Last week the Veterans Business Resource Center announced a new program that gives the agency “an opportunity to expand what we do,” Darcella Craven, executive director of the center, said at a press conference in front of its offices on Lindell in Midtown.
This new program, Hero to Home, was jump-started by a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation as part of what Gary McLaughlin, Walmart area manager, described as a “five-year, $10 million commitment to our veterans to find employment or become entrepreneurs.”
That “find employment” mission is what is new to the Veterans Business Resource Center, which was established in 2004 to assist all U.S. military veterans, Guard or Reserve members and active-duty personnel transitioning to civilian life to start businesses or expand existing companies.
Craven has found that not all veterans are cut out to be entrepreneurs.
“Sometimes our clients get to the end of our process and say, ‘You know what? opening a small business is not for me,’” Craven said.
“Sometimes what we do is help vets decide they need a career transition into employment. With this new program, we will be able to continue to serve our military men and women throughout this entire process.”
Given how fast an agency can burn through $50,000, Craven challenged “other organizations to step up and help us support our veterans in their entrepreneurial and employment efforts.”
According to the center, Missouri veterans currently are unemployed at a significantly higher rate (11 percent), then their non-military counterparts. They often find themselves incarcerated, homeless, depressed and, in extreme cases, suicidal after military service. The divorce rate for military families is significant and, unfortunately, domestic violence is prevalent. It takes an average of six months for people to transition from military to civilian work.
Walmart’s contribution to the center was made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s Missouri State Giving Program. Last year in Missouri, Walmart, Sam’s Club locations and the Walmart Foundation awarded more than $30.3 million to local organizations
Veterans participate in the Hero to Home program free of charge. For additional information, visit www.vetbiz.com.
