Blog Post

Pay it forward this year.
Posted by IAVA Staff on December 11

This holiday season, my fellow veterans need your help.

 My name is Christopher Villatoro. I'm a Marine, Iraq War veteran and graduate student.

I grew up in California and joined the Marines in 2000 after a childhood spent admiring the core military values – honor, duty and service to others.

I faced big challenges in the Marines – challenges that taught me to adapt, improvise and overcome. When I made the decision to leave the military and try something new, I had an even bigger challenge to face: how to find purpose here at home.

Watch my story and give to IAVA this holiday season. Your gift supports vets like me who are coming home and need a hand up to continue serving our families, our fellow vets and our communities.

I'm currently a volunteer at IAVA, and I can tell you firsthand that this organization gives unmatched, critical resources to veterans transitioning home. From the New GI bill calculator I used to figure out my education benefits to the support network I found through the organization, IAVA has given me the hand up I needed to succeed.

Like most IAVA members, I'm not done giving back now that I'm home. I hope you'll join me in the spirit of service and pay it forward this year.

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