Lockheed Martin Backs Effort to End San Jose Veteran Homelessness

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Jun 09, 2016, 06:15 ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The rate of unsheltered veterans living in Santa Clara County is significantly higher than the national average, according to recent census data.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is joining the All the Way Home campaign to help those men and women find a home.

All the Way Home is co-led by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese, and Destination: Home with the goal of housing all veterans in Santa Clara County by Veterans Day 2018. With a long-standing commitment to veteran outreach, Lockheed Martin is the first Fortune 100 company in Silicon Valley to sign on and support the effort through a three-year commitment.

"About one in four Lockheed Martin employees is a veteran, and we know first-hand the meaningful contributions and talents that veterans bring to our workplaces and our communities," said Doug Graham, Lockheed Martin vice president and board officer of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which is encouraging other local businesses to support the effort. "We have the highest respect for veterans and their families, and we're honored to join All the Way Home to support these men and women who selflessly served our country."

Today, there are more than 700 homeless veterans in Santa Clara County, with close to half of those individuals considered chronically homeless. To accomplish its mission, All the Way Home works with landlords and apartment owners to increase access to rental units for homeless veterans and their families.

"I'd like to thank Lockheed Martin for stepping up in a big way to help our homeless veterans," said Mayor Sam Liccardo. "These men and women have served our country, and it's our moral obligation to see that they have a roof over their heads. We're proud Lockheed Martin has joined myriad businesses and churches who have worked tirelessly to ensure all veterans come all the way home."

Lockheed Martin's commitment spans three years, in which the company will provide funding to support All the Way Home programming and volunteer efforts, including move-in-kits with the campaign's non-profit partner Destination: Home. The company's initial $10,000 contribution will supply 70 kits that include basic move-in essentials like personal care items, clothing, cookware and linens, as well as an additional 10 kits that include furniture.

"I hope that many businesses will follow Lockheed Martin's example and join our effort to house homeless veterans," said Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Dave Cortese. "I thank the company for leading the way. No one who served his or her country should be without a home. They fought for us and we need to stand up for them."

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About All the Way Home
The "All the Way Home" campaign is targeted at ending veteran homelessness. The City of San Jose, the County of Santa Clara, the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara and Destination: Home are collaborating to address this community crisis. We are partnering with our community's consortium of service providers including Veteran's Voices of Santa Clara County, Abode Services, HomeFirst Services of Santa Clara County, Goodwill Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale Community Services, Veteran's Resource Centers of America and others to ensure more housing resources are available for homeless veterans.

Media Contacts:
Lockheed Martin: Lauren Fair, 408-742-5605; [email protected]
City of San Jose: David Low, 408-535-4840; [email protected]
Santa Clara County: Janice Rombeck, 408-299-5030, [email protected]
Destination: Home: Maya Esparza, 408-513-8724; [email protected]