Second Chance Veterans Foundation

Mission Statement

The mission of our 501c3 organization is to tear down the walls, rebuild trust, and empower every Veteran to find their passion, their purpose, and realize their dream by providing every Veteran a Second Chance.  Our Movement Second Chance – “No Vets Left Behind” will work towards:

  • Eliminating Veteran Homelessness!
  • Stamping Out Veteran Poverty!
  • Stopping Veteran Suicides!

We’ll make sure every Veteran has a place to call Home, excellent Healthcare & Mental Care, Education, and Job Placement or Veteran Owned Business Opportunities in partnership with the Veteran Entrepreneur Center, which will also have a Veteran Accelerator Program providing:

  • Business Support Team
  • Business Location
  • Initial Funding
  • Ongoing Support & Management
  • Programs for Personal Development:
    • Counsel for Wellness & Readjustment
    • Creative Art Therapy
    • Strategic Partnerships
    • Homelessness Prevention
    • Clinical Therapy for PTSD

Purpose

Christopher Blake, founder & CEO  of Second Chance Veterans Foundation, had every intention of following in his Grandfather’s footsteps to attend the United States Navel Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and started taking flying lesson while a sophomore in high school to become a Top Gun pilot.  Admiral Ulysses S. Grant Sharp Jr. graduated from the Academy in 1927, and was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) from 1963 to 1964; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command (CINCPAC) from 1964 to 1968.  He was PACOM commander during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.

Things don’t always work out as planned, and on April 25, 1988, my plane fell out of the sky.  I survived a plane crash, but sustained a traumatic brain injury with a sever contusion to the left frontal lobe.  I had always been a high achiever and honor roll student willing to spend my free time tutoring other classmates, but suddenly my whole world changed.  My brain had been compromised, and had to start the learning process all over, without any short term memory.  I couldn’t remember what happened the day, the hour, or the minute beforehand.  I suddenly found myself fighting for survival, trying to recognize my new identity, trying to determine my new purpose and what fulfillment I could achieve for my life, and determined to overcome the many mental challenges I now faced.

So here we are today, nearly three decades later.  I didn’t just overcome the challenges and setbacks that were faced, but far exceeded any and all expectations for my life, and the lives of those I’ve been fortunate enough to touch.  I graduated high school with my class, not as the number one student, but the one student that came back from a near death experience.  Due to the injuries sustained in the plane crash, I was ineligible to serve in the military or enroll in the United States Navel Academy, but I did go onto build a multi-million dollar insurance brokerage.  I became the first and only Agent Emeritus in Mutual of Omaha’s 100 year history, and the number one (#1) Independent Broker seven (7) years in a row.

It’s a distinct honor and high privilege to have such accomplishments and achievements in my life, especially coming back from a plane crash and traumatic brain injury.  I can personally relate with many of our Veterans who have suffered trauma and PTSD and are fighting to come back and get back on their feet.  I’ve been there!  Now I can offer hope, passion, purpose, and fulfillment to every Veteran we have the honor and privilege to give a Second Chance within the Second Chance Veterans Foundation.  It is my sincere desire to bring the same passion, dedication, determination, and successful business background and experience to work closely with and re-empower hundreds if not thousands of Veterans, one Veterans at a time.

Problem

Even though the USA celebrates the service and sacrifice of its Veterans, that’s not enough to make the reintegration back into civilian life easy, especially in today’s world. Returning Veterans struggle to find jobs, grapple with poverty and its devastating effects, are disproportionately homeless, and are committing suicides at an alarming rate.

While US Veterans make up less than 9% of the US Population as of 2014, they represent 13% of the homeless population and 18% of all suicides in America. Veterans serving since 2001 have an unemployment rate of 10% nearly twice the US average. And almost one million Veterans under the age of 64 faced poverty last year.

U.S. Veterans are used to a community where they eat, sleep, and fight together as a team. When transitioning back into society, they face disconnection, isolation, individualism, and loneliness. They’ve lost their social network and desperately miss the sense of connection and closeness they felt with their comrades, making it even more difficult to recover from the trauma of war.

Veterans who want to start their own businesses have the odds stacked against them even more. Most businesses fail within the first year due to:

  • Lack of Experience
  • Lack of Leadership
  • Failure to Follow
  • Your Passion
  • Failure to
  • Differentiate
  • Lack of Capital or
  • Financial Resources

Starting a successful new business can be even more challenging for Veterans who have sacrificed and put their lives on the line for our Country, and have not had the opportunity to build a social network or a business team while serving, which is critical for the success of a new business. The Veteran Entrepreneur Center will partner with each Veteran to give them the best opportunity to be successful, such as by providing resources to compare insurance providers like Good Sam vs AAA.

Bike Draft EventBrite (1)

2018 Memorial Day Bike Draft

Harley Davidson Bike Draft: The event is going to take place on Memorial Day 2018. It is going to be held at Ace Cafe located at 100 W Livingston St, Orlando, FL 32801. Bruce Meyer’s Harley Davidson is providing this amazing motorcycle in support of the US veterans. This powerhouse of a motorcycle is valued at $23,000 and will benefit homeless veterans in the central florida area. The bike will be on display at the Ace Cafe from November 3rd until Memorial Day 2018. On Memorial Day one luck winner will be chose at random. They will be a proud owner of a 2018 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special.