Today we offer a warm, respectful salute of thanks to all American veterans – present and past.

Here’s a nice story about Pittsburgh’s Veterans Day Parade, but with a most disturbing statistic!

About 33% of the homeless people in Pittsburgh’s homeless are veterans and nationwide the figure is 23%! So, if you’re putting together your 2013 budget and considering a cause marketing effort, consider our veterans. Sure, you’ll see lots of brands offer a kind gesture such as offering free coffee, a meal etc., on Monday or this week, but that’s a promotion – not a meaningful cause marketing (relationship building) effort.
In Pittsburgh – as in your hometown – I’m sure there’s a wonderful asset helping our veterans such as Shepherd’s Heart Veterans Home in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood which provides transitional housing. Consider something like Shepherd’s Heart, hire a veteran and/or help your local/national VFW – http://www.vfw.org/Contribute.
Remember that all gave some, but some gave all! Please do your part and give some too!