Building a Military Affairs Initiative
United Way of Greater Houston
June 2014
Presenters
Cornelius Blackshear
2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE
Curtis McMinn
United 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
Awarded Triad
Grant San Antonio
Area Foundation
2011
2012
2013
Veterans’ Study and
Response
2014
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
HOUSTON
Service Branch
Sum
Army
28667
Navy
9735
Air Force
Marine Corps
National Guard
Coast Guard
Military Branch
Grand Total
Type
Veteran
Active Duty
Grand Total
Sum
37824
SPRING
1880
KATY
1408
HUMBLE
1395
BAYTOWN
863
PASADENA
791
6438
MISSOURI CITY
736
CYPRESS
687
5305
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
1228
364
1
51738
Sum
49748
1990
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
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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
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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
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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
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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?