New VetFran program aims to assist those whose lives are often turned upside down overnight.

By Steve Greenbaum, CFE

In my nearly 30 years in franchising, and as a former Chairman of the IFA, I’ve met some incredible veterans doing remarkable things in their communities.

One such example is Steve Ralston, a 20-year Army veteran who owns ComForCare Home Care of Northern Michigan. His ComForCare franchise is attached to the VA hospital in the area, giving him a direct opportunity to provide home care to veterans in his community. But what truly makes Steve stand out is how he gives back to his local community outside of work.

On Veterans Day, Steve sponsors an event called “A Message of Thanks,” where hundreds of veterans in the surrounding area are invited to enjoy a free lunch as a small token of appreciation for their service. Steve and four other veterans also bought and renovated a dilapidated bowling alley to create a family-friendly atmosphere for the community, run by veterans, where all proceeds go back to supporting veterans and their loved ones.

Providing a Future

Veterans are a vital part of the franchising community. While they may make up just 7 percent of our population in America, they make up 14 percent of the overall franchising network. Franchising has proven to be an ideal structure for veterans to become leaders in the U.S. economy. The skills learned in military training – leadership, adaptability, teamwork, strong work ethic – fit naturally when transitioning to small business ownership through franchising.

The IFA takes its mission to support and hire veterans seriously, primarily with the Veteran Transition Initiative (VetFran). VetFran includes more than 650 franchise systems across the country that have helped more than 6,500 veterans and military spouses to date acquire a franchise business. With the support of VetFran, veterans go from serving our country to serving our communities with the same selfless dedication.

Eye on Military Caregivers

VetFran brought Steve into our ComForCare franchising community. To continue to attract more people like Steve, we must develop new programs to support veterans and their families.

Therefore, I’m thrilled that VetFran, in partnership with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, is spearheading a new initiative aimed at another vital sector of our veteran population in need of support: military caregivers. These caregivers are a 5.5 million-strong community, comprised primarily of spouses, who play an essential role in caring for injured or wounded service members and veterans.

When individuals become military caregivers, they suddenly find themselves in a new role almost overnight, with no time for training and little to no support. Many are forced to quit their current jobs in order to care for a loved one. When they are ready to re-enter the job market it can be difficult to find employment, creating a serious need for a program specifically designed for these caregivers, and that’s where the military caregiver initiative comes in. 

Building Bridges

Led by a 20-company coalition of home care franchises, including ComForCare, the military caregiver initiative’s aim is to build bridges of employment, mentorship, training and entrepreneurial opportunities between the military caregiver and franchise communities. Home care franchises are consistently looking for qualified, empathetic and experienced caregivers, and now our businesses have the special opportunity to step up and utilize the skillsets military caregivers bring to the table.

At the end of the day, veterans and their caregivers are more than just heroes. They are savvy business owners, dedicated employees, mothers, fathers, friends and much more. They served our country courageously, and now it’s our turn to serve them and their families by continuing to provide resources and programs that allow them to achieve success within our franchising industry.

Find out more about the VetFran military caregivers initiative in the June issue of Franchising World on franchise.org.

Steve Greenbaum, CFE, is CEO of Best Life Brands, a multi-brand company including ComForCare, At Your Side, CarePatrol and all future acquisitions providing health and wellness services across the continuum of care. Learn more about ComForCare here.