Ep. 4 - Mission United, A Key Link Between Veterans And Veteran Nonprofits. Jonathan Oakley, Senior Director, Mission United, United Way Of Palm Beach County.

Imagine unlocking the full potential of support for our veterans. That's exactly what Jonathan Oakley, Senior Director of Mission United at United Way of Palm Beach County, and I delve into in a heart-to-heart conversation about bridging the gap between our nation's heroes and the resources they deserve. Our discussion reveals the inception and journey of Mission United, a beacon of hope demonstrating United Way's ability to swiftly mobilize resources and facilitate essential collaborations among veteran-focused agencies. Jonathan's personal transition from a 22-year tenure in the Marine Corps to leading this pivotal initiative paints a vivid picture of the passion fueling their efforts to grant veterans the access to help they've bravely earned.

The challenge of funding and impact takes center stage as we navigate the nonprofit world's intricate dance of supporting our veterans, especially in areas with less military presence. Unveiling the year-round dedication to drawing donations and the ingenious ways local United Ways provide services, this episode will inspire you by showcasing just how much can be achieved when communities rally together. It's not only about financial aid; it's about constructing a network of care, evidenced by Jonathan's and my shared experiences in creating change, one wheelchair ramp at a time, and the power of showcasing these triumphs to kindle the generosity of major donors.

Wrapping up, we turn to the Vets Connect Podcast community, inviting you to join a growing family that's deeply invested in making a difference. This platform isn't just about sharing stories; it's about forging connections that empower veterans and their loved ones, fostering an ecosystem of support through shared resources and experiences. So, whether you represent a nonprofit or are simply moved by the valor of our veterans, tune in and become part of a collective journey dedicated to honoring and aiding those who have served.

Transcript

Scott McLean: 0:22

Welcome to the podcast. I'm Scott McLean. My guest today is Jonathan Oakley, senior Director of Mission United United Way of Palm Beach County. Now, usually I would tell you what the person does. I'd describe what they do, but I'm going to let Jonathan tell you how you doing. Jonathan, I'm doing good. Scott, how you doing.

Jonathan Oakley: 0:42

Good. What does Mission United do? Mission United, in a nutshell, is the vet initiative for the United Way of Palm Beach County. We do three things. We get agencies to work together and build a network so that veterans can find all the resources they need, because no one agency can fix everything with a vet. We bring some unique challenges to the table. We plug vets into the network, so we're helping vets navigate the resources that are available in the community. And then, lastly, we're a granting organization, so we provide funding to veteran agencies. So over the last two years we've provided a half a million dollars in funding, and this year the grant process is going and we got another 250,000 that'll be walking out the door as our council decides who's who's doing good work, and so those are the three main focuses. Uh, at the end of the day, the vision for mission united is to create a comprehensive and collaborative network of agencies that will make sure that no veteran or veteran family needs go unmet.

Scott McLean: 1:53

So tell us a little about yourself and how you actually got involved with Mission United.

Jonathan Oakley: 1:57

So 22 years in the Marine Corps, joined right out of high school. When I retired we wanted to not be cold, so we moved to Florida and I started as a jotc instructor here in palm beach county and crossed paths with some folks from the united way and one of them was like I think you'd be really good for this. So mission united itself started technically pre-covid, like february, before everything shut down. They're like hey, mission united, Miss United, we're going to do it. And then COVID went and put the brakes on everything and the United Way still had a Miss United.

Jonathan Oakley: 2:31

But obviously when everything shut down, their focus changed. Right, how do we get food to people? People can't come out and get food, no more. How do we deliver it? They were concentrating on the COVID relief efforts that were going on. So during that time they studied and figured out what they thought the veterans of Palm Beach County needed. Post-covid they kicked this Mission United thing off and so I got picked up almost two years ago to be the senior director and that's where we're at years ago to be the senior director, and that's that's where we're at.

Scott McLean: 3:11

And United Way decided to come up with Mission United, and it's strictly veteran organizations. You work, you work with Correct, correct no. Where did that originate from? Was was that always in the coals with United Way, or did they just say, hey, you know what we want to get in that space now and we're going to create Mission United.

