WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) is celebrating its 10th anniversary of its founding in March 2011 as an organization that has been connecting veterans, transitioning service members, military spouses, and military caregivers with meaningful employment opportunities.
On March 23, 2011, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Services (DOL VETS) launched a yearlong nationwide initiative to help veterans and their spouses find jobs in local communities across the country. This initiative grew to become Hiring Our Heroes, a grassroots workforce development initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
To date, more than 31,000 veterans and military spouses have obtained employment opportunities through Hiring Our Heroes events. More than 2,000 companies of all sizes have committed to hire 710,000 veterans and military spouses as part of the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign. Of those commitments, there have been more than 505,000 confirmed hires. Hiring Our Heroes also surpassed the Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses campaign in 2020, with more than 108,000 commitments.
“It has been an incredible journey for Hiring Our Heroes,” said Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes and vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “What started out as hiring fairs for veterans has expanded into highly successful programs for the entire military community. With the support of our partners, we will continue to be forward-thinking with our initiatives. We are excited to see what the next 10 years brings.”
Starting with a handful of employees in 2011, Hiring Our Heroes now has a team of more than 50 personnel. The majority of the organization's staff are military spouses or veterans who work virtually and live across the United States.
