In combat, a rally point is a recognizable location to fall back on should an operational mission be disrupted or threatened. Communities can adapt the rally point model to better respond to the needs of veterans and their families. It starts, quite simply, with the identification of a specific, physical location where a veteran (and/or his/her family) can access information and assistance on a wide variety of issues.
An effective community rally point must work in tandem with other organizations within the particular locate. It should not be isolated. Moreover, while I strongly recommend an in-person, hands-on approach, it’s possible to use technology to advance the value of a rally point. For example, one rally point in Chicago, Illinois might be able to connect via Skype to a rally point in Springfield, Illinois.
In 1973, the Veterans Outreach Center was established in Rochester, New York to serve Vietnam vets. The VOC, which is the oldest community rally point for veterans in the United States, prides itself on providing “perimeter supportive services” in five focus areas to veterans and their families. These services include the Model of Excellence trifecta (education, employment, healthcare) to the basics (housing, legal counsel, financial counseling and peer-to-peer mentoring).
Another wonderful example of a rally point is Single Stop USA. Single Stop operates a “one-stop” program that combines benefits screening and application assistance with tax preparation, legal assistance and financial counseling. A veteran at Single Stop is assigned a full-time counselor who has broad knowledge of resources and can call upon others to supplement resources.
These are a few examples of how non-profits serve as rally points – but what I’d really like to see is corporate America stepping up and operating rally points. For example, as part of Walmart’s commitment to hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years, the company could set up rally points in community stores – right next to Customer Service – to complement this initiative. It certainly would go a long way to reducing the epidemic of disconnection between members of the military and the American public if Walmart put the rally point front-and-center.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone lament, “We want to hire/help vets but can’t find them.” Are you one of these people? Maybe you should identify your community’s rally point, and if there isn’t one, launch it yourself. Give me a call or send a tweet or email. We can work with you on the first steps to creating your own community rally point.