Jonathan Oakley: 3:27

So a decade ago, broward, just south of us. I mean, you could probably throw a rock from here to Broward, can't you? They started the Mission United program and a gentleman named Stephen Moss and some other folks that were vets had transitional problems. Stephen, specifically Stephen Moss's daughter was having some problems when she transitioned out of the army and he felt that there wasn't enough awareness for resources for veterans when they get out of the service.

Jonathan Oakley: 3:56

Where do they go when they need the help? Right? So they started this Mission United program down in Broward about a decade ago. Broward's Mission United is large, it's full service, it's a thing, it's a sight to behold. And then every other United Way has a chance to pick up Mission United right. Each United Way gets to pick and choose what initiatives that they start and utilize based on the needs of the community.

Jonathan Oakley: 4:23

So our CEO, president and CEO, dr Lori George, her son joined the Marine Corps, which made the veteran space very real to her right. Her son is now serving. He just got back from deployment just recently. So she just said I think we need to do this. And she went out and recruited a person that she had served or worked with at the United Way, brian Edwards, my boss, who's a retired Marine, and said Brian, I think we need this Mission United thing. And he's like do we really? I mean, we got a VA hospital, do we really? And they sat down and talked and looked through a bunch of stuff and said, no, I think you're right, I think a Mission United would benefit Palm Beach County and the rest is history.

Scott McLean: 5:03

So you just mentioned the VA. What is there? I suppose there is. What's the difference? Because I know that the VA, they have their outreach programs to nonprofits for veterans and that's what you do. You're in that lane right. Sure, somewhat Sure. Do they offer something different or do they? Is there a kind of a collaboration? At any point? Do the paths cross?

Jonathan Oakley: 5:28

Well, it's a partnership. I mean, the biggest thing that United Way is. We're a convener and a collaborator, right? The United Way is like the granddaddy of nonprofits. I mean, palm Beach County has been around for almost 95 years and they are the premier agency when it comes to figuring out what does a community need and how do we get it there. The marginalized and disadvantaged folks of any community. The United Way is there to take care of them, and the veteran population being one of those potentially marginalized areas. And veterans bring in unique challenges to the table. They're not just homeless, there's a lot more to it. And oh, by the way, there's programs built specifically for homeless veterans that they may or may not know about or have access to. So that's kind of where Mission United bridges that gap.

Jonathan Oakley: 6:24

And for the VA, they do mainly the same thing, except they're under the government umbrella, right, and the government's like the Titanic you can't turn it very fast, whereas the United Way can pivot in a heartbeat. And that's why Palm Beach County relies on the United Way for a lot of things, because they know that the United Way can pivot and make things happen when emergencies occur COVID, storms, whatever United Way is that I can make it at work, and they do. They have a history of it. That's why they're able to jump into this field. So the VA is on our council, the VA is a partner of ours. The county is on our council, the county is a partner of ours. And then there's a dozen other agencies and private companies that are part of our advisory council, which is you know. I like to say that Mission United is a bus and I'm driving it, but I'm blindfolded. My council is the one is telling me which way to go and how to get there.

Scott McLean: 7:25

So Mission United is their county. They're not a city town, it's always county Palm Beach.

Jonathan Oakley: 7:30

County. It's whatever community the United Way serves. So there's two United Ways in Palm Beach County the United Way of Palm Beach County and the United Way of the town of Palm Beach. So the town of Palm Beach itself has its own United Way. They don't have a Mission United. Then there's the United Way of Broward Mission United, united Way of Miami-Dade Mission United. The next closest is Brevard United Way of Brevard County. But some United Ways are double. I live in Port St Lucie, so that's United Way of St Lucie and Okeechobee Counties. They're combined. So it just depends on how big the United Way is.

Scott McLean: 8:08

And this is national. Are there Mission Uniteds all over the country?

Jonathan Oakley: 8:12

There are, we're the 26th I think. Now Brevard is the newest one. I want to say there are like 28, 29, maybe 30. There's 1,300 United Ways, so it's not like a flagship. There's a bajillion of them out there, less than you know maybe what 3% have them at Miss United, but most of them are in Florida. You know by percentage because it started here, so it's been picked up here. But there's United Ways in Indiana, illinois, georgia, texas. Any United Way can kind of pick up the mantle and run with it and then build it according to what their community needs, cause Broward is different from Miami, very different from us. Everybody's got a different uh flow depending on how that United Way functions and then what the veteran community in in that area needs you work with non-profits?

