EUSA and Veterans Advantage have together committed to raising funds for the "Welcome Home" initiative through R&R (Recycle and Reward)

A new, U.S. Department of Defense-inspired foundation, EUSA, (Employers for a Stronger America) is sponsoring an important initiative that will help American corporations support the thousands of National Guard and Reserves returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom…all without costing a penny.

In a "Welcome Home!" effort, EUSA’s goal is to provide demobilized Guard and Reserve complimentary one-year memberships in Veterans Advantage, as a thank you for service. To raise funds for this initiative and additional financial support for its other outreach programs, ESGR (Employer Support for Guard and Reserve), a DOD agency, has recently formed EUSA (Employers United for a Stronger America) foundation.

EUSA and Veterans Advantage have together committed to raising funds for the "Welcome Home" initiative through R&R (Recycle and Reward), Veterans Advantage’s program to deliver free memberships with proceeds from recycled cell phone sales. The R&R program encourages participants to "Recycle a Phone, Reward a Vet."

Corporations can serve as Official Sponsors of the Welcome Home! Campaign by collecting used cell-phones at their offices. R&R provides boxes, collection, shipping and all administration. Boxes of donated cell phones are shipped to R&R’s recycling partner, with proceeds from the resale of the refurbished phones to sponsor the complimentary Veterans Advantage memberships.

"Time and time again, leaders in Corporate America express to us a strong desire to reward all who serve the nation and their families, but wish their balance sheets were stronger so they could afford to do so," said Scott Higgins, Veterans Advantage founder and chief executive. "We created ’R&R’ to make it easy for them to reward service to our country."

"We recognize the economic sacrifices made by military families, and want to thank and provide them with some support. Free memberships will be available to the troops returning home from Operation Iraqi Freedom, so they can take advantage of this program right away," Higgins added.

The ESGR was created to inform employers of the increasing importance of the National Guard and Reserve and to explain the necessity for - and role of - these forces in our national defense. Its newly created EUSA foundation has been set up for corporations to help in this effort with financial support. ESGR’s Executive Director, Major Gen. Bob Hollingsworth, was recently profiled by Veterans Advantage as a HeroVet.

In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, Veterans Advantage is seeking companies to sponsor this program and to reward those who served and sacrificed in Operations Iraqi Freedom.