Code of Vets was founded by Air Force Veteran Gretchen Smith in 2018. Their short mission statement is “Taking Care of Our Own..One Veteran at a Time”.
Gretchen’s father, Sgt. Danny E. Smiley was a Vietnam Combat Veteran. He would eventually succumb to the demons of his PTSD. Gretchen sought to honor her father and his journey, so she began sharing his story on social media. The story resonated, and she began to receive responses from other Veterans who shared that they found themselves on the same path as her father. Often, they also shared a financial need that was complicating matters. Code of Vets then evolved organically from there.
Gretchen leveraged the power of social media to begin helping her fellow veterans. After a Veteran shares their needs, Gretchen’s team vets them and their documentation, then posts the request on their social media pages. In most cases, the funds are raised and distributed within 24-48 hours. Requests are diverse; from a new pair of shoes for a job interview, to help pay for utilities/groceries or purchase a new refrigerator. In one case, Code of Vets raised $3,000 in 40 minutes to prevent a family from being evicted.
Code of Vets has an impressive service compared to costs record, with only 2 percent of their budget dedicated to administrative costs.
Gretchen emphasizes that they treat all Veterans with dignity and respect because they recognize it can be difficult for them to share the fact that they need assistance.
Code of Vets is making a huge impact a little bit at a time on a grassroots basis. So far, they have raised and distributed over 8 million dollars to help 8,000 Veterans.
Veterans who are seeking assistance may begin the process by visiting the Code of Vets website here.