“We began as military spouses coming together to help each other stay strong during a crazy time. We supported each others’ families financially, emotionally, physically, and through life transitions so their service members could remain focused on their missions.”
Seventeen years later, this year’s GovCon Awards’ Charity Partner, Hope For The Warriors, has become an international force supporting military families, veterans, and the corporate world for the betterment of all. We recently sat down with Robin Kelleher, President and CEO, to discuss the organization’s work.
Today headquartered in Northern Virginia, Hope for the Warriors was founded in 2006 by military families based at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. “The founders witnessed firsthand the effects war imparts on service members and their families. We realized that while the military is focused on its mission, it was up to our community to focus on military family needs.”
The non-profit’s programs have since expanded to include all aspects of military life, including helping veterans transition into the corporate world. “The GovCon industry has a high percentage of veterans working within it. It’s a natural transition for veterans to shift from the military into a GovCon role because, in many ways, they’re still serving. Veterans still have the pulse of the military and that elite sense of purpose and mission, which makes hiring a veteran for GovCon a smart business decision.”
Transitioning out of the military has challenges, and that’s where Hope For The Warriors can step in and lend a hand. Their programs are designed to work with veterans and corporate partners alike to ease the transition process. In addition to mentoring and training veterans, Hope for the Warriors works directly with corporations to create customized hiring and employee programs.
“We’ll work with companies one-on-one to help them develop a veteran hiring program. Our work could include creating a custom training program or training their human resources team on veteran hiring language. We’re not geographically limited, and many of our corporate partners work with us on a national scale.”
The non-profit also works with companies and staff on volunteer activities. Its 30x30 Memorial Day Challenge encourages 30 minutes of activity for 30 days in May to honor and remember the fallen. Dozens of Northern Virginia businesses and corporations united employees to take up the challenge in 45 states nationwide and internationally.
Despite its growth, the non-profit is still laser-focused on its mission. It dedicates $.92 for every dollar donated to programming, and 70% of its staff members are veterans or military spouses. “Hope For The Warriors is a family united by our shared conviction of honor and sacrifice.”
