My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been working for the VSO, since August of last year. I was down on my luck, trying to live off my disability pay (which, at that point was only $243.00 a MONTH!), about to give up on myself and my own life. I felt like no one cared. I connected the local DAV, who, in my state had one primary focus: transporting Veterans to/from their appointments at the VAMC, that was all I knew that they did. One of the members of the DAV bought me groceries a couple of times, but because I had no utilities at all for 9 months, anything cold had to be eaten by 3 days, or it would spoil. At that point, I would WALK 10 miles/day, to go use a computer at a local college library. The VSO was set up outside a local Sam's Club, and offered me a job AND housing. I discussed this with the DAV, they basically turned me over to the VSO July of last year. They contacted the Chapter Manager on a Sunday, and they was impressed with the fact that the Chapter Manager was willing to drive up to meet me, and I began to fill out all the required paperwork. Within 3 days, I had a room at the VSO house in Snellville, and started working with the VSO. I was without a job for over 2 years, figuring with several years of experience within the retail environment, I would have no problem finding a job anywhere. Guess what? WRONG ANSWER!!

My two brothers and I lost our Mom to cancer on December 7, 2010. I was working at a Kmart in Athens, GA., and relocated to be closer to my family. I would research employment daily, go to the Department of Labor (either the office or the website), put in several applications/resumes within my qualifications, and wasted my time for over 2+ years. The VSO offered me a place to stay, all utilities that I was without for 9 months is included in the rent, plus a rewarding job. I was excited!

When I began to work for the VSO, yes, we was paid commission, but we changed that last October. We get paid every 2 weeks, via Direct Deposit, minimum wage. If we collect starting over a certain amount, we either get a bonus or overtime, which ever pays more. We had a representative from the Department of Labor come to our office every other Thursday, to help us with employment outside of the VSO, some of my coworkers took this opportunity, and have been employed with rewarding careers, and left the organization completely. It met their needs.

Yes, people with little or no knowledge will complain about us, and other Veteran related organizations. I've seen it first hand, I've experienced things myself. Each State has policies that govern how, where, when we can collect donations. In Georgia, each binder has all the required documentations we are required by law, to carry on our person every location that we collect at. We had a Certification of Authority, that allowed us to collect donations in Georgia. We did out of town road trips for a couple days per month, so we can collect in various cities in Georgia, we all had our store sheets, with approval to be at whatever location we was at. For example, I can't just set up my bucket at say a grocery store in Brunswick, GA. We have permission from the management, it is on the store sheet, usually two weeks in advance. There is a LOT that goes into what we do, that you won't see, unless you are at the offices itself. There is a LOT of "behind the scenes" work that goes on, that helps each worker out. Last year, at two malls, we had to pay to rent out a table inside the mall, not only to collect donations, but to ask people to sign Christmas Cards for hospitalized Veterans. No one saw our Chapter Manager, along with one of our room mates, and I go to the VAMC in Dublin, GA, except for the Veterans who was there, and the staff at this hospital. We passed out Christmas Presents, along with the signed Christmas Cards, to the Veterans there. If you could see the faces of the Veterans at the hospital, you would know what it was like. Trust me, seeing their eyes swell up, tears rolling off their faces, because people wrote to them on the cards. It is an experience that I will never forget.

Fast forward to February of 2013. One of my friends has an organization located in South Georgia, within less than a month, they responded to roughly 5 house fires. I asked my friend if anybody affected by these fires are a Veteran or not. She replied that at that point she didn't know, but they had to leave, to respond to a house fire. Four hours later, she came back online, and told me that the fire that they just responded to belonged to a 63 year old female Marine (USMC) Veteran, who was taking care of her 12 year old grandson and 13 year old granddaughter. I asked her if the Red Cross did anything at all to help them out, she said, "Yes...they put them up in a motel room for 3 days, and after that, they are own their own." I'm thinking, "Really? Three days? That gives them enough time to do WHAT exactly? Find a place to live just by snapping their fingers?"
So, I went to our VSO Office, on a day off, and discussed the situation with my Chapter Manager. He was upset, because, due to people misusing funds provided by grants, we can't offer grants at that time period (we went from grants to gift program around mid-January of 2013, I'm not sure IF we offer grants at this point or not, I'm the wrong person to ask about that, sorry. I'm just being honest here).
I was like, dude, we got all these boxes and bags all over the place, just sitting here. We can do something with that, and he agreed! I called my fiance, and also my friend, to tell them we can help them with clothes! I was given their clothes sizes per person, and a friend/coworker and I started our mission to find everything to get them back on their feet, just with clothes! We also found back packs for the children, one of them got a soccer ball, the other one got a puzzle! It was just something small to help them get their minds of the house fire, so they can have fun! Two days later, after I washed and dried all the clothes, we was on our way towards the Brunswick/Jesup area of Georgia, not only to work, but for me to give the boxes of clothes to my friends, so they can give them to this family.

