Gary VanDyk was enjoying a 24-year career in the U.S. Navy when he learned he was being forced to retire due to diabetes. The news, coming amid the disruption of the COVID pandemic, hit both him and his family hard.
“Overnight, the life we planned just completely changed,” said Kristi VanDyk, who as a military spouse had supported her husband’s two-plus decades of service to his country. “This was our life, and all of a sudden it was like, ‘Oh, by the way, you have to retire.’”
Then a friend told Gary VanDyk about Operation New Uniform, a Jacksonville-based nonprofit that provides military veterans and spouses with free training programs that help them make the transition to the civilian workforce. In addition to building a resume and providing networking resources, VanDyk said, ONU helped him identify skills from his military career that would be valuable in the business world while also helping him develop new skills, like public speaking.
“Before ONU, I had no ability to speak before a crowd of people,” he said. “Somehow, going through the ONU process, I have the confidence to do that now.”
VanDyk is among the local veterans whose stories will be shared at the ninth annual Heroes Gala. To be held Dec. 3 at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, this year’s gala will feature national media personality Brian Kilmeade as master of ceremonies and Lt. Col. Allen West as guest speaker. Proceeds from the event enable ONU to offer its services free of charge.
“Veterans like Gary and spouses like Kristi are the reason we do what we do,” ONU CEO Michele McManamon said. “Our veterans have so much to offer the civilian workforce; they just need some help in taking off their old uniform and learning to put on a new one — a business suit.”
Since its inception, McManamon said, more than 350 veterans have graduated from the ONU program, which in addition to training offers veterans access to year-round career fairs and networking events to connect them with both employers and fellow veterans. Statistics show that 97% of ONU graduates secure employment within a few months of completing the program — a success rate that is only possible, McManamon said, because of the support from Heroes Gala sponsors and attendees.
For couples like the VanDyks, the ONU program has been transformational. Kristi VanDyk was so impressed by the changes she witnessed in her husband, in fact, that she enrolled in ONU’s program for military spouses.
“I used to think I should be thankful just to have any job because as a military spouse I had gaps in my employment from moving so much,” she said. “ONU has given me confidence as well as access to resources and networking opportunities to find a job that’s a good fit for me.”
Armed with newfound skills and confidence, the VanDyks are now actively seeking new civilian employment. And they encourage other veterans to overcome any feelings of self-doubt and participate in Operation New Uniform.
“Everyone has feelings that they are not good enough,” Gary VanDyk said. “ONU has a special way of really bringing out the best in you.”
The ninth annual Heroes Gala will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dinner as well as a raffle and both live and silent auctions. Sponsors include Aegis Pension Services, Arlington Toyota, Ascendo Resources, Autrey Research, Fields Automotive, NLP Logix, Nimnicht, Swisher and community partners such as K9s for Warriors. A limited number of tables and sponsorship opportunities are still available.
For more information on sponsorship for the Operation New Uniform Heroes Gala, go to onuvets.org/heroes-gala.
Read about the gala by clicking here.
