Like a lot of us, Vicki Thomas remembers in high school hearing the names of former students killed in Vietnam and their families’ pain knowing their sons would never be coming home. She protested the war during her college days at the University of Wisconsin and, like a lot of us, moved on after graduation to join the corporate world.
Vicki enjoyed working for her major brand name clients and then opened her own successful public relations and marketing agency. Yet she realized “I was contributing to someone else’s purpose, but I was missing a purpose of my own.” Four years ago she heard a news story about two Iraq war vets who had started Purple Heart Homes, a fledging startup that provided services to disabled veterans. And that’s when it all clicked for her;
she knew she could help.
Revenue shot up 600% in her first year with the nonprofit and veterans can now be matched to foreclosed homes donated by banks thanks to Vicki’s efforts. This past Veteran’s Day, Vicki received the Purpose Prize for Future Promise awarded by the Encore organization. Patriotism and serving one’s country can take many forms.Vicki affirms, "that in life we postpone our passions because we have to make a living. As we age in life, we are packaged with skills. I am no more special than anyone else. Everyone must have a passion like I did to make the world a better place." Learn more about Vicki’s contributions and Encore. You can also contribute to Purple Heart Homes on your own.
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