Scott McLean: 9:07

yep, that support veterans, correct? Do you ever have any interaction with veterans like veterans listening? He's like, oh, I can go to mission united and see what they have to offer. It's not really set up like that right, no.

Jonathan Oakley: 9:22

So palm east county? No, broward county, absolutely it is. Broward County is a one-stop shop. So you go to Broward County Mission United. I mean the staff at Broward County Mission United is as big as the United Way of Palm Beach County 40-plus employees, full service, administering federal grants. I mean, they're a beast and James Heaton and company do a great job with that.

Jonathan Oakley: 9:53

Here in Palm Beach County we're not direct service, so if a vet calls me, I'm going to give them the same line. Hey, our navigational tool is 2-1-1. They're our partner. Call 2-1-1, identify as a vet. I think once you get past the if this is emergency, press one. You know, hang up and call 9-1-1. Once you get past that it's like press two. For that You're transferred to Scott or Chris, over two on one and they have the same list of resources I do, and they'll talk it through and help you find what it is you need and what, what you qualify for, cause there's some agencies you've got a discharge, status or VA rating, whatever you need.

Jonathan Oakley: 10:24

So they'll help you navigate all that and they'll plug you in with who you need to be plugged in with. That calls me. I'll give them that line and then I'll say, all right, what do you need? Cause I'm I can't do it, I can't hang the phone up, to my own detriment sometimes. But uh, so I will help as best I can. But no, we are there to help them find a nonprofit or a resource. Whether that's Palm Beach County provides it or the VA provides it, I don't care where it comes from. I just need to make sure the vets get help and then figure out how to make sure they get all the help they need. Because if a vet needs help paying their rent, wounded Veteran Relief Fund has emergency financial assistance. They do a great job, but there's a reason why the vet can't pay his rent. Does he need a better job career source? Does he need to get some mental health stuff so he can get?

Jonathan Oakley: 11:15

get his mind right, you know, then, maybe it's for freedom, or maybe it's great team, or maybe it's heard foundation, or maybe it's armory art center, or who knows? Maybe they go diving with dive for vets, maybe they go fishing, I don know. Whatever it takes to get them whole.

Scott McLean: 11:29

Now is the goal for the United Way to have a mission united in every state. Is that a thing, or is it just some need it more than others, or is it?

Jonathan Oakley: 11:41

I think that I wouldn't say it's a goal. I think the goal for the United Way is how do we ensure that, at the end of the day, there's no such thing as a marginalized community? How do we make sure that I mean the United Way is there to make sure everybody has access to an education, healthcare, food, a roof over their head like you know the basics of living, their head, like you know the basics of living, you know. So we concentrate on, on, uh, what we call the Alice population, which is asset, limited, income, constrained, but employed. So folks that live paycheck to paycheck are one car accident away from being homeless, and so we focus on those groups that sit in those areas. And how do we help them get the food? How do we help them get the education, the job? How do we break all those cycles as veterans go? If the veteran contingent in that county or that population that the United Way serves falls into that category or has a need, then absolutely create a Mission United. Knowing that veterans bring unique challenges to the table, knowing that veterans have unique resources they can tap into, then let's make sure that we're tapping into those resources and then we have some folks that are knowledgeable in the vet space to to navigate that.

Jonathan Oakley: 13:03

But there are counties all over the country and communities all over the country don't have a whole lot of vets, or the vets that are there or are are good, right, they, they're squared away. You know, I would reckon where I was my last duties, my last large duty station, right, cherry Point, north Carolina, I reckon they probably don't need a United Way to have a Mission United. There's a United Way there, but there's a 20,000 Marines that are stationed there, you know. So the vet space is fueled by the active duty population, so you probably don't need it because 80% of the population are active duty or veterans. You know other locations New York, chicago probably need a mission that you know there's. There's a lot of vets in those big cities and there's no massive active duty presence to help feed the fire.

