Celebrating the American Veteran
The end of May, the unofficial start of summer, the generally accepted start of the barbecue season, but more important the celebration of the American Veteran. Since the end of the Civil War, Memorial Day has been a time to remember those who have served and those who gave all to protect our country.
Walmart has supported the needs of our nation’s veterans, military men and women and their families. Through local and national organizations Walmart works to address many of their unmet needs, one of the most immediate needs is employment after they leave the military. They are working to help veterans transition into civilian opportunities through job fairs and programs throughout the organization.
In the past year Walmart has doubled its’ commitment to support our veteran’s access to education, job training and reintegration assistance to $20 million through the Walmart Foundation.
A few examples of the Foundation’s recent support:
• American Council on Education (ACE) – The Walmart Foundation awarded ACE $2.5 million to support 20 Success for Veterans grants. The grants went to institutions advancing access and success in higher education for veterans and their families.
• Veterans Green Jobs – Through its ongoing partnership, the Walmart Foundation has awarded a total of $1.25 million to Veterans Green Jobs to support the development of four training sites, which will help veterans develop green job training skills.
• Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) Program – The Walmart Foundation’s donation of $1 million will help send 300 veterans with disabilities to entrepreneurship bootcamp at one of seven major university partners. It will also facilitate the expansion of the program to two additional schools and support small business training for more than 100 military family members.
• SCORE Foundation– The Walmart Foundation donated $500,000 to support the new “Veteran Fast Launch” initiative. The program will help accelerate veterans’ ability to start a business and succeed as small business owners. Training and mentoring will also be available to the families of veterans.
• Goodwill Industries International – The Walmart Foundation awarded $1 million to support three Goodwill® headquarter agencies through Goodwill’s Operation: GoodJobs program. The program will connect 600 veterans and their families with job training and placement, but also plan for each participant’s continued success by supporting the entire family’s personal and financial goals.
So enjoy that backyard barbecue and make those summer plans but don’t forget to give thanks to our veterans at the same time.
Disclosure: This post is part of a campaign I am participating in with the Walmart Moms. Walmart has provided me with compensation and product for this post. My participation is voluntary and opinions, as always are my own.
