Working Warrior Foundation
Donation protected
OUR MISSION
Empowering U.S. Veterans to succeed while helping businesses thrive
The Working Warrior Foundation a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was founded out of necessity. Necessity to take care of America’s heroes transitioning or that have transitioned from the military to civilian life. Veterans of the United States Armed Forces number 21.4 million men and women. These brave warriors have proudly defended America’s interests and protected her freedom, yet many are unemployed and homeless today.
George Washington once stated that “the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation”. It is immoral that the issue of veteran unemployment and homelessness exists at all but that it exists in staggering numbers is unbelievable and unforgivable. Ironically it is these unemployed and homeless veterans who have thanklessly sacrificed to protect the rights and freedom for all Americans.
The United States military separates between 240,000 and 360,000 service members each year. There is a real potential these numbers will explode as the U.S. military separates its personnel from military duty in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is tens of thousands of American men and women, who have proudly defended America’s interests and given fight to the enemy that now must fight to find a job. This is no exaggeration, a collaborative survey conducted by Prudential Financial and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) of 1,845 Gulf War-era II Veterans showed the unique challenges veterans encountered when faced with the transition back to civilian life. 69% of those surveyed listed ‘finding a job’ as their greatest challenge in their transition to civilian life, while 64% said they had a difficult time with the transition.
Veterans’ unemployment is not an isolated issue, but rather one that has broad effects on veterans, their families, and our communities. Research points out, that employment post-separation from the military helps define the health and welfare of veterans and their families. In the military, everything is structured. When Veterans return home, if they go into a job or schooling, they at least maintain some semblance of rules expected to be followed. If they go home to a “free for all,” it is too drastic of a change.
The unemployment of veterans is associated with other societal difficulties and risk factors that veterans face, such as homelessness, substance abuse, trouble with the law, and mental health issues. Helping veterans find meaningful employment within their communities not only supports both veterans and their families’ economic and social well-being but also the broader economic and social well-being of the community. According to the survey, 80% of veterans surveyed expressed concern that they find a job that is meaningful to them.
Empowering U.S. Veterans to succeed while helping businesses thrive
The Working Warrior Foundation a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was founded out of necessity. Necessity to take care of America’s heroes transitioning or that have transitioned from the military to civilian life. Veterans of the United States Armed Forces number 21.4 million men and women. These brave warriors have proudly defended America’s interests and protected her freedom, yet many are unemployed and homeless today.
George Washington once stated that “the willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation”. It is immoral that the issue of veteran unemployment and homelessness exists at all but that it exists in staggering numbers is unbelievable and unforgivable. Ironically it is these unemployed and homeless veterans who have thanklessly sacrificed to protect the rights and freedom for all Americans.
The United States military separates between 240,000 and 360,000 service members each year. There is a real potential these numbers will explode as the U.S. military separates its personnel from military duty in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is tens of thousands of American men and women, who have proudly defended America’s interests and given fight to the enemy that now must fight to find a job. This is no exaggeration, a collaborative survey conducted by Prudential Financial and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) of 1,845 Gulf War-era II Veterans showed the unique challenges veterans encountered when faced with the transition back to civilian life. 69% of those surveyed listed ‘finding a job’ as their greatest challenge in their transition to civilian life, while 64% said they had a difficult time with the transition.
Veterans’ unemployment is not an isolated issue, but rather one that has broad effects on veterans, their families, and our communities. Research points out, that employment post-separation from the military helps define the health and welfare of veterans and their families. In the military, everything is structured. When Veterans return home, if they go into a job or schooling, they at least maintain some semblance of rules expected to be followed. If they go home to a “free for all,” it is too drastic of a change.
The unemployment of veterans is associated with other societal difficulties and risk factors that veterans face, such as homelessness, substance abuse, trouble with the law, and mental health issues. Helping veterans find meaningful employment within their communities not only supports both veterans and their families’ economic and social well-being but also the broader economic and social well-being of the community. According to the survey, 80% of veterans surveyed expressed concern that they find a job that is meaningful to them.
Organizer
Mark Simon
Organizer
Pittsburgh, PA