Scott McLean: 13:51

So would a veteran go online to see if there's a mission United they can in their area? What would? What website would they go to?

Jonathan Oakley: 14:00

the easiest thing to do is find your local united way, right? So, whatever, wherever you're at, wherever you're listening to this, if you want to find out, just go on your local united way. Usually they're titled by county, sometimes by city, sometimes by the name of the region the united way of the heart of florida. You, you know everybody's got different little mantras that go the United Way, the Emerald Coast. So find your local United Way and see if they've got one and if they do, then plug in and see what they're doing. You know, some Mission Uniteds are like, I said, broward's one-stop shop. We're mainly convening and collaborating. There's a United Way that's northwest of Orlando where they do direct service.

Jonathan Oakley: 14:38

I said broward's one-stop shop, we're mainly convening and collaborating. There's united way that's northwest of orlando where they they do direct service. I mean like when. I mean direct service, I mean scott needs to build a wheelchair ramp at your house. All right, dog, let's go to lowe's, I'll meet you there. And they literally wrote the check from the united way account to buy the lumber so a boy could build this ramp at his house so the, his grandfather, who's a vet, can wheel into the house, right. So I mean everybody's got their miss, united, built for whatever the population needs there so you mentioned writing a check, correct, right?

Scott McLean: 15:13

so you know where this is going. Money, money. So I've talked to've talked to three nonprofits so far and I always ask them the thing that people don't talk about is money, correct? They think all these nonprofits, everything is free and everything's donated and free 99. Yes, so with that, how does United Way, mission United, get funded?

Jonathan Oakley: 15:36

Well, that that's a tremendous question. So, down and dirty. United Way itself gets funding from companies, from individual donors, various locations, right? We, we, we apply for grants, state corporate grants, and they collect all this money. Like, what the United Way does is take all the money, put it together and find the nonprofits that do the good work, right? We're like the mutual fund of nonprofits, so everybody puts all their money in with us and we throw it out at these different nonprofits that are doing all this work to help the populations, the marginalized communities. With that being said, Mission United was jump-started by Mackenzie Scott. She gave $5 million to United Way of Palm Beach County and we got a portion of it to get this Mission United jump-started. So it was going to start.

Jonathan Oakley: 16:27

And when Mackenzie Scott said here, it added a whole lot of gas to the fire and Mission United grew quickly. At the end of the day, we are out fundraising and working with individual donors, corporate donors, whoever that we can find to bring money in to support Mission United's efforts and then also to grant out money to these agencies that we support. So it's a double-edged sword. You donate to Mission United at the United Way of Palm Beach County, you're allowing us, allowing me, to go out and create this network and communicate, and I always like to say be the adult in the room right, be the one person that doesn't have the vested interest in arguing who's the better horse group or who's the better financial assistance group or who's housing vets best, and then also grant organizations some funding to fill in the gaps.

Scott McLean: 17:23

So part of your job also is fundraising Correct A hundred percent the fun part of your job, I would assume you say so If you say so, scott, so, basically, is you need money to give money, correct, a hundred percent. To give money, correct, a hundred percent. Do they have a season of fundraising? Do they have an event? Is it 24, seven, we, we, 65.

Jonathan Oakley: 17:45

January 1st to December 31st that's our season, right, all year round. We're always looking, we have events, but our events have been not been designed for fundraising right. So, as the United Way kicked this mission United off and gave it to me, we have goals, we have fundraising goals that we try to achieve every year. But my philosophy has been there's no such thing as venture capitalism and nonprofit world right. You got to go out and prove that you're a worthy cause, that you're doing good work. So so far, I've mainly concentrated on how do we, how do we show the impact right, how do we go out there and actually prove that we need to be here? And I think over the last couple of years of me doing this, I've proven that Mission United is making a difference. Whether that's Cecilia and plugging in with her at the VA or plugging in with these agencies. I've gotten great feedback and they're all like you're great. I love what you're doing. I love what Mission United and United Way is doing. So we're seeing the impact.

