Home for Heroes
Longtime Compass Group associate Terri Howard, Contract Administrator for Foodbuy, dedicates much of her time outside of the office running Home for Heroes, a Veteran support program designed to provide low-cost housing to at-risk-veterans.
Not only does Terri currently run Home for Heroes, but she single-handedly started the organization seven years ago.
I sat down with Terri to learn more about Home for Heroes, her involvement in the program, and how working at Compass Group plays a role in the incredible support system she has built up for Veterans.
Q: What motivated you to start Home for Heroes?
A: The strong military ties within my family and more specifically a conversation I had with my cousin, and recent female Vet. She told me about the struggles that a lot of the women she served with faced when returning home from overseas and being discharged from the military. One of the issues she mentioned was that many of them would be without a home or the resources to get a home. That didn’t sit right with me.
Q: How many Veterans were you able to house at the start of the program?
A: I housed two women in my own home, a recently discharged Navy Seal and a Marine.
Q: How many housing units do you have now?
A: 33. I opened an 11 unit apartment building this past fall and those 11 units filled up within three days!
Q: How has Compass Group supported Home for Heroes?
A: The sector I specifically work for, Foodbuy, has been incredible in supporting us. Just last month, Foodbuy sponsored a holiday party. All of the current Vets and past Vets who have been a part of Home for Hero’s were invited to the uplifting celebration with great food, gifts, and people. Throughout the holiday season, Foodbuy associates made donations to the program which were matched dollar for dollar by Foodbuy CEO Tony Shearer. We are so grateful for everyone’s generosity.
Foodbuy also hosts an annual summit where partners from around the country come to participate and proceeds from fundraising initiatives throughout the summit go to a select few charitable organizations. For the past two years Home for Heroes has been one of those organizations.
Q: What do you see next for Home for Heroes?
A: I plan to expand this year into Georgia and am also working to get funding for the organization in order to present more opportunities and build a larger team.
Terri is an inspiration to the Compass family! Click here to learn more about Home for Heroes.