Blog Post

2012: A Year of Impact
Posted by IAVA Staff on November 30

Through assistance, advocacy and building awareness (AAA), IAVA strives to improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan vets and their families. Throughout 2012, IAVA delivered huge impacts in the areas of health, education, and employment while strengthening a robust community of support (HEEC). Here is a look at the work IAVA did in 2012:

Delivering Assistance to IAVA Members

- Provided GI Bill Support to veterans nationwide through our New GI Bill Calculator on NGIB.org; in 2012 alone the tool had over 217,000 unique views.

- Offered nearly 200 unique reward opportunities to thousands of vets through The Rucksack, including more than 80 career consultations, tickets for 10 concerts and preferential placement for dozens of jobs, as well as numerous sporting events and other opportunities.

- Connected more than 24,000 members of Community of Veterans to mental health resources and peer-to-peer support; more than 550 participate in our PTSD Support Group, and users have engaged in nearly 3,500 forum discussion topics.

- Hosted 20 employment support programs, including resume workshops, employer open houses and job fairs; impacting over 600 veterans around the country.

- In the last quarter, IAVA launched a new case management program targeting NYC veterans; already we’ve made over 130 referrals nationwide, covering health and mental health, housing, education, legal assistance, financial assistance and other public benefits.

- Entered into over 20 new partnerships to benefit veteran members including with Lincoln Center, Fullbridge, USAA, NYSE, Sheetz, Quick Chek and the New York Health & Racquet Club. 

Raising Awareness about the Issues facing Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan

- Defined the challenges confronting veterans and their families through two capstone research products: (1) IAVA’s Membership Survey, one of the largest surveys of new veterans with more than 4,000 respondents, and (2) Veterans’ Employment Challenges, a survey released in partnership with Prudential Financial, Inc. of the issues veterans face in finding a job. 

- Published Vote Smart for Vets, IAVA’s first Voter Guide on the issues to watch during the 2012 election. 

Cutting Through Partisanship to Advocate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

- Helped the over 100,000 veterans and their families cut through the deceptive and aggressive marketing campaigns of predatory for-profit schools by working with the White House to sign an Executive Order that requires schools to report data to students, establishes rules for marketing and recruiting on bases, and creates a new reporting system for bad practices of for-profit schools. 

- Testified six times before Congress on subjects including employment, suicide and the GI Bill. 

- In December, IAVA will work to pass pending legislation during Congress’s lame duck session to address the education, employment and mental health challenges facing veterans and their families. 

Building the New Greatest Generation

- Developed 26 members into trained veteran advocates through Storm the Hill, IAVA’s signature leadership development program.

- Supported more than 50 local leaders to deliver IAVA programs and resources to their communities, and continue honing leadership and organizing abilities.

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