Project Donates Business Suits To Military Veterans

Editor's note: the following story was submitted by Sequoyah High School student Laila Giles.

CANTON, GA — Military veterans are widely known and praised for people who venture onto the battlefield with courage, never hesitating to sacrifice their lives for their country. Some people do not realize how much work our men and women in uniform actually do. They have to practice and drill until they become physically and mentally exhausted.

Soldiers are forced to live in unsafe and dirty environments, but they do it out of respect for the country they serve. They will do everything to protect the lives of their fellow citizens. They often have witnessed traumatic events as part of their service — the most horrific being death. Most of them are away from their families and loved ones for years at a time.

However, once their active service comes to an end, most people are unaware what happens when a military member returns to civilian life. Olivia Rexford, a former student at Sequoyah High School, completed her senior project on this very issue. She created a nonprofit that provides business suits for returning veterans who are seeking to re-enter the workforce.

Many soldiers sometime have problems adjusting to the business world because of their active experience. Some of them do not have enough money to pursue a good career. Even though veterans are revered as national heroes, they are normal human beings who, like many of us, experience nervousness and anxiety during a job interview.

However, something as simple as a business suit can give them the boost they need to keep moving forward. When Rexford was asked what this project had to do in regard to her career path, she responded, “My senior project reflects my dream of serving my country in the military as well as an awesome opportunity to give back to those in my community who have already served so diligently.”

She has given new hope to these inspiring people, and that deserves a remarkable amount of respect. Jim Lindenmayer, director of the Cherokee County Homeless Veteran Program at American Legion Department of Georgia, teamed up with Rexford to help her accomplish her goal. All the work that they have put in is proving to be very effective, as the Suits for Vets program is expected to help over 200 veterans.

The amazing thing is that donations are still being received today. Some of the veterans in this program are either unemployed or homeless. Even the bravest of souls still need a helping hand from their community, and this is no exception for American veterans.

“The unemployed or homeless veteran population in our community need to know that they aren’t alone, that people still care, and a suit will help them feel confident,” said Lindenmayer.

Some of the challenges Rexford faced are almost unimaginable to most people. She has a passion for the military, and even participated in ROTC. However, being passionate and having a great idea was not enough to make this dream a reality. She had no experience in what she was doing, and she had no one to help her out. For Lindenmayer, this task was not going to be a walk in the park. He only had a few resources at his disposal, a box of suits to be exact.

“There were several hurdles we had to jump to get to where we are today," he added. "We had to battle the state over rights to the organization, had to defend ourselves against the VA (Veterans Affairs) hiring department, seriously negotiate with UPS for shipping inconsistencies, and quickly raise money considering the new tax laws.”

Rexford knew that this project was going to be hard, but not impossible. She has since partnered with church groups, non-profit organizations, The Salvation Army, United Way and MUST Ministries to carry out her mission. She has interviewed many veterans, gotten their names and addresses, and has shipped their suits to them.

Olivia Rexford is an example what we all should be. She teaches us that we can make a change no matter how young or old we are. Veterans are just one part of our community. They are brave, but not super-humans. They still have to make a living and take care of their families. That is why they need our help. You do not have to have a $1 million to give your support. A small act of kindness can make a huge difference.

If you are interested in donating a suit or parts of a suit, please contact the American Legion Post 45 at homelessVet@galegion45.org or 770-479-4405.

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