HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A surprising partnership between a popular video game and local non-profit Still Serving Veterans has helped the organization provide several services for over a decade.
“It just takes 1 or 2 people to believe in you,” Ethan Fitzgerald, marketing director at Still Serving Veterans, said. “And how cool is it that the video game Call of Duty, you know, is supporting a humble nonprofit in Huntsville, Alabama, which is also very synonymous with supporting veterans.”
The Call of Duty Endowment, or CODE, provides grants to organizations helping veterans find high-quality jobs, and SSV is one of only 8 U.S. non-profits that receive a grant. Still Serving Veterans gets $1 million from CODE annually that goes directly to its Veteran Career Transition program.
“That Call of Duty money is just a lifesaver,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s quite literally changed the lives of veterans every single year.”
SSV’s Veteran Career Transition program helps vets with all things job search: from resume building and interview preparation to salary negotiations and check-ins months into the new role. The non-profit said there has been significant success.
“That funding allows us to hire veterans to help veterans,” Fitzgerald said. “If you think about counseling appointments and stuff like that, there’s usually a charge for that. You know, we’re basically, you know, taking that off the table for the veteran. They don’t have to pay for anything.”
CODE’s website announces achievements from more than 150,000 veteran job placements to date, with a 90% retention rate within the first six months of a veteran starting a new job.
While SSV is very grateful for the funding dedicated to its Veteran Career Transition Program, the non-profit notes some of its other programs that are in need of such financial support: its VA Benefits and Resource programs.
“Unfortunately, the endowment doesn’t cover that,” Fitzgerald said. “So we always are raising money to try to support those other two programs, looking for grants, looking for sponsors and and the people who donate 5 to $10 a month. Those grassroots donors that keep our other programs alive are super important.”
For more information on how to donate, visit their website.
The post Call of Duty supports Still Serving Veterans with a significant annual grant appeared first on WHNT.
