Working as an Arizona State Park Ranger isn't just a job for Army veteran Carlos Garcia, it's a second chance.
Under a program the state launched in partnership with a host of public and private agencies to put homeless veterans to work, he is earning $12 an hour and living in a FEMA trailer. He is taking part in the Arizona Action Plan to End Homelessness Among Veterans, and he said it has changed his life.
“I was homeless,” Garcia said. “I was out of work for about two years and I had gotten into a little bit of trouble so this program boosted me, my morale -- it's just helped me out a lot. I'm glad to be working again.”
Garcia is one of four veterans participating in the pilot program that helps veterans get off the streets by making them park rangers. He currently works and lives at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, in Cottonwood.
Bryan Martyn, executive director of Arizona’s State Parks, and himself an Air Force veteran who flew special ops, said taxpayers get a good deal when the state hires veterans.
“I know the skill sets the veterans have," Martyn said. "I know they can do this job.”Read the rest of the story HERE and view a related video below:
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