Founder's Blog

I am at Midway Airport in Chicago and headed back home to Fallbrook California, only to head out the next day to Fort Bragg NC. However, I remain honored and humble to serve our Veterans and find new ways to empower our communities to join the effort.

I logged in a few miles driving from Crystal Lake to Cissna Park Illinois and everywhere in between.

We have three new learners and our first Illinois Learner is from Crystal Lake. A Marine that continues to serve and on recruiting duty. Not an easy tour, or at least it wasn't during my tour on recruiting duty from 1977 - 1980 in Chicago. However, it was the best tour where I learned so much about our communities and the difficulty for a mother to see her child serve our country.

Our mothers need to know that we love and care for her child and we won't let her children not be attended to post service. I extend my deepest appreciation and gratitude to Mom for her own sacrifice of her children that have defended the freedoms of many.

Chicago happens to be my hometown and naturally, I reached out to my brother, a Vietnam Era Marine and the one I credit for influencing my way of thinking. Like many, he works so I had to track him down at his work site in Hillisde, but he lives in Cissna Park. This is our very first "back of the car" signing of Articles. He had little time, but we managed to secure the signing of his Articles of Agreement and one of his witnesses was a Navy Veteran.

The first Learner I was suppose to visit on Sunday the 29th of March, had to attend an out of town event. We didn't get to meet until the 31st. When I went to boot camp and in the chow line, this Marine was on the serving side and the last time I seen him. It is amazing how we were able to reconnect and this time, I am on the serving side. These our are first three Learners for Illinois and our starting point. If you are from Illinois, join me to invite and encourage others to register with our online connection www.WhereCommunitiesServeVeterans.org.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog. During April I will visit Fort Bragg North Carolina, Milton Florida and Burlington Vermont. God Bless all, Albert R. Renteria, CWO-4 USMC Retired, Founder and CEO

I am at the Austin Airport waiting for a late flight. While waiting thinking of my trip to Texas, I found myself visiting memories of the past.

It has been a few years since I have visited Texas, and it remains as friendly as ever. It was a busy, but a very productive trip. I met with many I knew and met many more new friends.

The visit of the past is reflected in this posted photo where Nina Gayheart joins me with three Marines I had the honor of serving with.

I met Franc Montalvo during 1983 and we have been connected by distance for some time. I think it was about five years since we last met. Franc is now retired and settled in Austin. Welcome Franc, as one of the first Learners of Texas. Franc is in the center of the photo.

The tallest gentleman is Michael C Sosa and we served together at 3rd Battalion 1st Marines. I am a firm believer that one learns from another and Mike taught me many things and what I learned most from Mike is to trust at all cost and learn from any mistakes. I had the opportunity to have lunch with Mike today and honored by his thoughts. It is Mike that has charged my means to serve and I thank him!

Eric is the fourth from the left in the photo. He too served with Mike and I. We all served on the Maiden Voyage of the USS Essex during 1994 in support of the Somalia withdrawal. I was proud to learn of Eric's post service success and his vision for future endeavors. I can remember Eric's demeanor during deployment and my responsibility to provide him the tools to serve others. He taught me the importance of always making more tools so that a service to others is second to none.

These Marines are just three of many that influenced me to create this organization and it was the many civilians that taught me how much the Community wants to Serve Veterans.

Texas is the third State we have signed Learners and with what I learned from this trip we are 47 States to go!

I want to extend my gratitude to John and Sigrid for hosting a dinner event yesterday. I met an extraordinary young man and his name is Austin. He is only 13, but you would easily mistaken him to be much older. Austin served as a reminder to me on why I do what I do! Thank you Austin!

After I spend a couple of days home I am off to Vancouver WA to sign for our second Center, which we are planning for a grand opening during May 2009 in honor of Memorial Day. From there, I head back home on the 25th and get ready to head to Chicago to sign on more Learners.

I want to thank you for reading my blog and for sharing with me how best to serve you so that together we can eradicate the notion of a homeless Veteran by 2035. God Bless, Al

I had the honor of meeting with Matt at his home in Vancouver, Washington along with his friends and family.

Matt signed his IX Articles of Agreements and represents the First Learner in the State of Washington.

Matt is our first out of state state learner and we are making plans to open our center during May 2009, in honor of Memorial Day.

We have our eye on a location at 1st and 164th street in Vancouver. It is 800 sq ft and if all goes well, we will get this location ready for business.

I look forward to seeing Matt's first blog post and your comments. God Bless you All!

