Woody found Zero8Hundred, a local charity whose mission is “to offer compassionate, evidence-based support to service members and their families, helping them navigate the unique challenges of transitioning from active duty to civilian life through a peer-based social work model.” Zero8Hundred derives its name from the daily military ritual of raising the American flag at 0800 hours (8:00 a.m.) to signal that a new day of work has begun. We chose to fund their Military Transition Support program.

The program provides comprehensive 1:1 case management support to transitioning service members (TSMs) and veterans throughout their post-military transition period using a peer-based social work model. Clients can enroll up to 12 months before and up to 36 months after separating from service, and spouses may enroll any time due to the ongoing challenges they face. Each client is matched with a Peer Navigator, a case manager who has social work training/credentials as well as lived experience as a veteran, military spouse, or family member. This shared experience allows Peer Navigators to build trust with clients and provide culturally competent, trauma-informed support.

Each client receives a comprehensive needs assessment, mental health screening, ongoing nonclinical counseling using social work best practices, and an Individualized Transition Plan designed to support rehabilitation, personal growth, and successful reintegration into civilian life. Through a network of more than 140 community partners, Peer Navigators provide referrals to trusted service providers, ensuring clients can access coordinated care and the resources necessary to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Using a holistic, community-based approach grounded in the Veteran Wellness Model, Zero8Hundred recognizes that successful reintegration depends on addressing multiple interconnected aspects of well-being including:

• Employment – Peer Navigators provide connections to career resources including job training, resume support, job fairs, specialized career workshops, mentoring, employment matching, and local employers’ veteran hiring initiatives. Zero8Hundred works with many local and national employment partners to support clients in securing civilian employment.
• Education – Clients receive resource connections to help achieve educational goals such as a GED, college degree, or other certification to help them advance in the civilian workforce.
• Health and Wellness – Peer Navigators conduct mental health assessments to screen for risk factors (e.g. homelessness, suicidal ideation) and create Safety Plans for high-risk clients. Peer Navigators are prepared to provide crisis intervention and referrals to
  emergency mental health care as needed, including direct connections to VA clinical services under our partnership with the VA Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Program.
• We provide “warm handoffs” to behavioral health services and provide assistance with navigating post-service health benefits including resources for filing VA claims.
• Basic Needs – Each client is screened for food and housing insecurity and provided referrals for support as needed such as food, transportation, utilities, financial services, legal aid services, and housing. We also provide in-kind support such as basic needs kits (non-perishable food, toiletry items) and holiday grocery/gas card distributions for clients in need.
• Community Connections – With a network of 140+ vetted community partners, Zero8Hundred provides links to a wide range of resources and keep clients connected long-term through our Alumni Network.

Annually, Zero8Hundred provides comprehensive case management support and resource connections to approximately 525 transitioning service members and military spouses, delivering more than 6,000 service connections. Of these, 125 participants will receive suicide prevention services. The charity now has an alumni network of 5,500 veterans and their family members that gave them positive feedback in 2025:

• Reduced risk of homelessness – Average indictors of housing insecurity decrease from 21% at intake to 14% at post-survey.
• Increased financial security – Upon intake, 39% of clients reported running out of funds to cover their basic expenses during one or more months over the past year; this number decreased to 31% at post-survey.
• Decreased food insecurity – Upon intake, 28% of respondents reported they “sometimes” or “often” could not afford to buy more food when needed, compared with 19% at post-survey.
• Decreased stress levels – A 3x decrease in those who were “extremely” or “very” stressed about transition (down from 26% at intake to 9% at post-survey).
• Increased sense of belonging in the civilian community (from 29% to 51%); social support is an important mitigating factor for suicide risk.
• Positive employment outcomes – Employment is consistently a top area of support; in 2025, 68% of clients met an employment-related need. Of the 60% of clients who were employed at post-survey, 68% earned $50,000+ annually. Of those not seeking employment, 62% were enrolled in school and 23% were retired.
• Increased feelings of preparedness – Clients who worked with a Peer Navigator reported a 3x increase in their preparedness for transition (from 20% at intake to 63% post-survey). Resource referrals were a strong factor; 71% of clients who were referred to resources agreed/strongly agreed they were prepared for transition compared to 29% of those who were not.
• High satisfaction rates – 97% of post-survey respondents would recommend the program to a friend.

Zero8hundred’s Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Camac, visited our San Diego office to visit our PRS and PCC employee-owners who made this grant possible. Together, this group was able to award Zero8hundred with a $7,500 grant.