What would you do if you were disabled and then honorably discharged from
the Military? Would you take a bow, graciously acknowledge you’ve served your
country, completed your Tour of Duty to the best of your ability, and now
comfortably (or not) relax while relying on others to take care of you?
Would you live in the past, bound by all kinds of
anxieties and fears, angry and frustrated with society and the state you find
yourself in; or in the present, bound by boundless challenges and obstacles,
all as your now less-than-normal life goes on without you and your former self?
Or would you heed the call, and honor the request, of
your Commanding Officer’s final parting words?
Well, instead of admitting defeat and giving up, that
is what Jeff Powell did, and this is his story:
Jeff was stationed in California, serving the US Navy
Seabees when he became disabled, and upon his discharge, his Commanding Officer
made a final, parting request. He asked Jeff to continue supporting the
Military Men and Women, as well as his future Veterans.
Jeff accepted this challenge gladly, committed
wholeheartedly, and helping others has now become his life’s mission. Even
after he became disabled, having to deal with his disability, and pulling
through other hardships such as becoming homeless, readjusting to society, and
caring for his ailing mother, Jeff’s CO's words remained clear to him.
Jeff’s Inspiration and Vision
Jeff immediately became a Verified Veteran Supporter
and established www.VerifiedSupporter.com, a non-profit organization, resource, and a community forum and blog
for all matters Veteran; and then another website called Military Veteran
Entrepreneurs at www.EntrepreneurVeteran.com, which is a helpful resource to launching a successful online business,
where Jeff’s eBook “Your Guide to Launching an Online Business” is available
for sale and all proceeds go to worthy Veteran causes.
Then, keen to improve his education after returning to
civilian life, Jeff soon exhausted his book stipend, because of the
exorbitantly restrictive cost of books. Knowing there must be SO many books out
there that someone else could be using more productively, and rather than give
up and be a burden to society, Jeff decided to hire a team of professionals to
build a website that would cater specifically to the needs of his Veteran
college students, as well as to help alleviate the astronomical cost of text
books that so negatively affect them all.
So Jeff created www.Books4Veterans.com Coming soon!, as the perfect place for Veterans and all College
Students alike, to buy good used books, and to donate or sell their books.
Books4Veterans aims to make the further studies and self-improvement efforts of
our Veterans a little easier, and a whole lot more affordable; while showing
gratitude to those who served our country, and to take a stand and lend a hand
to those who’ve helped make our freedoms possible.
Then, realizing there were SO many other ways he could
serve his fellow Veteran and his community at the same time, Jeff expanded his
vision and created many other supportive websites, resources, forums and
societies for Veterans.
Jeff’s “4Veterans” Initiatives
The “4Veterans” concept is Jeff’s brainchild, or
rather heart-child, and his mission is simple: To bring people together –
Business, Government, Veterans, all Americans – to help and support each other.
Jeff says: “Together, we can all lend a hand and weather any crisis!”
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Apart from Books4Veterans, Jeff has dedicated his life
to developing many other projects, or ‘hobbies’ as he prefers to call them, for
the greater good of all Military Veterans, their families and their
communities. As a shining testimony to his unconditional commitment, and his
incredible motivation and drive, here’s a list of all the worthy Veteran
initiatives Jeff has pioneered to date:· Verified Veteran Supporter – (https://www.facebook.com/verifiedveteransupporter?ref=hl)
· Military Veteran Entrepreneurs (www.entrepreneurveteran.com)
Jeff is now intent on giving back and helping the
greater Veteran community throughout the United States, especially when comes
to books to further their studies and improve their lives, and other resources
that unite and inspire communities, throughout the country.
Jeff says: “Serving the community is a state of mind,
the kind of passion that carries you day-to-day, and that is what drives me every
day throughout this journey.”
With Jeff’s tireless energy and unconditional
commitment to helping his fellow man, his 4Veterans initiatives go the extra
mile by providing a supportive community service that helps alleviate some of
the challenges and obstacles encountered by Veterans and non-Veterans alike.
Although Jeff still faces many challenges, both in his
personal life and with his disability, he is one of the most courageous,
motivated and dedicated people supporting Veterans in the United States today.
Jeff truly has the passion for, and a deep insight of, what it takes to
help his fellow Veterans, all while showing unconditional support for the
Department of Veteran Affairs.
And there is a bittersweet twist in Jeff’s life story.
Shortly after Jeff’s son Jeremiah was born (April 19) Jeff lost his Mother to a
prolonged illness on Independence Day this year, July the 4th 2014. Jeff was
unwaveringly at her side to the end, and his Mother, an avid Veteran Supporter,
left Jeff a final request too: “Keep up your good work, my son. Our country is
proud of you!”
Jeff is now more inspired than ever, to help and
serve.
If you want to share your ideas or concepts with Jeff,
or if you need his advice or want him to speak at one of your events, feel free
to contact him directly at books4veterans@gmail.com
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