November 11th is Veterans Day, a holiday meant to celebrate and honor all individuals who have served in the United States Military. Originally called Armistice Day, Veterans Day was first a celebration of the end of World War I. In 1938, Congress officially recognized Armistice Day as a national holiday. And then in 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill dedicating the day to veterans that served in all wars, changing the name to Veterans Day.
Today, Veterans Day is an opportunity to thank and show appreciation for living veterans for their sacrifice and commitment to protecting our nation’s freedom.
November is also National Veterans and Military Families Month. The month is meant to raise awareness and recognize the role military families and transitioning veterans play in supporting individuals in the military. For every member of the military, there is a family behind them supporting them, making their own sacrifices.
Businesses across the country, including hundreds of franchises, offer discounts, free meals, and celebrations of veterans to commemorate the holiday.
IFA is proud to be an advocate for veterans. IFA’s mission to protect, enhance, and promote franchising encompasses empowering veterans and helping their transition to civilian life. For over 30 years, IFA has worked to support and serve veterans, in particular through VetFran, a program of the IFA Foundation.
This week, we want to recognize and thank veterans for their service and commitment to protecting our nation. Below are four ways to show appreciation for and support our nation’s veterans on of Veterans Day and throughout the month.
#1 VetFran
The IFA Foundation founded the VetFran program in 1991 as an initiative to help veterans matriculate to civilian life after service and connect them with opportunities in franchising by educating both veterans and franchisors about the unique match between former military service members and franchise entrepreneurial opportunities.
As Logan said, “Veterans have leadership skills, understand team building and working within a system, and executing systems. The dedication, perseverance, and commitment they have is something that every entrepreneur really needs.”
VetFran works with franchise companies to promote opportunities for veterans by offering discounts or incentives to help them succeed and become leaders in their civilian life. VetFran also provides mentorship, resources, and tools for veterans to find franchise opportunities.
If you’d like to learn more and get involved with VetFran, click here.
#2 BlueStar Families
The entire month of November is National Veterans and Military Family Month. BlueStar Families was founded by military spouses in 2009 to empower and help aide families as they uproot their lives regularly to move in service of our country.
One of the many great resources BlueStar provides is connecting spouses and family members to potential job opportunities.
In September, BlueStar Families hosted an event at the IFA’s Franchise Action Network to highlight the franchise companies who are helping to make the work of BlueStar Families possible and asked volunteers to help fill out envelopes with personalized thank-you notes and donated gift cards to help families who recently moved acclimate to their new homes.
With over 1.5 million families reached and $150 million in benefits distributed to military members’ families, BlueStar Families is one of the most successful groups that support not only veterans but their families. BlueStar is a volunteer organization, and you can get involved click here.
#3 Help a Hero Fundraiser by SportClips
Every year since 2013, Sport Clips has run the Help A Hero campaign in the run-up to Veterans Day. The Help a Hero campaign raises money for for continuing education for veterans after their service outside of what is traditionally offered in the G.I. Bill. In addition to the fundraising campaign, on Veterans Day, participating locations will donate $2 from every haircut to the program. Sport Clips is also offering a free haircut on Veterans Day to any former or current military service members.
Sport Clips has a long history of supporting veterans. Founder and CEO Gordon Logan established the importance of supporting veterans and made it a part of his business’s mission. As a veteran himself, Logan has demonstrated a commitment to helping veterans and has encouraged their matriculation from military service to franchising as a premier way of transferring rigorous leadership training and process management into concrete entrepreneurship.
Click here to learn more.
#4 Discount Deals on Veterans Day
Many businesses, including many franchises, are giving away meals, services, and promotions to veterans and their families on November 11th. Notable franchise restaurants giving away a free meal include California Pizza Kitchen, Chicken Salad Chick, and Red Lobster. Click here to check out the full list of 2022 Veterans Day deals and discounts.