How many of you reading this knew that we did that? Okay then, now you do!

Sadly to say, due to our New Chapter Manager not really doing his job, we had to temporarily shut our chapter down in Georgia, it will reopen sometime in the upcoming year, and I hope to be there when it does! However, for me, a Disabled Navy Veteran, I went from living in the VSO House in Georgia, to residing in the Veterans New Life Haven in Fort Lauderdale. All of us in the Georgia Chapter had an option of moving here, keeping our jobs, and STILL have a place to stay, OR we can collect unemployment. I did NOT want to be back living on the streets until my disability pay arrived (even though it was via Direct Deposit, it was 2 days AFTER the date we had to make up our minds), not even for 2 days. I wanted to remain with the VSO, live here in Florida, and gain more learning experience as I work behind the bucket.

I've seen a LOT of people's lives changed for the better, go from homelessness and hopelessness to having their pride restored...A pride they once had and lost...I know this firsthand, because I USED to be one of them myself, but thanks to the VSO, not anymore!! I love what I do, I love to interact with others, I get to travel, which was similar to being in the Navy all over again! If you was to see me a couple years ago, I had no pride. I didn't care anymore, I was about to give up. Thank you for being there for me, when I needed someone.

And, possibly another thing that you may/may not know:

Before anyone can work for the VSO, they have to pass a drug test. Sometimes we are randomly tested. I've done this a couple times here and there, and of course, I passed the tests. Just like I did when it was a requirement in the Military. True, not everyone who works for the VSO is a Veteran, however, pretty much most, if not all of the Non-Veterans has someone in their family who was, or currently is, in the Military. On our required name tags, it has the VSO logo, our name, and if we are a Veteran, it states which branch of the Military we served in; otherwise it will say NON-VETERAN on the name tags. We do NOT use the id tags from the VA, that is illegal. We do what is required by the laws (which may vary per state, and even two different cities) everything we are supposed to do. In our binders, we have what we simply call a "pie chart," it tells you right there how much of the donations goes towards what.

The VSO doesn't hire anyone outside the VSO to represent us. Why should we pay a professional solicitation company to do what we do? That would mean a LOT of what we collect goes to that. We don't mail anything out, we don't pay entertainers to do a commercial for us, and we don't need to. We are doing this four days a week, in front of preapproved locations, so we can earn some source of income. It has helped me out a lot. Since working with the VSO, I paid off a laptop that I purchased from Aaron's rental. I got a much better cell phone that meets my personal needs (with the money I get paid from working). I bought my fiance a tablet pc recently, and mailed it to her a couple weeks ago. Since I am diabetic, I have to have certain foods, which is usually costlier than what I can't eat, and I have had to go to various VA Clinics and Hospitals, because I wasn't taking care of my health as I should have. That was MY fault, I take the responsibility and the actions for it myself. Guess what? My Chapter Manager, along with Richard VanHouten (the President/Founder of the VSO), and Justin Wells (the Director of Operations for the VSO), was very concerned about my health. They was telling me that I should go to the VA Clinic or Hospital, so I can focus on my health, and not worry about work. It showed me right then and there that they are very understanding, down to earth people. They wanted me to put my own needs first, and not worry about anything else. It will take care of itself.

So, in my time with the VSO, I've come to realize some things:

We are here for Veterans. Our primary focus is on homeless Veterans, but we want to help you and your family out. We have no membership costs either, so don't worry about that!

It doesn't matter if you are: a Homeless Veteran, a Disabled Veteran, a Wounded Veteran, it doesn't matter what war you fought in, if you're a combat Veteran or not. What matters to the VSO more than anything else is: you are a Veteran. That's it. It doesn't get any more easier than that.

About the Veterans New Life Haven:

It is a 100+ bed facility for Veterans, regardless if you are a female or male Veteran, it's there for you, to help you get off the streets, and back into the workforce. If you are struggling with addictions, of any kind, we have great state members who can assist you with that! You don't have to pay rent at all for the first week. Part of the donations cover that. If you don't have a job, then talk to the counselor here, she can help you or point you in the right direction. That's what we are here for - we are here for our VETERANS!!

One thing I love about the founder of the VSO is, as soon as a problem arises, he does what is needed to correct it, as fast as he can. He can't be everywhere at once at all, no one can, but he takes the correct measures to do what he can to fix and resolve all these issues. We have helped out with the Camp Trotter for Kids in the past, with money collected from donations. Last year, the Georgia Chapter gave the Commander of the DAV an motorized wheelchair that was donated to us. They had a use for it, we didn't. We just had what they needed. We don't bad mouth other organizations, and if they have any problems with us let's resolve it as soon as we can. Don't waste precious time on what doesn't matter, let's work together as Veterans, so we can help as many Veterans as we can. That's more important, don't you agree?

More Feedback