Hire Heroes USA empowers U.S. military members, veterans and military spouses to succeed in the civilian workforce. Employment assistance is the number one requested service from transitioning military members. Hire Heroes USA provides that service, at no cost, to thousands each year. Through personalized service and support, they help veterans and military spouses get hired and help companies hire and retain them. California area manager, Wendy Decesare, talks to us about how Hire Heroes USA helps veterans and military spouses get hired and how they help companies hire and retain them.
How is Hire Heroes USA impacting the community?
San Diego is home to the largest concentration of United States military in the world and it is one of the top economic drivers for the region. Translating military experience into the civilian job market can prove to be an intimidating process for service members and veterans. Overcoming gaps in employment and frequent moves makes the job seeking process for military spouses a significant challenge.
Through the generosity of our donors, Hire Heroes USA offers free career coaching and support to transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses. Since our founding in 2005, we’ve empowered more than 62,000 individuals to start new careers and the San Diego area is consistently among the top regions for our clients.
What programs do you offer?
Hire Heroes USA offers personalized career coaching for each of our clients. We believe that developing a professional resume is the foundation for a successful job search, so we prepare resumes for any client who registers for services for free. However, this is only the beginning of our services. Our coaches maintain regular communication, offering guidance about professional branding, job search techniques, networking and interviews. We have developed a network of employment partners, training and referral partners and specialized mentors who can provide industry-specific insights. We host virtual events, which proved to be a timely resource for our clients. In 2020, we offered more virtual events to our clients than ever before and saw a 240% increase in registrants for those events.
What else do you want the community to know about Hire Heroes USA?
Hire Heroes USA is the most effective veteran employment nonprofit in the country and our impact is demonstrated by our results. Our services are global and virtual and tailored to meet the diverse and unique needs of our clients yielding a total estimated economic impact of $2.3B since our founding in 2005.
While our impact as an organization can be seen in the numbers, our focus is on empowering each client to achieve success. Job seeking is a process with many challenges. Stable employment is critical to maintaining economic stability and prosperity for our clients and their families. We are an organization that ensures our clients know they are not alone in navigating this process. We are here to support them as they move on to their next mission!
How can San Diegans get involved?
Our donors make a lasting impact on our mission and every dollar truly makes a difference. For every $50 we raise, we are able to provide a resume to one of our clients. For every $1,000, we are able to fund a client through our program and help them find a rewarding career. When you make a tax-deductible donation to Hire Heroes USA, you’re not just providing one veteran or military spouse the support they need to start a career, you are helping communities across the U.S. grow stronger.
Hire Heroes USA also offers plenty of opportunities for volunteers to get involved! Volunteers work one-on-one with our clients to offer mock interviews and career counseling. Whether you have experience in a certain field or with a certain company, there are veterans and military spouses who need your expertise and energy. Most of our volunteer opportunities are conducted via phone or video, meaning you can volunteer from your home or office at a time that’s convenient for you.