According to the Pew Research Center, there are over 20 million living U.S. military veterans in the United States who have served in conflicts from World War I to present day, including the 20-year war on terrorism. Unfortunately, millions of veterans experience hardships after their service, including homelessness, lack of healthcare coverage, mental health issues, and civilian career challenges.
Over the past 32 years, one of Integrated Project Management Company, Inc.’s most treasured and respected causes has been supporting our veterans. Since its inception, IPM has employed dozens of military veterans and continues to seek qualified veterans for open positions. But providing direct employment opportunities is far from the only act of support and recognition this selfless community deserves. So IPM’s Integrated Project Mercy selected serving and supporting military veterans as the cause for the Q2 campaign.
IPM’s Boston team supported Operation Homefront, a nonprofit assisting lower income military families, many of whom have been affected greatly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among many services, Operation Homefront provides food assistance, healthcare, and personal items for struggling military families. The Boston team organized and participated in a Pedals for Medals event, for which participants found sponsors to donate for each minute of a 30-minute bike ride.
IPM’s Los Angeles office contributed to two organizations—Operation Gratitude and Hire Heroes USA. For Operation Gratitude, volunteers wrote encouraging letters and assembled paracord bracelets to accompany care packages sent to military members. Other members of the LA team facilitated mock interviews for Hire Heroes USA, which will prepare veterans for entering the civilian workforce.
The Minneapolis team assisted Guardian Angels Senior Services, where many elderly veterans reside, by donating several DVD players and requested movies for the residents’ enjoyment. They also sent a financial donation to Carry the Load, which works to bring Americans together in honoring military servicemembers’ sacrifices for our freedoms by organizing community events like fitness challenges, youth education programs, and public veteran interviews.
Due to varying COVID-19 restrictions, several IPM offices extended financial donations in lieu of in-person volunteer events. The Integrated Project Mercy team from our Chicago office donated to Operation Support Our Troops, which facilitates the collection, assembly, and delivery of care packages to deployed troops, and provides resources and healing seminars for veterans and military families. San Francisco IPMers donated to Swords to Plowshares, a local nonprofit that provides job training, housing programs, and counseling services to veterans in need.
IPM’s Parsippany and St. Louis offices sent funds to Operation Shower, a nonprofit organization that hosts baby showers for military members and their families to ease the stress of deployment. The baby showers provide expectant military families with high quality products for their babies while recognizing all that they do for our country. Due to COVID, the showers are now drive-throughs where expectant moms have their cars loaded with baby supplies.
"*" indicates required fields