NEW YORK, NY (January 8, 2014) – Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) was featured today during the Salesforce1 World Tour in New York as a transformative organization that is connecting and supporting new veterans across the country. IAVA’s work was highlighted during a keynote session with salesforce.com Chairman & CEO, Marc Benioff, and leaders from the business and non-profit community. The Salesforce1 World Tour is a global road show designed to help companies leverage the next generation of devices, apps and services to connect with their customers in a whole new way.

“Salesforce has been a game changer for us. Everything we do nationwide is linked by a Salesforce backbone,” said IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff, during a discussion with Benioff. IAVA’s Chief of Staff Derek Bennett later spoke at a panel highlighting how IAVA benefits from Salesforce.

IAVA has used Salesforce in a number of ways to support its mission to improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. Salesforce particularly has been an important tool to support IAVA membership programs, like Community of Veterans –the first and only online social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

IAVA’s Rapid Response Referral Program (RRRP) – www.IAVA.org/RRRP – a successful case management and referral services program, is also supported by Salesforce. RRRP connects veterans to highly qualified staff of case managers, who assist veterans with education, employment, housing, mental health, and other services. IAVA case managers use Salesforce to help them assist veterans and give them fast and comprehensive support. IAVA is expanding RRRP from New York City to across New York State and all of California.

“The best example of how we use Salesforce is our Rapid Response Referral Program. We have been able to use this technology to stop suicides, put people in housing, get them jobs and send them back to school,” Rieckhoff said. “Salesforce is helping us save lives.”