DAVID WOODS KEMPER VETERANS FOUNDATION
Serving those who have served our country
The David Woods Kemper Veterans Foundation will examine and strengthen the relationship between military facilities in Kansas and Missouri and the regions that host those facilities. We want to help improve the welfare of U.S. veterans including their physical and mental health, employment, productivity, self-reliance and family life. An important aspect of this is to facilitate veterans’ transition from active duty to civilian life.
With 40,000 troops scheduled to separate from the military in the next few years, it is our responsibility as a community to give those who have served the best opportunities to thrive here in Kansas and Missouri. This means taking on a two-prong approach to providing assistance:
A PROACTIVE APPROACH – With so many about to transition out of the military, a support system must be in place to welcome soldiers back to civilian life. Many programs already in place will need assistance to effectively serve such a large influx of soon-to-be veterans. To prepare both the veterans and the communities that receive them, we need to analyze current conditions, close gaps in the existing network of services and create new options for returning soldiers and their families.
A REACTIVE APPROACH – While there are many programs to ease the return to civilian life for new veterans, previous generations of veterans still need assistance. Like their younger counterparts, these older veterans may also face healthcare issues, family instability, housing problems or the challenge of a mid-life return to the workforce.