Jonathan Oakley: 18:43

Now that I can tell that story and I can prove concept, now I can go out and ask big donors and we've got some folks that are on board and you know M&T Charitable has been a big supporter. Rich Geisler sits on our advisory council. Our council chair, henry moreno, works for holland and I you know he puts his money where his mouth is. I mean we have, uh, some veterans that are involved in our council. You know robin frost and a few others that I mean they, they support us with, with their own treasure, because that's the ultimate goal. Right is to be able to put your money where your mouth is, and and they're doing it. And then we're going out to others and saying, hey, we're doing great work and we need your help.

Scott McLean: 19:26

So you and I met about less than a year ago, I think. It was up at Palm Beach State College. I think I had met you before that at the farm. You would come down to see her at Foundation and I didn't know anything about Mission United.

Scott McLean: 19:40

you know you're a nice guy and you know Rhonda kind of Rhonda loves you and I say that every episode Rhonda loves everybody she is and Rhonda is the executive director of Herd Foundation and I got to learn more about what you do throughout conversation and I have to say, what you do and what Cecilia Baez does at the VA in West Palm Beach was the motivation for me to do this podcast. I hope that what I'm doing helps you, helps the both of you, because you're helping us, you're helping Herd Foundation. Is there anything else you want to mention? Is there any fundraiser, anything coming up in the Mission United world or any events?

Jonathan Oakley: 20:19

I think the big thing that we're always looking to find ways to engage. How do we get the word out of Mission United and what we do? How do we get the word out for vets to hit 2-1-1 and find the resources? We have a veteran resource map we created. So if you go to United Way of Palm Beach County's website, unitedwaypbcorg and pull up Mission United, there's a vet resource map. It's a google map it really is. That's all it is, but it has a listing of organizations on there and you can check out who you want to get plugged in with and what you need.

Jonathan Oakley: 20:52

So there's those avenues that we're always working to try to get the the word out. We have an event we're going to. We're starting to plan in the glades and finally get out to, you know, the Western part of the Palm Beach County which is it's an area that is often not paid attention to, uh, so we're trying to get a foothold out there and find the veterans out there, cause they're out there. You know, veterans all over Palm Beach County is over 80,000000 of them. We got the partnership with the VA that I'll be at with you tomorrow and that's important. To continue that work, we'll do another United for Veterans event, hopefully this summer. So just stay tuned and if you want to know more, if you want to get plugged in, drop me a line. My email is on the website, but it's Jonathan Oakley at unitedWayPVCorg. I'm not hard to find.

Scott McLean: 21:43

No, you're not. You're like 6'3". You're a big dude. You're hard to miss too.

Jonathan Oakley: 21:47

That's fair, that's fair and I'm not quiet.

Scott McLean: 21:50

No, I'd be glad Anything I can do with the Belle Glades area outreach. I'd be more than glad to help because my wife has a soft, spartan heart for that, for that location. She would do when she was an associate professor at South University she would go out to Belle Glades, get all the nursing students together and go out there and do a back to school big back to school event for them. And so I, as along with she, would. If you guys ever need any help going out there for events or anything, I'll let you know.

Jonathan Oakley: 22:24

I'll keep you posted. We're in, we're in the preliminary stages, but I'm I'm excited. I've been trying to work to get out there since I started. You know when, when they like who are the marginalized communities. I mean it's right there, it's right there, and I knew it was going to be a tough nut to crack. You know I've been in Palm Beach County working in the school district for a while. So you know, talking to the JOTC and Pahokee, you know that it's not an easy community to break into and United Way has a name out there, a good name, so I get automatic credibility walking in that door. So I'm grateful for that and my hope is that you know everything that we're working towards is a success, because that's how you maintain relationships. You got to again prove concept right. Go out there and show them that you mean business and that you bring goodness, and they'll invite you back.

Scott McLean: 23:15

Now this is a question that I have for you. When I got out of the military, I had no idea, none, zero, that there were nonprofits that helped veterans. I know I'm not alone. No-transcript. Did you know these things existed? That universe might as well have been Alpha Centurion like way out there. I get it Right, I get it. How do you get to people like me? If I had known, I'm sure at one point I would have reached out to somebody. But I was just VA, Just VA, that's all we kind of know right. Just VA, that's all we kind of know right. And you're in a space of hundreds of nonprofits that work with veterans that maybe a lot of veterans don't know exists, correct. So how do you crack that?

