RBC Wealth Management is on an afternoon conference call, which doesn't have anything to do with stock investments or 401k's. A Medal of Honor recipient is on the line telling staff members about his time at war.
In Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry picked up a live grenade and threw it away from his unit. It cost his right hand but saved himself and fellow soldiers.
On calls like this, RBC shows employees what veterans deal with when they come home.
"Coming back and trying to establish who you are in society, trying to figure out who you are as a man and how to move forward," says Willem, a retired Army Ranger who has been helped by an RBC partner program.
After serving for four years, Willem found himself struggling at home. He was living out of his car while maintaining a job in Montgomery County.
"I really had put aside dealing with the mental health issues of the things that I was living in and through overseas," he says. "It didn't make sense to give up on myself, or my family, or my son here in the United States, when overseas I had faced so much of a greater threat and danger."
RBC Wealth Management connected him with one of its partner programs, "Veterans Safe Haven," which is run by the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless.
"They'll receive these homeless veterans from either DC or Baltimore VA offices, they'll put them into this 6-month rehabilitation type program where the veteran gets social counseling, psychological counseling, treatment counseling and is basically prepared for independent living," says RBC Wealth Management's Marcus Hull.
Participating veterans have donated a house or apartment. RBC chips in by purchasing items to fill it with. Willem says his new home is the house he's always wanted.
"Being able to come into a beautiful neighborhood and have neighbors... I haven't used the word 'neighbor' in 4 or 5 years," he says. "Now, I have somebody next door that I can say, 'Hi,' to."
RBC Wealth Management also supports local veteran programs like Paws4People's Paws4Vets program, Hockey for Heroes and the 3 Rangers Foundation.
