Success Story

IAVA Holds First Annual Holiday Open House
December 21

On Monday, December 19, IAVA opened up our doors to the New York City headquarters to welcome local veterans to our first annual Holiday Open House. Vets were invited to get a glimpse behind the scenes -- meet IAVA staff, check out our office, reconnect with each other, and celebrate the milestones they helped our community achieve in 2011.

After unveiling IAVA’s new logo this spring, our team needed an office space that reflected the dynamic, edgy spirit of this new generation of veterans. What followed was a renovation that made our office a more welcoming and collaborative space for our members.

At the open house, in addition to a tour of the new space, IAVA’s Membership Director Jason Hansman gave local vets an update on our New GI Bill Calculator and Community of Veterans. Our friends at Credit Suisse also stepped up to assist with the event and network with our NYC-area members. In the snapshots below, a few IAVA member vets shared their experiences with us about life after deployment. Check out their testimonials!

2011 has been a big year for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Through our Combat to Career program, we saw both the public and private sectors step up to support our community as troops transition out of the military and into the civilian workforce. IAVA also helped spearhead passage of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act to improve licensing and skill training opportunities for new veterans. But IAVA’s not done yet. After the final pullout from Iraq, 40,000 troops are on their way back home this month. We know our community is just reaching a critical inflection point and 2012 will be a crucial year of advocacy for more veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

To show your support for vets as the year comes to a close, please check out Operation Homecoming to find out how you can support new veterans in their transition home.

Get Involved

In just the last year, IAVA has connected hundreds of veterans with employers through innovative career fairs, helped over 10,000 veterans go to college on the New GI Bill, and provided mental health support to over 50,000 veterans—all at no cost to Member Veterans. Programs like these are only made possible through your generous support. Fight for those who fought for us and help us keep these resources and benefits completely free for new veterans and their families.

Veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan? Join the conversation with Community of Veterans, an exclusive online community available only to IAVA Member Veterans.

Not a veteran? Donate online or text "IAVA" to 20222 to contribute $10 towards IAVA's Operation Homecoming. Ensure our country supports this newest generation of veterans every day of the year.