Building a Military Affairs Initiative

United Way of Greater HoustonJune 2014

Presenters

Cornelius Blackshear 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE

Curtis McMinnUnited Way Community Impact

Objectives

• Identify ways you can build a veterans initiative in your community

• Leveraging I&R and established partnerships to address veterans gaps

• Using Community Conversations to engage veterans and define a direction for your initiative

United Way of Greater Houston

• More than 90 years serving our community• 50+ million a year in programs– Seniors independence– Strengthen families and neighborhoods– Individuals rebuilding their lives– Developing children and youth to their full potential

• Key role in convening organizations and building collaboration across the community

Background

• Growing population of military personnel in Harris County

• Increasing numbers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) conflicts

• Unique needs for this generation of veterans

United Way’s Military Affairs Initiative Timeline

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Awarded Triad Grant San Antonio Area Foundation

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Veterans’ Study and Response

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BACKGROUND (2008 -2010)

Awarded Triad Grant San Antonio Area Foundation• Hired a 2-1-1 Veteran Specialist

• Provided military specific services and advocacy in Harris County

• Created Returning Veteran’s Guide (RVI Guide)• Participated in Gulf Coast Veteran Initiative

• 2-1-1 United Way• Gathered military specific data • Increased knowledge of 2-1-1 workforce on military

needs and available services

BACKGROUND (2011-Present)

• Hired Additional 2-1-1 Veteran Specialist • Increase military specific services and advocacy to

include all of the Gulf Coast Region• Address information gaps, make appropriate referral

connections and strengthen collaborations with veteran service providers

• 2-1-1 United Way• Education and outreach training for service providers • Utilize United Way’s convening expertise to bring

veteran service groups together

Military Statistics (2013)Cities Sum

HOUSTON 37824

SPRING 1880

KATY 1408

HUMBLE 1395

BAYTOWN 863

PASADENA 791

MISSOURI CITY 736

CYPRESS 687

CONROE 633

GALVESTON 555

PEARLAND 402

TEXAS CITY 371

RICHMOND 364

DEER PARK 348

LA PORTE 334

SUGAR LAND 333

ARLINGTON 327

WEBSTER 321

DICKINSON 315

CROSBY 313

TOMBALL 301

WACO 276

CHANNELVIEW 266

MONTGOMERY 260

AMARILLO 258

LEAGUE CITY 256

KINGWOOD 255

STAFFORD 250

ROSENBERG 246

ALVIN 243

CLEVELAND 243

Type Sum

Veteran 49748

Active Duty 1990

Grand Total 51738

Service Branch Sum

Army 28667

Navy 9735

Air Force 6438

Marine Corps 5305

National Guard 1228

Coast Guard 364

Military Branch 1

Grand Total 51738

Community OS Taxonomy (2013)Taxonomy Sum

Electric Service Payment Assistance 8461

Rent Payment Assistance 8048

Food Pantries 4700

Veterans 4033

Veteran Benefits Assistance 3755

Transitional Case/Care Management 1983

Food Stamps/SNAP 1895

Water Service Payment Assistance 1207

Homeless Veterans 1186

Gas Service Payment Assistance 985

Families of Veterans 984

Specialized Information and Referral 936

Homeless Shelter 868

VITA Program Sites 765

Prescription Expense Assistance 708

Mortgage Payment Assistance 680

General Legal Aid 641

Housing Authorities 633

Low Income/Subsidized Private Rental Housing 603

Area Agencies on Aging 549

General Dentistry 471

Comprehensive Job Assistance Centers 442

Medicaid Applications 429

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers 415

Community Clinics 393

Adult Protective Intervention/Investigation 379

Home Delivered Meals 336

Comprehensive Information and Referral 334

Home Rehabilitation Services 333

Families of Military Personnel/Veterans 329

United Way Military Affairs Initiative

2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE• Benefits• Employment• Education• Housing & Homelessness• Female Veterans• Post 9/11• Military Components• We Remember

United Way Military Affairs Initiative

2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE

• Boots on the Ground• Increase awareness of 2-1-1 in 13 Gulf Coast Counties• “Serving Those Who Serve” educational series for providers• Identify Community Resources to enhance I&R• First point of contact with UW

Pre Veterans’ Study

2-1-1 Texas/United

Way HELPLINE

- Reintegration- outreach

-Follow ups

Community Impact

-Programs serving everyone

-Not tracking veterans

- Little program focus on veterans

Donor Relations

-Donors interested in veterans issues

- Limited ways to connect with veterans

work

MORE NEEDED TO BE DONE!

…BUT WHAT?

Veterans’ Issue Study

• August 2012 – December 2012• Four Components– Provider online survey– Community Conversations with veterans– Employer focus groups– Targeted conversations with key agencies

Serves as the foundation for our future work!

Community Conversations

• Kitchen-table style conversations• Often had snacks/meal• Used staff and volunteers to conduct• Facilitator and note taker• Same questions asked everywhere• Identified common themes

Conversation Activity

• Conversation Leader• Conversation Note taker• Participants

WHAT WERE YOUR CONVERSATION THEMES?

Striking Consistency in Findings

• Transition from structured military life to unstructured civilian life difficult

• Difficulty translating military skills to civilian workplace

• Perception that service is not valued• Access to services in a timely way difficult• Ability to interact with other veterans is critical

Conversation Quotes

“I spent two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. I helped spread democracy and gave people a chance at freedom. Now, I’m a junior analyst looking at spreadsheets every day. I’m grateful, but it just can’t compare.” - Afghanistan veteran

Conversation Quotes

“In the military, your resume is pages long. You list every project you had a role in. In the civilian world, employers think a shorter resume is better. It is hard to translate what I learned in the military to some of the job openings I see online. When I do get an interview, I feel like all I can talk about is my military experience, and it seems like the interview goes downhill quickly.” - Iraq veteran

How did we respond?

• Connected Community Impact and Donor Relations with our established veterans work in 2-1-1

• Created the Veteran Services Grant, a small dollar grant to address common themes through collaboration and innovation; donors decided approval

• Convened veteran serving and interested organizations together to begin breaking down barriers

How did we respond?

• Quarterly Veteran Service Provider Meeting with average of 40 participants

• Nine veteran service grants in 2013• More than 15 applicants for 2014 with focus on

collaboration

Training and Collaborating

• Serving Those Who Serve Educational Series• Strengthening the safety net for veterans and their

families• Preparing for increase of veterans in the Harris

county area due to military downsize

2-1-1 Texas/United

Way HELPLINE

- Reintegration- Outreach-Follow ups

Community Impact

-Investing in veteran grants

-Working with all partners to serve

veterans- Strengthening veteran

serving nonprofits

Donor Relations

- Communicating veteran issues to donor companies

- Veteran-specific volunteer opportunities

- Marketing materials

5 Tips to Success

• Stay true to your mission and services• Identify ways to incorporate veterans into your

established work• Even if a community partner hasn’t served veterans

doesn’t mean they can’t serve veterans! • Don’t assume you know the problems…ask first!

Questions?