Recognizing veterans and the issues they may face
November is National Veterans and Military Families Month. For Fannie Mae and its employees, this month gives us an opportunity to thank our veterans and acknowledge the sacrifices they and their families have made for our country.
This year’s observance has a special importance, as the U.S. military recently concluded the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Having served in the Navy, I am all too familiar with the impact veterans face when transitioning from active duty to civilian life. In fact, I still recall an experience that occurred years ago that taught me the complex nuances of homelessness and its prevalence among veterans. These issues are very relevant to Fannie Mae’s commitment to creating affordable, sustainable housing opportunities for homebuyers and renters across the country.
One evening, I was having dinner with a friend to celebrate his recent, safe return from a deployment. Having recently transitioned from active duty myself, I was excited to meet with my friend to swap stories about our time of service. As the evening wound down, I inquired about his upcoming plans for the future, and I quickly learned that his transition from the battlefield to civilian life was happening so abruptly that he hadn’t had the time or energy to account for a basic need — housing. Rather, his battlefield ingenuity had kicked in, and he purchased a car that he intended to sleep in until he sorted out his housing situation. I was in shock realizing that my good friend would be homeless. It caused me to realize that homelessness can be experienced by anyone, in any community, at any time.
Thankfully, he was able to stay with me and my family for a couple of weeks as he organized his post-military life. During this time, he was able to develop plans to dedicate his time and services to helping other veterans. To this day, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to help him and his vision.
This November, Fannie Mae’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) is working to honor those who have served and are still serving our country. Around Veterans Day, Fannie Mae’s VERG typically organizes internal events encouraging employees company-wide to think about critical issues that impact the broader veteran population, helping them see how they might contribute to solving these issues, such as housing-related concerns.
I am proud of how our VERG is honoring veterans this month and that Fannie Mae fosters a community that works year-round to raise awareness on issues that impact veterans and their families. We are dedicated to improving access to the social benefits of affordable homes and rentals for families across the country.
If you are a veteran looking for a company that strives to have a positive impact and bring together people from diverse backgrounds to tackle complex issues, search our open opportunities and join our team of Future Makers today.
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