Jonathan Oakley: 24:11

That's a really good question and the Mission United and Broward. I rely on them for a lot of things. You know they've been around for a decade, so some of the growing pains that I'm sitting here staring at.

Scott McLean: 24:26

they're like oh, we did that a while ago, this is how we did it.

Jonathan Oakley: 24:28

And we're like oh, okay, I can do that or I can't do that because that's not doesn't fit how we work. Right, it doesn't fit our operations. But I will say this Broward does TAPS classes. So when somebody in South Com is getting out and they go through their separation class, right, marine Corps, we call it TAPS, and you know, whatever the transition assistance class that everybody goes through on the way out, the door Mission United is there for a half day. The way out the door Mission United is there for a half day. They're there for the whole day, but they spend a half day talking and then they're there for the afternoon to answer questions and just connect with vets. But they're plugged in with South Com and then the Coast Guard station in Miami Because I get invited to go watch it as well we haven't plugged in with I mean there's really not a big active duty contingent in palm beach county, the navy reserve center in fourth anglico, uh, just north of the, the airport. I mean that's one way to do it. Uh, getting us plugged in with the va and letting, making sure there's a strong bond between us and cecilia and that all the social workers know about us so that when the vet does show up to the va and they need something that the va can't give them or they need. They don't want what the VA has given them, they want to do something different or they want to plug in recreationally, then they know that Mission United is a conduit, it's, it's just making all that known. You know, we have other ways that we'd like to do it, ideas that our council has talked through and that we've thought about. You know, approaching, whether approaching the county, approaching the federal government, you know, and figuring out how do we do this. And that's, that's the first, that's the first step and that, and we're doing it. And then it's just a matter of increasing that. And then, you know, if there's a bigger solution that we can bring to elected officials or a bigger solution we can bring to the county, then then we'll do that. I'm working in conjunction with Cecilia and Dr Glamad and Dr Pete and a whole bunch of folks over there and Buzz, who's on our council. Uh, we're, we're really working hard to to get with Corey Price, the director, and the folks over there to figure out how do we make sure everybody knows, how do we get the word out, how do we get the word out to the sea. I mean we don't have the word out in the big pink building at Blue goals is to create a system and to create a network that operates to ensure that no vet or vet families' needs go unmet.

Jonathan Oakley: 27:13

I don't enjoy what I call happy accidents, right, what I call happy accidents, right. You know, in my first year there was a vet that was plugged in with a great team here in Boca doing good work and they plugged him in with how help our wounded hyperbaric oxygen therapy. They found out he was homeless. They knew he needed like more than what they could provide at those two agencies. Right, those two agencies combined do a really good job of fixing the body. Right, they do a great job on the hardware, but not so much on the lay down on the couch and telling me about your problems software side.

Jonathan Oakley: 27:49

So they said, hey, you know, we need to get this guy some good counseling.

Jonathan Oakley: 27:53

So they plugged in with Fort Freedom, because Lisa Archer at Howe met Chelsea from Fort Freedom at a veteran network meeting and so there's she's.

Jonathan Oakley: 28:03

They got her plugged in with Fort Fort freedom and then they found out he was having problems with housing and job and so then I worked to get, for freedom, plugged in with career source so that, as that, while he's doing his inpatient in Fort, freedom can now work to see how they can get them a better job and actually, you know, pay some rent, you know, and do the things that they need to do to be on their own.

Jonathan Oakley: 28:28

To me that was a happy accident. It just happened that great team works with how. It just happened that how was in the vet, you know what I mean and I just got plugged into the whole network in time to. I want that to be the norm and not the exception, if that makes sense. So how do we, how do we make sure everybody knows who's doing what? And that's part of it, and that's part of creating that network of working agencies that works to fix veterans and get their challenges met and not do it just by happenstance, and really make a network that works for the veteran well, I think the network is being built.

Scott McLean: 29:15

I think we'll always be being built, sure, sure, it should never be finished. There's nonprofits that pop up daily, weekly monthly.

