$75,000 in Awards to 13 Injured Veterans in 4th Quarter of 2022
Work Vessels for Vets, the Connecticut-based charity that purchases equipment for injured veterans who are starting a business, announces their end of the year 2022 grants. In the last 3 months of 2022, thirteen veterans in 8 states received $75,000 in equipment for their civilian startup businesses!
“This was our very best quarter in our 14-year history! We are thrilled to make a difference to so many young men and women who sacrificed and were injured in service to our country. We are honored to help them make a new start as business owners,” said Cathy Cook, Executive Director.
“All we ask in return is for these 13 new entrepreneurs to use their business plans to succeed, and go on to hire more veterans, serve their communities and contribute to the economy,” noted John Niekrash, President and Co-founder of Work Vessels for Vets. Niekrash started the charity in 2008 with the gift of his lobster boat to a USMC amputee who was starting a clamming business in Narragansett Bay, RI.
Since 2008, Work Vessels for Vets awarded equipment valued at $3.7 million to 2700 injured veteran-entrepreneurs in all 50 states. This volunteer-run nonprofit is lauded as a Top-Rated Nonprofit at Great NonProfits, and achieved the highest Platinum status at GuideStar (now known as CANDID) for its transparency and efficiency. The administrative overhead at Work Vessels for Vets is 1%.
$14,000 for Army Sgt Seff Boyle of Tennessee who received a new dump trailer. Semper Fi Fund participated in this award.
"Even the dealership wanted to thank WVFV for working with me,” said Boyle. “I can't tell you how much it means to me to have foundations like WVFV and Semper Fi Fund in my corner with this new business. I appreciate it more than anyone will ever know.”