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Craig Oliver is an Army combat veteran, who enlisted from 2013-2018, with a tour in Afghanistan. When he enlisted, he wasn’t interested in college and the jobs available to him didn’t pay well and left no room for advancement. Craig left the service due to a fall which resulted in permanent injuries to his hip and back, compounded by the icy conditions of Alaska. He was treated for his injuries and eventually discharged.

Craig came to G.I. Garage when one of our other board members, Kristjan was installing signage for his job. The two began to talk and Kristjan invited Craig to come check out the shop. When he got here, he realized that not only does G.I. Garage fill a gap in our area’s service to veterans, he felt as if the nonprofit provided him with the same environment from service that your team always has your back. He appreciated the community of former servicemembers as a network and a group of friends with similar experiences. Here, like in service, someone always has your back, day or night. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he could benefit the nonprofit with his experience and knowledge. He knew that what we do is special and wanted to help make sure that we can continue to do our work.

He realized quickly that we needed to do more community outreach. We needed to make locals aware of our services to veterans because what we do is unique in our area and truly can benefit veterans, beginning with transportation to any job they may have.

The next recognized obstacle was getting veterans to talk to each other here. Talking is hard sometimes. Getting veterans interested in being a part of the community is the way to growth and expanding services. Not only do we help people seeking help, we then provide them with a sense of community.

Funding is always a concern in nonprofit organizations. It’s problematic to offer services to veterans that we can’t pay for. Craig sees outreach as a double-edged sword to making veterans aware of our services and securing donors.

Craig says he spends much of his free time these days hiking with his wife and two daughters, riding his motorcycle, camping, and boating, and still makes time to show up for himself and for us at G.I. Garage. He is an integral part of the organization and his contributions are invaluable.

He works as warehouse manager for a local company and he is committed to his own success here and at work and home. He’s always available to help a veteran or anyone else who wanders in, as well as offering necessary support at home and in his community.

Leanna isn’t a veteran. She is the daughter of a Vietnam veteran. She understands the intricacies of working with the VA and helped her mother navigate the system when her father was diagnosed with cancer caused by Agent Orange. She vividly remembers his lifelong struggle to reintegrate after discharge. Charles Gable had a deep love for working with his hands, and when his hands got busy, he would talk. That was his kind of therapy.

Years after his death, she had another experience with a veteran whom she loved, witnessing firsthand the tragedy of suicide as a result of feeling alone, isolated, misunderstood, and not having reliable transportation. It wasn’t the last time her life was affected in that way. When she heard about G.I. Garage and what they do, she knew it was a wonderful idea and was eager to help in any way possible. When asked what she does, she replies “for love or money?” This is what she does for love. She came to G.I. Garage in love, tenacious and not one to give up, even when she should, and she won’t give up here either.

And that love, passion, and commitment grows every day surrounded by her own surrogate family, she has found her place. She knew it the moment Stephen lit up, more animated than she’d ever seen him when he introduced her to one of our success stories.

Here at G.I. Garage, she began with getting the website built and running. From there, she became certified in grant writing through UGA and began writing grants, large and small, with the education to navigate the complications of both Federal and Foundational grants. When G.I. Garage was awarded its first grant, written by our own Micheal Olson, she was happy to be the lucky penny.

Now, she writes grants, designs flyers, writes website content, takes the photos produces and delivers presentations, fundraises, plans and executes events, attends the outreach events whenever possible, networks, bakes, and generally wrangles the to-do list for what she fondly calls “The Squirrel Brigade,” checking many of the tasks off herself. If you want to get a look at her, stop by the shop or come to an event.

The “for money” part of her life is a career as a data architect. She works for Automation Direct and loves her job, her team, and her company, and they love veterans.

In her free time, she loves to go to concerts, big and small, talk about music, write about music, and she has a song lyric for everything. She paints in the style of Bob Ross, loves going to the gym, camping, baking, writing, reading, and hanging out with her amazing son and her friends, concert optional. She knows that here, we are “working for something more than free.”

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Chelle is the oldest child in a family of six. We’re sure that’s why she’s so good at getting things done around G.I. Garage. She’s a mom of three boys and one girl, a devoted wife, and an excellent friend. For the past eight years, she has been a school bus driver and caretaker.

Chelle joined us when she formerly drove President Stephen’s daughter’s school bus. Her husband is best friends with Vice President, Micheal. Chelle decided to stay on and help because she has beloved friends here and she feels like family — because she absolutely is, in more ways than one. She has seen first-hand what happens when enlisted come home and struggle to transition back to civilian life. She knows how important and needed he support provided here and how much it helps.

While she’s here, Chelle does it all when it comes to daily operations. She’s our fundraiser, event planner, outreach specialist, legal guru, and general ass-kicker and name-taker. She’s a jack(ie) of all trades and master of many. She is often the first face you see when you walk into the shop, and most definitely who you will speak to on the phone and correspond through email. Since she’s returned, things run so much more smoothly. We couldn’t make it day-to-day without her now.

She, like most of us, realizes that our biggest speedbump is awareness. She believes that growing the community and network of veterans and their families is integral to long-term success. Chelle also says that sometimes we face challenges making our purpose and what we do more clear and understood. So if you want to know more about us or for that matter, what someone did with anything, Chelle is who you ask.

In addition to the family environment at the shop, Chelle says the best thing G.I. Garage has done to advance the organization is developing team synergy. Different personalities always face conflict, but she’s happy that we have grown in our mutual purpose.

When she isn’t here, parenting her children or driving the school bus, she loves to do anything outdoors from camping to fishing and hiking. She enjoys time with family and friends, watching movies and connecting with each other.

Without Chelle, our daily operation would fall apart rapidly. As our organization grows and develops, her contribution is more necessary than ever. We’re all so grateful for the positive change she brings to each day, and the way that change adds up over time.