VETERANS
SAN DIEGO
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FREE Editorial Spotlight with FREE Half-Page Ad
THE NONPROFIT VETERANS INITIATIVE PROGRAM
San Diego Veterans Magazine through the Nonprofit Veterans Initiative Program offers a FREE editorial spotlight & FREE half-page ad for Nonprofit Veteran Organizations, & Approved For-Purpose Businesses that provide services, programs, assistance, and career opportunities to veterans and U.S. Military Personnel. The editorial spotlight is a 2-page editorial spread with images and LIVE URL links, plus an attached FREE half-page ad. This is your editorial spotlight, it can include your mission, services, events, programs, donation opportunities, memberships, etc. Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) Few other jobs, if any, require greater risk, personal sacrifice, family disruption, emotional distress, time demands, and psychological impact than the job of a Coast Guardsman, Marine, a Sailor, an Airman, or a Soldier in today’s military. In 2012, Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) started as an organization that wanted to support the most vulnerable in the military – young, junior enlisted service members who are asked to do dangerous, important jobs, with some of the lowest incomes in the country. They wanted to ensure everyone had their basic needs met in order to always be mission-ready. Since then, STEP has evolved from supporting basic, urgent needs, to include working one-on-one with families to find their own path to financial self-sufficiency. They help navigate an imminent financial crisis, ensure no basic need is lost, while simultaneously work on an individualized plan for their overall financial well-being.
Founded by Veterans, STEP understands the demands of the job both on the service member, and their family. They know many getting into the military do not have financial literacy skills to navigate the low-pay and financial demands of the job: frequent moves without 100% reimbursements, high-cost-of-living areas, lack of childcare options, low spousal employment or under employed. The program is designed to set up these families for success, even when living paycheck-topaycheck. For the service member and Veteran to succeed, they must be ready for change and willing to make the sacrifices needed to prepare for the future, even when circumstances are outside their control. In April, as the pandemic continued to shut down much of our world, a Marine family was struggling to pay rent when his wife was let go from her $15.50 hour job. Now rent was not the biggest concern but ensuring food on the table was. They came to STEP for help and a social worker, certified in financial counseling, worked with them to develop a plan they could survive on until she was able to find work again.
“We were pretty good with money. There wasn’t a lot of it, so we lived month-to-month with a small savings. When my wife lost her job that all changed, and I went to STEP for help. After paying two months of our rent and getting us groceries, we were able to breath and focus on what came next. And by February 2021 we’ll be able to start saving money again, even with my wife’s new part-time job. It’s a good feeling to be back in control.” – Marco, E4 Evictions, utility disconnects, food insecurity, and other financial crises are on the rise among our military community as the COVID-19 crisis exposes and deepens their everyday challenges. The team at STEP shifted gears quickly in March and have since served over 9,000 individuals through their no-contact food distributions through San Diego and Orange County. Many of the families have been quarantining since the beginning with spouses deployed and little to no support network. To-date over 110,000 pounds of food, 150,000 diapers and other hygiene products have been distributed. All thanks to strong partnerships, generous donors, and hard-working volunteers. The long-term effects of COVID-19 on our service members and Veterans has yet to be seen and STEP is preparing for the long-haul toward recovery. Applications for support increased 30% in November as the increase in COVID-19 cases are on the rise, even within our active duty community. “What we learned this year is that our program is designed for a crisis like this. With the community’s support, we have been able to answer the call for these critical needs, but also plant the seeds of prudent financial management along the way,” shared Tony Teravainen, CEO & C0-Founder of STEP and recent recipient of San Diego County’s Veteran of the Year award. “I am really proud of my team as they manage our clients needs and their own during this time. And, I am always grateful for the generosity of our community.”
STEP is a privately funded, 4-Star Charity Navigator rated non-profit that serves all E1-E6 active duty and transitioning Veterans in Southern California. In January 2021 they will be formally expanding to serve the same population in Washington State. To learn how you can assist their programs through advocacy, volunteering or financial support, go to: www.stepsocal.org and follow them at @stepsocal.
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