Water for Vets™ Bottled Water Wages War on Veteran Joblessness

HOBOKEN, N.J. - Feb. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- As the U.S. military disengages from Iraq and Afghanistan, more than one million soldiers have left and are expected to leave active military duty between 2011 and 2016. According to the White House as of June 2011, one million veterans were unemployed with a jobless rate of about 10%. What does that have to do with bottled water?

"Our goal is to help veterans find and maintain meaningful careers to support themselves and their families by becoming independent beverage distributors," says Al Samson, founder of Water-For-Vets™ bottled water. "This is a trademark branded product that will be distributed by veterans, family members, and private and charitable organizations that support veterans," Samson says.

"I feel that I can give interested veterans the resources they need to come home knowing that they could have their very own business." And the business of bottled water is once again booming. What is also booming is the jobless rate and veterans have difficulty attaining jobs once they leave military life.

The U.S Department of Labor estimates that the U.S military discharges approximately 270,000 Active Service Members, Reserve and National Guard members annually. The Washington Post noted recently that states and localities have complex licensing requirements that can hinder military veterans from applying their skills to civilian jobs.

"So, for instance, the 10,000 military health-care workers or 10,000 military truck drivers who left the armed services often have to pass new tests and go through a fresh set of licensing hurdles in order to get a job as a civilian EMT or truck driver - even if they already have the required skills," the newspaper reported. But bottled water is coming to the rescue. For Samson, who started in the bottled water business founding Cerebellum® H2O, it's a personal issue.

"Having two brothers as veterans I experienced firsthand what it was liked to see someone come home from serving his country without a job," Samson says. One brother served in the Army and another served in the Marines. But coming home, Samson says, it took several years before his brothers eventually found jobs. "I recall the pain and hurt felt by my mother and me because there was nothing that we could do to help." Growing up in the projects in Brooklyn Samson was just one of five kids raised by a single mother on food stamps. "So when my brothers decided to enlist in the military it was to help the family," he notes. But returning to the States, one brother eventually turned to drugs and eventually he became homeless, though now he leads a productive life. "From that experience I knew that I wanted to do something to help, but what could I do?" He started Cerebellum® bottled water and late in 2013 started Water-For-Vets™.

"I came up with the idea after watching President Obama's State of the Union address, where he talked about helping vets find jobs. After that I knew exactly what to do not merely hire veterans but enable them to become independent business owners. I feel that Water-For-Vets™ will help change the lives of men and women that come home after defending our safety and our freedom yet for some reason cannot find a job."

And as the world's healthiest nutritional beverage, water is essential towards combating obesity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, something Samson sees a huge plus for any bottled water company. "I am hoping that non-veterans will use Water- For-Vets™ as fundraising campaigns and offer portions of the proceeds to veterans organization. For example every year the major sport teams honor veterans, what if at the stadiums they offer Water-For Vets™ and used portions of the proceeds from the sale of the water to support veterans such as making a donation to wounded warriors, or support the educational funds of deceased veterans and or other programs?"

The potential is there. "This concept is brand new and we are on the growing stages with no backing from the government. I am hoping that one day Water-For-Vets™ will become the featured water at the Pentagon and at various federal agencies," Samson says. He has also teamed up with a veteran that supplies custom designed vending machines to hold the bottled water. American's drink nearly 10 billion gallons of bottled water annually and Samson sees a viable business model, one built on giving back to a disenfranchised group. "Water-For-Vets™ H2O will be providing a resource for all to earn a small percentage of the $15 billion dollars spent each year on bottled water."

If the concept works it will be a starting point to help all U.S. veterans. It will be exciting to see what comes next, but for now Samson is rolling out the bottled water slowly, but who knows how large the idea can grow. What is important is that bottled water has found yet another way to contribute to a healthy society.

Additional information about Water-For-Vets™ can be found at www.waterforvets.com and or by contacting waterforvets@gmail.com

First published By Michael Cervin, Senior Editor,  BottledWaterWeb www.Bottledwaterweb.com

Water Proverb:

"When the well is dry, we know the worth of water."
Benjamin Franklin