Volunteer of the Year Award
Robert B. Wolford
Charity | Operation Homefront
Company | Hollencrest Capital Management
Broker/Dealer | J.P. Morgan
In 2008 alone, Operation Homefront met more than 65,000 needs for its constituency – active-duty military families.
“We get in there and solve problems,” said the nationwide nonprofit’s chairman, Rob Wolford of Laguna Niguel, Calif. A managing director at Hollencrest Capital Management, he oversees 32 chapters located near military bases throughout the country.
“We understand the little things these families go through while their loved ones are deployed, or as they transition back into the civilian world,” he said. “The needs and vulnerability of military families tend to be greater during and after deployment.” There are currently about 200,000 U.S. troops under deployment.
Mr. Wolford said that typical needs fall into three categories, including:
Emergency relief, during and after deployment – helping with challenges such as automobile breakdowns, household repairs, delinquent mortgages, bereavement assistance, and transportation for families to regional military hospitals to join loved ones.
Morale-based relief – such as nationwide collections for toys and back-to-school supplies, or providing families with laptop computers to communicate with deployed family members.
Repairing lives shattered from physical or psychological injuries – whether through transitional housing that allows families to live near loved ones who are undergoing lengthy rehabilitation for injuries, or services that help service members and their families find new lives in the private sector.
Running a financial practice and overseeing a large nonprofit have similarities, he said. “We need to make sound decisions in a timely manner and then live with them. I have a fiduciary responsibility to our donors to spend their precious dollars wisely.”