ForcesUnited’s mission is to serve the area’s veteran population.
“There are 66,000 veterans in the area,” said Victoria Hann, president and CEO of ForcesUnited, a local non-profit tasked with assisting veterans in four key areas.
Since the organization began in 2007, more than 19,000 veterans have utilized the programs ForcesUnited offers.
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The four key areas are education and benefits assistance, housing and (homelessness) prevention services, health and wellness and employment. The agency is often called on to help military service members as they transition out of the military and need to find employment or want to use their education benefits but need help navigating the system.
At other times, the organization fills a gap when a veteran is facing a crisis.
Disabled veterans sometimes need assistance with the Veterans Administration. They may have been classified for a certain level of disability, but their injuries or condition should be classified at a higher disability level. Sometimes, they need their case reevaluated for a possible increase in benefits, she said.
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One Navy veteran who came to ForcesUnited looking for help during the pandemic was James Davidson-Brinton. He utilized multiple parts of Forces United’s programming after he lost his job, Hann said.
Without an income, he faced the possibility of losing his home. The organization stepped in to help with his housing situation.
“I went from interview to interview and had to pass up offers with extremely low pay until ForcesUnited managed to set me up with FPL Foods, which has been absolutely amazing,” Davidson-Brinton said in a prepared statement.
He had an IT background, so the staff at ForcesUnited helped him tweak his resume and ultimately found him a job.
The staff also partnered with a local church, and he has a bike that he can ride to work.
Non-profits have struggled during the pandemic.
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In many cases, donations have slowed down and events held to raise money for the agency’s programs have been suspended, while the need for services has risen.
ForcesUnited is no different, she said. The organization has seen an uptick in requests for assistance, but the staff has had to shut down some of its fundraising efforts.
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“We are the CSRA’s veteran service organization,” she said. “The money raised here, stays here.”
Hann will speak at Saturday’s Thunder Over Evans’ event to highlight the organization’s efforts.
To learn more, visit forcesunited.org.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the features editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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