Jonathan Oakley: 29:22

We had two of them pulled. Since January We've had two nonprofits I've been plugged into had to close their doors. Yeah, and that's funding 100%.

Scott McLean: 29:31

Yeah, that's funding 100%. It's not a competition. I always say this it's about the veterans, but when it comes to money, money is the gasoline that runs the engines for nonprofits Correct, if you're listening. And there's a nonprofit that you like, whether it works with veterans or not, support them, fund them. Every little bit counts. As the saying goes, every little bit counts.

Jonathan Oakley: 29:53

And if you've got the treasure but maybe not the time to figure out which nonprofit's serving the need that you want to serve best. And that's where the United Way comes in, and that's what. That's what we're all about, right, that's I always say we're the mutual fund of charities, you know, if you, you give your money and collectively gets combined up with everybody else's and and we're the ones that you know make sure that the agencies are doing what they say they're doing, they're serving the community, that the executive director is not going out and buying ferraris like we, we, uh, we make sure that they're they're on the up and up and that the agencies are doing good work.

Scott McLean: 30:32

that's that's kind of what we're looking to make sure we bring into the veteran space too so if you know a veteran oh, you are a veteran and you think that maybe the VA is not giving you what you want, go to the United Way. Go to the website and see if there's a nonprofit out there that will help you and what you need. I didn't know this. I say everything for a reason. There's a reason. I didn't know because it waited for me, Life waited for me, the universe waited for me to land where I landed with Herd Foundation. I don't know you never know what you would have been doing if you took that left instead of that right. But if you're a veteran out there, there is something for you out there. Again, if it's not the VA, try United Way. Or if you have a Mission, United in your area.

Jonathan Oakley: 31:26

And the website again is UnitedWayPBCorg UnitedWayPBCorg and there's a Mission United page. Pull it up and it's got a link again to the Vet Resource Map. It's got my contact information. It's got a list of our granted agency Herd Foundation listed. It's just a great place to start if you want to do it on your own, if you're in need and you want help figuring out what's best for you 2-1-1. 2-1-1, 2-1-1, 2-1-1. And that's a nationwide thing. It doesn't matter where you are. You dial 2-1-1 and it takes your cell signal and says all right, they're this tower, that's that 2-1-1. And you get plugged in with the resources. You know it's the 4-1-1 is information. 8-1-1, they'll tell you where to dig. 2-1-1 is your resource hotline.

Scott McLean: 32:13

You need a resource 2-1, right there, that's the key. That's the key. Well, my friend, thank you very much for doing my first in-studio interview. You forced this on me, which I needed, this, it's all right. It's the kitchen studio I got to push you out of the outside of your box.

Jonathan Oakley: 32:33

a little bit Got to apply pressure, as we say in Herd Foundation.

Scott McLean: 32:36

Got to apply pressure. We're in the kitchen studio. I have a nice kitchen, nice little setup here, beautiful home.

Jonathan Oakley: 32:48

Yeah, thank you. This is my mobile podcasting unit now so I can actually load this up and have to get you, like a pelican case, plug it all in the pelican cases.

Scott McLean: 32:51

Again, marines in their pelican cases that means you got money.

Jonathan Oakley: 32:56

We always got our pelican cases from the air force.

Scott McLean: 32:58

Yeah, all right. All right, let me end this. Let me end this before it turns into a bro podcast. Well again, jonathan, thank you very much. I appreciate your time, I appreciate your efforts and, most of all, I appreciate your friendship and I want to thank you for listening listening you are the fuel that runs this machine. If you like it, share it. I just started a YouTube channel, the Vets Connect podcast. It's an audio version of the podcast on a video screen. Not everybody wants to look at me, so it's more focused on what you'll hear. And again, if you like it, subscribe, share it. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, give me five stars. If you're listening on any podcast, give me a thumbs up. Five stars. Good review. If you want to get in touch with the podcast, it's vetsconnectpodcastgmailcom. If you're a nonprofit that wants to be on the podcast, vetsconnectatgmailcom, and that's it. Well, we built another bridge today and next week we'll build another bridge to another nonprofit. Until then, you'll hear me on Monday.