "Hiring our Heroes Los Angeles" will be the biggest of the 100 hiring fairs the Chambers are holding across the country through March of 2012. The Royal Couple will also join a service project – in partnership with Blue Star Families and the USO – to create 1,000 care packages for military children, as well as attend a special reception for supporters and champions of the cause.

The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry is The Princes' primary charitable vehicle and has as one of its core aims to raise awareness and support for the Servicemen and women who put their lives on the line for their Country. A key part of this focus will be to assist efforts to ensure the best possible re-integration and employment of veterans and military families. The Foundation recognizes the tremendous work being done on this in the United States, led by The First Lady and Dr. Biden through their Joining Forces initiative.

As a result, The Foundation is delighted to be partnering with ServiceNation: Mission Serve for the Veteran and Military Spouse Hiring Fair and Service project. Foundation Chief Executive Nick Booth said, "The Servicemen and women of this country have fought alongside our colleagues from the United States, and this is a great opportunity to explore ways we might also be able to work together on the key task of re-integration. We hope to be able to learn from all the tremendous work that is being done, as well as be able to support through the Foundation projects that help ensure veterans and military families have the best possible support as they re-enter civilian life."

Mrs. Patty Shinseki, a military spouse for 38 years and an Advisor to Joining Forces – the campaign launched recently by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden – will also be serving that day.

Mission Serve, ServiceNation's civilian-military initiative, is a network of organizations dedicated to bringing together civilian and military communities through service and volunteerism. "We are absolutely thrilled that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will join us in supporting and engaging our nation's heroes in the workplace and in service," said ServiceNation Executive Director Greg Propper. "We are working to inspire a powerful culture of service in America, and the July 10 hiring fair and service project offers a tremendous advancement in this effort."

Taking place on Sunday, July 10, 2011 from 9:00am – 4:00pm, the hiring fair is set to make a significant difference in the state of California, with over 100,000 veterans seeking jobs in California alone. The U.S. and Los Angeles Area Chambers of Commerce are working closely with ServiceNation: Mission Serve, Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training and Service (DOL VETS), Department of Defense's Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), Employment Development Department (EDD) of the State of California, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and United Way of Los Angeles, to ensure this is a premier event for the 200 employers and 1500 veterans and military spouses attending.

As host and a primary sponsor for the event at their historic Culver City, Ca. studio lot, Sony Pictures has long been committed to Corporate Social Responsibility. Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said: "It is an honor to have Their Royal Highnesses and ServiceNation: Mission Serve here on our historic studio lot to help veterans and military spouses find work, an especially urgent task in this economy. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to veterans and military families for their sacrifices, and so we are proud to play a small role in this great mission."

For individuals who would like to support Mission Serve, please text MISSION to 85944 to donate $10.

Companies or individuals that are interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact Greg Propper at [email protected] or 323-964-9542.

For employers that would like to take part in this unique opportunity to connect with veterans and military spouses, register on-line at http://www.regonline.com/HiringHeroesinLA.  Participating employers should have job opportunities available and will be expected to report the following metrics to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce after the hiring fair: number of applications received; number of veterans and military spouses offered jobs; and most importantly, the number of veterans and spouses hired by your company.

About ServiceNation: Mission Serve

Mission Serve (www.missionserve.org), led by Operation Enduring Freedom-veteran Ross Cohen, is the civilian-military initiative of ServiceNation, a campaign to increase service opportunities and elevate service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy in our society. Mission Serve connects civilian and military communities through a broad array of service and volunteer partnerships, designed to address the challenges of our nation and our military communities. The initiative's two strategic goals include engaging civilians, active duty/retired military personnel and military families to meet the many critical needs of our nation and, in particular, the needs of the military community; as well as integrating our nation's military community into service alongside the civilian community. On Veterans Day 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and Mrs. Alma Powell joined Mission Serve in Washington, DC to launch our efforts at The George Washington University, celebrating 36 civilian-military service partnerships. Mission Serve's Founding Chair, Colonel Rob Gordon (US Army Ret.), currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.

SOURCE ServiceNation