P.S. I will traveling to Vermont next to sign our next out of state learner and than off to Florida and other states. Our goal is to have 12,288 learners by the end of the year.

Happy New Year America! We start the New Year with seven Learners and where The Veteran Force begins. For the month of January 2009 it is our hope to sign on at least five more veterans to become Learners.

Our strategy is simple and that is to bring on a number of veterans to match the total number of Learners prior to the new month. Our success in doing so will result in over 6,000 veterans signing on as Learners during 2009.

This vision will not occur without the support of all communities. We have reached out to many and the pulse says it all Communities Want to Serve Veterans. Visit the Learners Blog and read what they are posting and volunteer to provide your thoughts.

Every learner has a level to complete and it consist of writing a chapter with a predetermined number of pages. The first level is a four page chapter. To proceed to the next level, the learner must receive four comments from the existing community and comment back. However, the learner must also solicit four comments from others that have not registered. This is a total of 8 minimum comments.

There are 14 levels consisting of 450 pages of writing. Measuring the completion consists of a few variables and one of them is getting the community to engage and in doing so each Learner will be responsible for bringing on 422 new registered community participants.

Show your support, register with our community and be part of our success and empower a nation to make a difference in support of those that have gallantly served to protect and preserve our freedoms.

Semper Fi,

Albert R. Renteria, CWO-4, USMC Retired

Founder and CEO

I am at the Portland Oregon Airport after enjoying a very fruitful visit in Vancouver Washington.

I had the honor of meeting with a great group of Americans. Their energy is high and their level of support beyond words.

Our ground team is Matt Keyes and Fran Tobias and I hope you get a chance to see who they are by visiting our Founding Community. We are aiming to opening a Center during May 2009 in honor of Memorial Day. I can't wait! Thank you all for all that you do!

Albert R. Renteria, Founder and CEO, Where Communities Serve Veterans.

I work at a school and last week I overheard one of the professors saying that it was strange that school would be closed on Tuesday (Nov. 11th) rather than having the holiday on Monday (in reference to Veteran's Day). I didn't hear any comments about how wonderful it is that we can honor our Veteran's on the actual date in history, Nov. 11, formerly known as Armistice Day, as it was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on Nov. 11, 1918.

This sparked my interest in learning more so I "googled" the history of Veteran's Day and found this article on Military.com. I have attached the link-it is worth reviewing: History of Veterans Day

I want to thank all the Veterans and their families for the opportunity to live in a free country with its many privileges and many blessings. Thank you to ALL the men and women and their families who sacrifice daily to give us our freedoms. I appreciate all that you do every day and your commitment to our great country. You are in my prayers and in my heart. God Bless, Chris Thayer, volunteer

I like to think everything happens for a reason, and if it doesn’t then I just got lucky.

I happened to come across the Southwest Veterans’ Business Resource Center after the opening Nov. 1 while covering it as an article for Camp Pendleton’s base newspaper. I thought nothing of it until actually seeing everything the center had to offer first hand. I was amazed.

The center offers everything you might need to accomplish the goals you have set in your life. It has the potential to offer communities across the nation the oppurtunity to give veterans’ the support they need and deserve to succeed.

One out of every four homeless men sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country, according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Government agencies only reach an estimated 25 percent of the 400,000 homeless veterans every year, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Leaving 300,000 veterans without a place we like to call home.

Personally, I am only 22-years old and don’t have even half the wisdom generations before me have, but if I can recognize this national concern, so can you.

I have always approached problems in my life very logically: Identify the problem, Apply the solution, and Overcome. We have identified the problem and with the Southwest Veterans’ Business Resource Center as a solution to apply, we have nothing left to do but overcome.

We have the resources today to make a difference tomorrow.

I am in Richmond VA waiting for my flight home to San Diego CA. While I am waiting I turned on our BLOG feature. The BLOG will be avaiable to the public for comment, but only registered participants can post a blog.

The month of November 2008 is the month our founding community came together. I am reaching out to all 50 states to invite registrations and I encourage your participation to reach out as well.

This is your community and a place for all of us to harvest our knowledge and share our life and lineage. All that I have done has been the result of meeting so many people from all over the world. As we create our virtual world where communities serve veterans I believe we will all learn together and be enriched with what we share with each other.

Thank you, for registering during November 2008 and for being part of our founding community.

Albert R. Renteria

Founder and CEO

Chief Warrant Officer-4, USMC Retired

Southwest Veterans' Business Resource Center

Where Communities Serve Veterans™

www.swvbrc.org

760.468.1315

Service Never Ends for a Marine!