Bringing Faith, Support Back to Homeless Veterans

A Crystal Lake entrepreneur has used his good fortune to help military veterans in need get a new start in life with his NASA Education Corporation. 

John Blanchard spent a good portion of his youth in Cary and returned there briefly after serving eight years in the U.S. Navy. It was his experience after being discharged in 1986 that set in motion his successful business ventures and his desire to help fellow veterans. 

Like many young recruits, Blanchard thought the military was the best option for him after graduating high school in 1979. 

During his tenure Blanchard got to see a bit of the world working as an operations specialist in the combat information center on the nuclear-powered USS Virginia guided missile cruiser.  He chose the jobs he liked while on ship and learned them quickly. At one point he controlled helicopters for the Medivac when a U.S. barracks in Beirut was blown up. 

“Everything I did had incredible purpose,” he said. “When I was tracking a ship or patrolling a helicopter or ciphering or deciphering encrypted messages–everything just felt like it was important.” 

Up until his discharge he planned to be an air traffic controller but when the Professional Air Traffic Controller’s Organization collapsed in 1981, he said he didn’t have a clear direction of where to go. 

Returning to civilian life in Oklahoma, Blanchard became homeless after only a month. He worked for periods of time in a grocery store, a collection agency and as a process server. He lived in his car or stayed with friends until he wore out his welcome. 

Like many returning veterans, Blanchard found his Navy skills didn’t translate well into civilian life. After a few years he reluctantly returned to his family in Cary, feeling defeated that he couldn’t make it on his own. His mother paid for his tuition at the Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wis., but he didn’t complete the two year program due to a fortunate turn of events.

While taking classes, a friend connected him with the Easter Seals in 1991 and he took a job there providing technical software support. Shortly thereafter he transitioned to IBM and in 1994 founded his own company, the National Association of System Administrators, Inc. which provides hardware maintenance and operating support to companies of all sizes. Today, NASA Inc. has over 35,000 pieces of equipment under contract in the U.S., Argentina, Canada and Mexico.  NASA Inc. was named one of 10 national finalists in the DELL/National Federation of Independent Businesses for its excellence in customer service award in 2006. 

Blanchard used his last IBM paycheck to start NASA, Inc. in Palatine, moving to Crystal Lake in 2003 when the business outgrew that location. By that time he had expanded further by founding the National Association of System Administrators Corp. in 1998 which serves governments, customer call care centers and rehabilitation centers. Today technical specialists are located throughout the country serving NASA clients with a 24-hour call center and two private airplanes available to fly technical specialists and parts to customers as needed. 

NASA’s client list includes Kelly Services, Sallie Mae, Northern Illinois University, IBM and more. Blanchard said that since 1994 NASA hasn’t lost a client. 

While his companies grew, Blanchard used some of the profits for his new venture, NASA Education in 1999, which today remains a non-profit organization supported by the profits of the NASA companies and volunteer efforts of NASA employees and others. 

Initially NASA provided training for those interested in working in IT-related fields. In 2005, he developed Project Fresh Start as part of NASA, for which it is best known today. 

He said he was inspired to help his fellow veterans after seeing them panhandle at Chicago Union Station. 

“It got me thinking it wasn’t that long ago that could have been me,” he said.

Blanchard estimates that of the approximately 40 homeless in tent cities throughout McHenry County, about half are veterans.  The reasons for veterans being homeless are numerous; mental illness, disabilities, alcohol and substance abuse or just not being able to find work are cited as causes. Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are over 100,000 veterans without a home every night and that another 1.5 million are at risk due to poverty and lack of supportive networks.

NASA helps disabled, homeless and otherwise transitional veterans get back into mainstream society by providing housing, counseling, food, clothing and therapy. It also has a legal assistance fund to help vets clear up legal matters and training in life skills. 

Twice a year, NASA hosts Stand Down for Veterans which connects veterans with services and information while providing food and clothing. 

Job training in automotive technology, CDL truck driving, construction, information technology, landscaping and more are offered through NASA at the NASA corporate headquarters in Crystal Lake. 

To help veterans back on their feet, NASA has partnered with a local manufacturer to train veterans for jobs there and connect with local employers seeking to train and hire veterans. 

Job opportunities and training aren’t limited to homeless vets, but to any finding their military skills don’t transition into civilian jobs. 

NASA Ed Program Director Amy Johnson said companies who hire from the program aren’t charged anything. 

Johnson met Blanchard when both worked at IBM and she followed him to NASA Inc., subsequently volunteering her time to NASA Ed.

“I do it because I believe in what he’s doing,” she said. 

Blanchard said that people are amazed to learn that NASA is privately funded. 

“Everybody believes we have federal funding because why would we do it if we’re not getting paid to do it,” he said. 

NASA works quickly to get a homeless veteran on private insurance if possible, and a temporary home in one of the 32 beds it has in its two Crystal Lake apartment buildings and single-family home. 

If the veteran is unemployed, they may help out at one of the NASA companies in some capacity temporarily. Blanchard said this helps give veterans a purpose which he feels is a necessary component to getting back on track. 

Most veterans on the street have lost their faith in just about everything, he said. And until they start believing in something there is no ambition to do anything. 

“If you have your faith back, you have a purpose and it seems like everything is going to start fitting in again,” he said.