It’s not easy for veterans in America. While the brave men and women who served our country are often honored, they are too often forgotten. A report from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans states that 11% of the adult homeless population are veterans.
According to the coalition, the lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder can be a factor for a large number of displaced veterans. For this reason, among others, organizations like Our Troops Services aims to aid vets in their adjustment to civilian life. The company, run by former marine Cody Nichols, specifically seeks out vets that need the supportive community only other vets can provide.
Our Troops Services, which operates out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, performs lawn care and construction services throughout the area. With a positive mission statement and a diligent force of workers, business was booming. But one day everything came to a screeching halt when Nichols discovered that the lock to his company’s storage shed had been cut.
“We’d started the year strong, adding new customers. We were barely keeping up as it was. Then this happened.”
Thousands of dollars worth of equipment was gone. It was only a matter of days before the company found itself struggling to stay afloat. But Nichols and his men did not give up– attempting to fulfill the contracts they had with nothing but push mowers and sheer force of will. While the bravery and fortitude of the veterans is admirable, Nichols knew– unless something drastic happened– it was only a matter of time before their company went under.
But a matter of days was all it took for a miracle. The day after the theft, word of the problem faced by Nichols and his company had reached the ears of Tony Heineman– the advancement and development officer of a local nonprofit called Soldier’s Wish that does work to help meet the needs of veterans through volunteer work, fundraising, and public outreach.
When Heineman received word that Our Troops was in trouble– he got right to work. After making phone calls and starting a GoFundMe page, Heineman reached out to Nichols to keep tabs on the situation. Nichols stated that they were “just barely hanging in.” But just five days after Nichols discovered the missing equipment, he was greeted by an entirely different type of surprise.
Soldier’s Wish was able to replace the equipment– an estimated cost of $15,000. According to Heinemann:
“People came out of the woodwork wanting to help. We were able to raise the money to replace everything.”
The new equipment came just in time to help Nichols keep his doors open; and, as more aid pours in from the public, Nichols is planning to expand his business to hire even more veterans. All in all, the experience is something that Nichols will never forget. In an interview with Fox News, the veteran and business owner reflected on the charity he received.
“That’s what we started Our Troops for– is to reach out and help our community– and for community to come back and help us, Soldier’s Wish and Bloss Equipment, it’s amazing. It restores your faith in humanity when something like that happens.”
You can watch the full interview in the video below, or if you’d like to help support Our Troops, you can visit them on Facebook or find their GoFundMe fundraising page here.
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