WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nexstar) — The transition from the military to civilian life is challenging for many veterans. That’s why a bakery in Washington D.C. is working to ease that process – one scone at a time.
When veteran Kim Defiori returned home from Afghanistan, shewas facing a personal battle. After nine years in the military, she knew it wastime to leave.
“I had PTSD. I had some traumatic brain injuries. My migraineswere more frequent,” Defiori said. “I had a couple [of] suicide attempts when Iwas at the Pentagon.”
Due to her struggles, Defiori wasn’t sure how well she would do in the civilian workforce. That’s when she and her service dog, Thor, enrolled in Dog Tag – a nonprofit bakery in the heart of Washington D.C.’s Georgetown Neighborhood.
Dog Tag’s mission is to provide a recipe for success forveterans transitioning into the civilian workforce. The organization recruitsveterans with service-connected disabilities, as well as military spouses andcaregivers, and puts them through a “living business school,” said Dog Tag CEOMeghan Ogilvie.
“They go through tests, papers, and presentations to earnand graduate with a certificate in business administration from Georgetown,”Ogilvie said.
After graduating from Dog Tag, Defiori went on to start herown nonprofit, Badges United Foundation. The organization is dedicated toboosting the overall wellness of first responders and their significant others.
“She’s a success in a variety of ways, but mostly becauseshe found her voice and she’s found a way to serve again,” Ogilvie said.
The Department of Defense estimates that more than 2450,000service members leave the military each year. Christopher Plamp, with Hire Heroes,said that many veterans need employment assistance when they leave the service.
“They have never made a resume. They’ve never interviewedfor a job. They don’t even understand the skills that they gained while theywere in the military,” Plamp said. “That never goes away.”
Hire Heroes is an online platform that helps thousands of veterans across the country jump start their job search.
“All of our services are done virtually. They are done overthe phone, over the computer, over text or Skype. Whatever is the best way totalk to the veteran or military spouse,” Plamp said.
