St. Louis-based group matches veterans with volunteer jobs

Mission Continues, a St. Louis-based organization that helps returning war veterans find ways to serve their communities, is looking for volunteers in Southeast Missouri.

Since its inception two years ago, Mission Continues has offered support to wounded soldiers in an effort to guide them toward new ways of serving those in need, founder Eric Greitens told a handful of Cape Girardeau officials and representatives from not-for-profit and faith organizations.

The meeting, held Wednesday morning at Cape Girardeau City Hall, was intended for organizers to brainstorm ways of getting residents involved with Mission Continues, which is funded solely through individual contributions.

A Maryland Heights, Mo., native and Navy SEAL, Greitens described his organization as a "challenge, not charity," an idea he devised in 2007 after returning from a tour Iraq, where he'd been injured when his unit was hit by a suicide truck bomber.

When Greitens returned home, he visited several war hospitals and talked with wounded soldiers.

"Every single one of them told me they wanted to return to their unit," Greitens said.

Knowing that might not be possible for many of them, Greitens began asking them what else they might want to pursue, and all of them said they wanted to find a way to continue serving, even if it was through activities such as teaching, law enforcement or coaching youth football.

"They have a long line of people coming to say ‘thank you,' but what they need to hear is ‘we still need you,'" Greitens said.

Greitens used his remaining combat pay to establish Missions Continue and since then has been working to help veterans rediscover a sense of purpose.

One of the first recipients was Matthew Trotter, a Texas man who had been injured while serving in the military. Trotter told Greitens that when he received paperwork stating he was no longer eligible for active duty because of his injuries, he felt as though he'd been stamped "unserviceable," much like the pieces of military equipment that were damaged.

Trotter spent the first 18 months out of the service in or around his house, Greitens said, but through a Missions Continue fellowship, he was able to get a paying job working with disabled children at a therapeutic horseback riding facility.

Greitens said the fellowships are about $10,000 each.

The organization works with veterans to decide a type of service, such as mentoring, they'd like to pursue, then gives them the financial support they need while they volunteer for several months.

Sometimes, the volunteer positions turn into paying ones, which happened in Trotter's case. Other times, Mission Continues offers guidance in continuing education in that field.

Phillip D. Sturgeon Jr. of Benton, Mo., is using a Mission Continues fellowship to train service dogs for disabled veterans. Sturgeon suffered extensive back, neck, shoulder and knee injuries several years ago while serving as a medic for the U.S. Air Force in Iraq.

On Wednesday, Greitens and Sturgeon will be featured on Tom Brokaw's "American Character on Highway 50" on USA Network.

Greitens said Mission Continues has received several applications from recovering veterans in the area, and he plans to work with community leaders to choose a new fellow to sponsor.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson offered the city's help with the possibility of a community fundraiser.

"This is what we should be doing," he said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

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