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Veterans United Home Loans NASCAR Sponsorship

November 7, 2011

Veterans United teams up with Hire Heroes USA to sponsor Frank Stoddard's FAS Lane Racing #32 car and raise veteran unemployment awareness.

Hiring Heroes

Check out this visual representation of the great work Hire Heroes USA does.

Veterans United Home Loans and Hire Heroes USA are teaming up to spotlight the epidemic of veteran unemployment as Veterans United sponsors the No. 32 car during NASCAR's Kobalt Tools 500 on November 13 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Veterans United, a company that helps veterans use their VA benefits to buy or refinance homes, will showcase the Hire Heroes USA logo on the No. 32 car owned by Frank Stoddard's FAS Lane Racing to raise awareness and support for this impactful organization, which provides transition assistance and job placement services for returning veterans and transitioning military personnel.

The unemployment rate for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was 11.7 percent in September, significantly higher than the nation's overall jobless rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Former members of our Armed Forces are having trouble achieving the American Dream they fought to preserve.

To help put a face to this alarming trend, Veterans United will send Marine Corps veteran Ryan Baer to Phoenix to enjoy Veterans Day race weekend and watch the Sprint Cup Series race from the pit box. A decorated Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and MBA candidate, Ryan will graduate this winter into an uncertain job market. Ryan, who is currently being coached through Hire Heroes USA's veteran employment program, will have the chance to network with business executives and employers throughout the weekend.

"We hope our continued partnership with Hire Heroes USA raises awareness of the significant employment problems facing our returning service members, who have sacrificed so much," said Nathan Long, CEO of Veterans United, the nation's leading dedicated VA lender.

Earlier this year, Veterans United donated $25,000 to Hire Heroes USA to help the agency further its mission of providing free services to prepare veterans for civilian job search through self-marketing, interview skills and revised resumes.

The organization's president, UFC star and former Marine Corps captain Brian Stann, serves as official spokesman for Veterans United.

"Sharing the stage with Veterans United during a nationally televised NASCAR race allows us to reach thousands of employers and millions of viewers nationwide," Stann said. "Veterans possess a diverse skill set and an unmatched degree of adaptability. Employers that skim over this group are doing themselves a serious disservice."

Veterans United is also proud to continue its sponsorship of NASCAR and former crew chief Frank Stoddard's team at FAS Lane Racing. Stoddard owns the Veterans United No. 32 car, a Ford Fusion from Roush-Fenway Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports.

Mike Bliss will drive the Veterans United No. 32 car in Phoenix.

About Hire Heroes USA

Founded in 2007, Hire Heroes USA is a national, nonprofit organization headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. Hire Heroes USA offers free transition assistance, job search assistance and job placement services to those who have honorably served in the US military — and to their spouses- in order to reduce veteran unemployment. Hire Heroes USA has gained national recognition for its comprehensive "recruitment to placement" continuum of veteran assistance and corporate engagement, resulting in one veteran hired every business day. For more information visit www.hireheroesusa.org and follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @hireheroesusa.

Veterans United Facts

  • $34 billion
    in loans financed in 2022
  • Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Recipient
    by the Secretary of Defense
  • More than 4,300 employees
    in more than 36 states
  • More than $130 million
    raised for nonprofit charitable arm, Veterans United Foundation since Nov. 2011
  • No. 8 Best Place to Work
    according to Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2022

Featured In

  • Chicago Tribune
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Yahoo! Finance
  • US News & World Report
  • CNN Money
  • INC 500

Newsroom

Media Team

Chad Moller
Communications Manager
(573) 876-2600 ext. 6924
communications@vu.com

Tierre Banks
Sr. Media Relations Specialist
(800) 814-1103 ext. 3220
Tierre.Banks@vu.com

Meet The Expert

Chris Birk, Vice President of Mortgage Insight at Veterans United Chris Birk
Author, The Book on VA Loans

Chris is the nation’s leading expert on VA Loan benefits. He authored The Book on VA Loans in 2011, and maintains the VA Loans Insider blog. His analysis and articles have appeared at a host of sites and publications, including the Washington Post, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, USA Today, the Houston Chronicle and more. Members of the media may request a free copy of The Book on VA Loans to learn more about the VA loan program.

See Chris' Bio »