Giving Back to Those Who Have Served

As the Chief Community Officer at RallyPoint, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for veterans to have both non-profit organizations and companies in their corner. I remember being a young reservist and impressed with the number of civilians who came out with any support that was needed. At Christmas, my unit made sure every child of each of our soldiers had a gift. When I was deployed as a Civil Affairs soldier, we rallied around a Gold Star family who started a soccer ball donation organization from their home after their son was killed. We used these donations to build relationships and help the kids in Iraq who didn’t have much of anything to look forward to. And when I came home, I was overwhelmed by the number of resources out there for veterans. One of the most constant and important things during our entire life cycle as military members is our sense of “home” but it can often be taken for granted by those living comfortably. “Home”: Think about what it really means. As a young guy in my early 20’s, home was just a place to keep my stuff and lay my head down between late nights out and college classes. I had an eye-opening experience in Iraq and realized home is much simpler but more important than that. It’s a place where you can always go back to. It’s yours. It’s where people know where to find you if they need to, and a place where you share your most intimate space with only people you truly trust and care about. It’s where we store our most prized possessions. It’s our castle, no matter how large or small. As early as basic training, privates instinctively called their barracks “home.” In Iraq my beehut was “home.” Now the house where my kids are is my “home.”

But let's remember, for many of us, coming home isn’t always as simple as walking through the front door. I was lucky. Others are not. Adapting to life after service, let alone with a serious injury, comes with challenges that most people don’t think about.
I know that we’re about to be inundated with companies that want to help us during the holiday season, but they’re usually in the form of discounts or “Thank you for your Service!” emails. So instead I want to highlight Homes for Our Troops (HFOT). They do critical work to support veterans by building and modifying homes that meet their unique needs. I haven’t seen another non-profit organization do this like they do.

Personally, HFOT has always been close to home for me. They’re based in Massachusetts, and I appreciate knowing that right here in my backyard, I have neighbors working tirelessly to support our veterans. On top of that, my wife ran her first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, to raise money for HFOT, and the image of her crossing the finish line wearing their shirt will always grace our walls. When my friend came home from Iraq and started a small bike business, he organized rides to support HFOT. These connections have made me even more invested in the impact they’re making—not just in our community, but across the country.
What sets HFOT apart is how they focus on getting it right for the veterans. Unfortunately, we all know we can’t say that about everyone. They don’t just hand over the keys; they genuinely create homes to restore independence and foster resilience—homes built to accommodate the day-to-day realities that severely injured veterans face.

I’ve also been impressed by how large companies like Wayfair see the real impact they make and partnered with HFOT to take the mission further. Wayfair's help in designing and furnishing these homes makes a real difference, turning a well-built structure into a comfortable and functional space where veterans can focus on living their lives. Just think about how much a new house costs and now understand they are doing it one family at a time. It’s not scalable without help. For a non-profit building homes for veterans, this kind of resource from Wayfair is priceless.
Wayfair’s partnership with Homes for Our Troops (HFOT) is a great example of how companies can step up to support veterans in practical, meaningful ways. HFOT builds and donates specially adapted homes for severely injured post-9/11 veterans, giving them a place that works for their unique needs. This year, they hit an incredible milestone with the 400th home for Marine Lance Corporal Alberto Flores Jr. and his family and his family, and Wayfair played a big role in making it happen. They’ve contributed over $1 million through fundraising and product donations, plus they’ve used their design expertise to help turn these houses into homes. It’s the kind of partnership that shows what’s possible when a company uses its resources to solve real problems, and it’s a standard more organizations should aim for.

The holidays are a good time to think about what “giving back” and “home” really means. Organizations like HFOT show how much of a difference it makes when nonprofits and companies team up to solve real problems. And let’s be clear—this is the kind of action that should be the standard. I challenge every big company to find a way to use their resources to support the military community - the organizations who are invested in the veteran and doing that late night calls and personally replying to the emails. Partnerships like Wayfair and HFOT prove that this can and should be done across the board.
To the teams at HFOT, Wayfair, and everyone supporting this work—thank you. You’re setting the example for how to truly make a difference.

And for the rest of us, the challenge is clear: what can you do to ensure those who’ve given so much for this country get the support they deserve?

For more detail on the HFOT / Wayfair relationship to consider in replicating in your organization:
https://www.wayfair.com/military-community-at-wayfair~b47.html