When meeting veterans we often say “thank you for your service.”

Thank you is great and appreciated, but we need to remember that service can make it difficult for those men and women to readjust to civilian life when they leave the military.

The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US LLC, is taking the “thank you” more than a step further by providing dollars to help veterans adjust to life at home.

It just awarded $250,000 to The Mission Continues and $50,000 to Forgotten Harvest to support community impact and workplace development initiatives for veterans who are adjusting to life at home and find work and purpose.

“As a proud employer of more than 5,000 veterans, FCA US understands firsthand the contributions these men and women continue to make after their military service is complete,” says Barbara Pilarski, head of human resources, FCA – North America and trustee, FCA Foundation. “The FCA Foundation is pleased to offer grants to organizations that provide veterans opportunities to help themselves and their communities.”

The Mission Continues empowers veterans who are adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact. It deploys veterans on new missions in their communities, so their actions will inspire future generations to serve. Veteran volunteers are sent to work alongside non-profit partners and community leaders in cities across the nation to solve some of the most challenging community issues such as improving community education resources, eliminating food deserts, mentoring at-risk youth and more.

“The Mission Continues is proud and excited to partner with the FCA Foundation and FCA US to empower more veterans across the country to serve again in their hometown,” says Spencer Kympton, president, The Mission Continues. “As a company who cares strongly and believes in the power of veterans here at home, we know that this partnership will strengthen our ability to engage more veterans across the country as well as FCA US employee volunteers to have a deep impact in local communities.”

FCA US volunteers will join The Mission Continues’ Detroit 2nd Service Platoon for “Veterans Day Cody-Rouge Carry On” on Saturday, November 11,at Stein Park, 9258 Stahelin Avenue. The mission at the park – adopted by Motor City Grounds Crew and The Mission Continues – includes hands-on revitalization and maintenance projects working alongside youth, community members and fellow veterans.

Forgotten Harvest’s Workforce Development Program supports the growing food and agriculture sector in Southeastern Michigan by expanding the number of skilled men and women qualified for jobs and careers in the food and agriculture business sector. The ultimate goal is to make sure everyone has a job after graduation. Veterans and others, who have had difficulty seeking employment for a variety of reasons, will learn about food processing, distribution, logistics, and basic farming at Forgotten Harvest Farms.

“Forgotten Harvest is honored to receive FCA Foundation support for our collaborative workforce development program for veterans with barriers to employment,” says Kirk Mayes, CEO, Forgotten Harvest. “FCA’s generous funding supports a food industry-focused program, which builds upon lessons learned in our 18-month pilot workforce development program.”

FCA US has several other programs in place to support veterans. They include:

• FCA Foundation is underwriting special $10 tickets for veterans to attend “Heroes Night” concerts (all in 2018) performed in Orchestra Hall by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The funding will also enable the DSO to collaborate with the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Hospital, sending musicians to perform at the hospital and providing for DSO webcasts in patient rooms.
• In 2011, FCA US and supplier Prestige Group, based in Clinton Township, began a program for returning veterans, who earn engineering internship positions at FCA US while they finish their undergraduate degrees. More than 100 veterans have taken advantage of the program. Eight have completed their degrees.
• The company’s Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois teamed up with PepsiCo Recycling to support PepsiCo Recycling’s partnership with the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities.

FCA US currently has 23 employees on active military leave, with 434 currently serving as active or inactive reservists and guardsmen and more than 5,100 employees are military veterans. It has received Silver Status as a Michigan Friendly Employer by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency in recognition of recruitment strategies aimed at veterans.

  FCA Foundation, FCA US LLC, Forgotten Harvest, Veteran volunteers