Second chances and new beginnings for two veterans

The days grow shorter, the leaves change color and fall from the trees, and soon we will gather to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Autumn can be a season of new beginnings, second chances and a reminder to never give up on our veterans. 

Chuck Ondo knows about new beginnings all too well. He served in the Marine Corps for six years before transitioning to law enforcement. Unfortunately, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder caught up with him. He was a self-described “suicidal drinker” who would guzzle a bottle of vodka until he passed out. His dependency on drugs ultimately led to him being incarcerated.

After being released from prison, Ondo found himself on the brink of homelessness. Fortunately, he was connected with Pittsburgh’s Veterans Leadership Program, one of our Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program grant recipients. The experts there helped Ondo find safe and affordable housing and bought him a new set of clothes and even barber’s tools to start his business.

Three years after leaving prison, Ondo is the successful proprietor of his own business, Valor Men’s Grooming. At his barbershop, he provides homeless veterans with free haircuts, assistance with resources, and an empathetic ear. He has gotten married. He also leads a prison outreach program to provide incarcerated individuals with support and to let them know that there is hope. 

Through his mission to give back, he has mentored hundreds of veterans. At the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, we are glad that we were able to help Ondo, but we are even more grateful that Ondo has decided to pay his good fortune forward. “When you’re changing a life, and someone is counting on you to answer the phone, it’s empowering to me. It’s the thing that keeps me sober,” said Ondo. “I may just be one man, but I can be more than that. I can be someone that transforms lives.”

Marine Corps veteran James Jackson Sr. faced a new beginning of his own when he and his wife moved from California to Texas to be closer to a new grandchild. He knew that even though he had been away from active service for years, federal programs were always available to him.

Jackson found our Off-Base Transition Training program through a career center in Plano. Since he hadn’t been working for a long time, he was pleasantly surprised to find how helpful the OBTT program was.

The program taught him how to succeed in interviews, organize his employment search and create a LinkedIn account. After several months of unemployment, he landed his dream job. He recently celebrated his first anniversary as a geographic information specialist with the City of Dallas.

Jackson considers the OBTT program to be a valuable resource. 

“It can always help and not hurt. If you look at it objectively, you will be able to find useful tools that apply to your situation,” said Jackson. “The Off-Base Transition Training program is a great benefit that the Department of Labor is constantly updating and upgrading.”

At VETS, we know that new beginnings can be challenging and sometimes frightening. However, we see the value in every service member, and we are proud to help veterans find the tools they need to reenter the workforce and gain meaningful employment.

Sarah Bierman is the deputy director for the Office of Grants and Training in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.

EDITORS’ NOTE: This blog has been updated from the original to correct Chuck Ondo’s service in the Marine Corps. The original incorrectly stated that he had served for 16 years.