Nearly 30 natural disasters affected communities across the nation last year, and the U.S. is likely to face a similar number this year. In response, Combined Arms and their network of veteran serving organizations have joined forces to connect veterans impacted by these events with critical resources. Recently the Texas Veterans Network powered by Combined Arms, supported those affected by Hurricane Beryl.
“A single dad came to one of the food distribution events we set-up in the wake of Beryl. He had tears in his eyes because as a single dad of three kids he had no idea how he was going to replace all of the food he lost during the week long power outage. An E-4 in the Navy he said he had never asked for a hand-out. I told him this is a hand-up,” recalls Marine Veteran John Smith, Combined Arms SouthEastern Texas Regional Manager.
In the days and weeks following Beryl Combined Arms assisted over 2,000 members of the military community. With more than half a million homes without power after 100 mph winds hit the greater Gulf Coast, many families lacked food and clean water.
“We were able to get water, MREs, gift cards for groceries and serve them with this very immediate need,” explains Mia Garcia, the Executive Director of Texas Veterans Network powered by Combined Arms.
Hosting several pop-up grocery events in the affected areas within days of the storm, Combined Arms joined efforts with roughly 30 other organizations, including Houston Food Bank and Grace After Fire, to ensure the Houston military community received the support many desperately needed.
“Whenever our community has a need, we come together. We generate the spirit of collaboration. We know we are more impactful together,” says Garcia, emphasizing the unity and shared purpose within the military community.
And with the financial support of organizations like the Boeing, Bob Woodruff Foundation, and the Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Combined Arms is better equipped to fulfill its vision - to connect veterans & military families to the resources needed to continually thrive in their communities.
Hurricane Beryl isn’t the first time Combined Arms has stepped in to help the military community after a natural disaster. During Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm Uri and numerous tornadoes the organization significantly impacted the relief and recovery efforts through a proactive approach and a robust network of resources.
One of CA's first actions is to identify and contact the most vulnerable members of the military community.
“Through our platform we are able to go through and find members of the military community who may need help. We start with email but we know that some groups, specifically the elderly aren't always checking email so we text and call to ensure we are touching base with them,” explains Smith.
Smith adds that typically after any disaster, there is also a wave of mental health concerns, so Combined Arms’ outreach is also a way to do a buddy check with the other veterans.
“We aim to establish the global standard for the way our veterans and military families should be treated. To connect with the services they need easily, quickly, and efficiently and have those services delivered is always our goal,” explains Combined Arms CEO Mike Hutchings.
“We had a Vietnam veteran, a POW, whose home was impacted by Beryl come for water and food. He had not had power for four days. On a limited income and with limited resources, he said it meant so much to see people helping the community, specifically veterans,” recalls Garcia.
Not only is Combined Arms addressing the immediate needs of members of the military community, but it is also providing them with the opportunity to connect with a variety of other resources through the online platform.
Veterans who usually would not seek out Combined Arms or other partners are coming at a time of great need. In addition to providing them with necessities like food and water, Combined Arms wants to make sure first and foremost that our veterans have access to the VA healthcare they deserve and access to all state benefits.
“Often, they are not sure what that entails.In every engagement we ask, are you connected to VA healthcare? Do you need help navigating that? If they do, thankfully, representatives from the VA are often on-site with us, so we can make that connection right there,” says Garcia.
Combined Arms is committed to helping the military community emerge stronger from the aftermath of natural disasters through proactive outreach, technological innovation, community mobilization, and coordinated relief efforts.
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Combined Arms (CA) is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to transforming the way veterans and military families connect with vetted resources needed to thrive. Through innovative technology and data sophistication, the Combined Arms platform unites top-tier veteran service organizations, state and federal agencies, and communities with data-fueled insights. This optimizes connection to resources and drives network-wide efficiencies and transparency, ultimately improving the quality of life for veterans and military families so they can thrive.
For more information, visit CombinedArms.us.
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