The Mission Continues & Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation
The Mission Continues
The Mission Continues will expand its Service Platoon model that empowers groups of veterans to continue to serve back home.
Need
According to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center, 44 percent of returning veterans struggle with the transition to civilian life. A Civic Enterprises study showed that 92 percent of veterans want to continue serving after they leave the military. An evaluation of The Mission Continues’ Fellowship Program has shown that continued service helps facilitate a positive transition home while addressing the challenges of mental health issues, traumatic brain injury and unemployment. Since the Fellowship Program is limited in its ability to reach large numbers of veterans, the Service Platoon model will involve large groups of veterans and may eventually reach tens of thousands of veterans.
Project
The Mission Continues empowers veterans who face the challenge of adjusting to life at home to find new missions in their communities, set and achieve goals and build a new network. In The Mission Continues’ Service Platoon model, groups of 30-50 veterans tackle community issues through volunteer service, which provides three benefits that help in their transition to civilian life: finding a new mission, setting and achieving goals and building a new network.
In the expansion project, each Service Platoon will recruit 30 members by launch and grow to about 50 members over its first year of operation. Each Platoon will engage in at least four major service activities that involve 30 or more members, four support missions involving 8-12 members and four social activities each year. The Mission Continues will secure companies and community foundations to serve as lead Platoon Sponsors that will help ensure sustainability for each Platoon.
The model will be evaluated by Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Project Leader
Lori Stevens, lstevens@missioncontinues.org
Partners
- The Mission Continues
- Washington University