C&S Wholesale Grocers announced support for the Student Conservation Association’s innovative program: the Veterans Fire Corps.
Established five years ago in cooperation with the US Forest Service, the Veterans Fire Corps trains recent-era veterans in community fire protection and fuel reduction methods, and then deploys teams in national forests, parks, and refuges. The Student Conservation Association, a national leader in service and stewardship, developed the initiative to combine its conservation expertise with the needs and skills of veterans from all branches of the armed services who are returning to civilian life.
Although the tools and equipment may be different from those used during their military duty, veterans in the 13-week program are exposed to hazards inherent to fighting wildfires and must rely on their teams to safely accomplish their missions. An additional benefit of the program is that the vets receive certification in firefighting and conservation. More than 75% of Veterans Fire Corps alumni are currently employed or furthering their studies in wildland fire and forestry. Veterans Fire Corps teams also have provided quick response to natural disasters, such as Superstorm Sandy.
Said one Marine veteran who received a Purple Heart in Afghanistan, “The Veterans Fire Corps gave me a sense of purpose. It gave me a uniform again and a job of importance.”
C&S provided both a cash grant and an in-kind donation of food for two 90-day training sessions held for 80 veterans at the Colorado Fire Camp. The food provided for the veterans included meal staples like grains, legumes, pasta, coffee, tea, and snack items such as granola bars.
ABOUT THE STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION
The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is America’s oldest and largest youth conservation organization. SCA transforms lives and lands by empowering young people of all backgrounds to plan, act, and lead, while they protect and restore our natural and cultural resources. Founded in 1957, its mission is to build the next generation of conservation leaders, and seven in 10 of SCA’s 75,000 alumni worldwide are employed or studying in conservation-related fields. Headquartered in Washington, DC, SCA also maintains regional offices in Anchorage, AK, Charlestown, NH, Chicago, IL, Houston, TX, Oakland, CA and Seattle, WA. For more, visit www.thesca.org. A video about the Veterans Fire Corps is posted on SCA’s website at: http://www.thesca.org/connect/blog/video-veterans-fire-corps.
ABOUT C&S WHOLESALE GROCERS, INC.
C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc., based in Keene, NH, is the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S. and the industry leader in supply chain innovation. Founded in 1918 as a supplier to independent grocery stores, C&S now services customers of all sizes, supplying more than 6,000 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases, and institutions with over 150,000 different products. To learn more, please visit https://www.cswg.com.
C&S community involvement programs support initiatives to fight hunger and to promote the health and enrichment of communities that are homes to the company’s employees and facilities. To learn more: http://community.cswg.com.