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Randy Blass, EBV Program Director
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4 comments:
Hello Friends of EBV,
It has been a year since we prepared to host our first EBV class at FSU. In that time we have made much progress. We were able to host 15 veterans at FSU last year, and in the process, we created provide a real social entrepreneurship experience for 10 undergraduate business students. We are looking I even greater success this year. Once again, I have a great team assembled and their devotion to this cause is invigorating. In addition to working with the student volunteers, I will also be teaching a formal Social Entrepreneurship course concurrent with EBV. In this course we will explore the business side of starting and running a successful non-profit organization all the way from opportunity recognition to sustainment.
While fundraising is a never ending endeavor, we are now shifting efforts towards selecting our class of veterans. All I can say is that when I talk with them on the phone, they are very eager to get started and very grateful for the opportunity.
As I had mentioned in a previous email, I visited a group of severely disabled veterans in Orlando this past December at the annual Road to Recovery Conference hosted by the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes. Here is what one of those veterans, who has applied to our program for this summer, had to say after learning about EBV:
“Thanks for everything! Your presentation has given me something that I lost four years ago when I sustained severe injuries in Baghdad; HOPE! Thanks again and I looked forward to speaking with you soon and continually.”
For those of you that have already pledged again this year, or who made a multi-year pledge last year, we thank you for your continued generosity. For those considering a gift this year or for multiple years, we thank you in advance and we have set up a donation link on this blog.
We are looking forward to hosting another great class this year. Please mark Saturday, the 13th of June on your calendars for our sponsor appreciation and social networking event. This will be held at the Tallahassee Auto Museum and will be a great chance to everyone to come out and meet the veterans personally.
Thanks for your support,
Randy
Check out our video from last year's program!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv-m_v-7xO8
We have finished our selection of veterans. It was a very competitive process with over 40 applications to consider. We will be hosting 22 disabled veterans here at FSU in June.
Friends of EBV,
We completed our second year of EBV at Florida State University and had the privilege of hosting 19 veterans this year. Since the program’s completion, we’ve received updates from many of our 2009 EBV graduates, and it is exciting to hear about the progress they have made. This group came into the program with a high level of interest and motivation, and many of them have already reported positive results regarding their ventures, several of which are already up and running. I am compiling this information and will be sending out an email to our stakeholders regarding our vets’ progress in the next week or so.
Since its inception, our program has reached out to disabled veterans from every branch of service. One of our goals this year is to reach out even more to ensure that disabled veterans know that this opportunity is available to them. We have updated our materials which should be in soon and plan to mail out the information to organizations and programs in the Southeast. Our website is also being updated and we are hoping to have this completed by sometime in September. The site will be even easier to navigate and we are adding some special features for you to get to know our veterans better.
As I reflect on the results of our program this year, I am inspired by the support that we have received for our program. The FSU EBV program could not have been possible without the financial support of our donors and sponsors. My hope is that our program will continue to grow its support base so we can sustain this vital program for years to come. For all of you who have contributed to this program – thank you! For those who are planning to contribute, we would like to thank you in advance – we have set up a donation link on this blog.
Our volunteer team is getting together next week to talk about how EBV went this year, and we will begin planning for 2010. There are so many mechanisms at work to put together the EBV that early planning is critical. Volunteers make this program happen - they dedicate countless hours to make the program a success.
Best regards,
Randy
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