Annual Report 2021Advocacy and Education in Community Engagement

Advocacy and Education in
Community Engagement

The pandemic has not stopped us from providing unique and timely advocacy and community education opportunities for other service providers and advocates working in the veteran sphere.

One of our most important accomplishments this year was the launch of Toolbox.vet, an online library of resources that helps advocates and providers connect with veterans of all ages. This was a multi-year undertaking by our Policy team whose research and output were funded in part by the Walmart Foundation. This content-rich interactive resource is easily accessible as written text, video conversations, and audio recordings. It even features a series of podcasts from real veterans and advocates.  

Our Combat to Community training curriculum, with which we train first responders, behavioral and social service providers, attorneys, college faculty and staff, legislative representatives and staff, and criminal justice professionals, continues to be in demand as we are able to provide the training virtually. In 2021, we trained 1,040 participants to increase their understanding of military and veteran culture and incorporate new skills to better identify, engage, treat, and support veterans.

In addition, we actively represent the unique needs of the veterans we serve by engaging in discussions and knowledge-sharing with a network of policy makers and service providers at local, state, and federal levels. Our technical expertise on topics such as housing, VA benefits, mental and physical healthcare, student veterans, and veterans of color is based on experiences gained from decades of direct, community-based service delivery.