Eli Williamson (above, right) and Roy Sartin (above, left) are two army veterans who both experienced the gaps of the post-9/11 G.I. Bill. They both had outstanding student loan debt from prior to their enlistment. Roy recalls, “Here I am, dodging bullets and worrying about IEDs, and I have a loan company that is calling and steadily harassing my mother about a student loan payment.” The two decided to do something about it for other veterans. After their service, they founded Leave No Veteran Behind (LNVB) in 2009 with the mission to create a Retroactive Scholarship to pay off the student loan debts of qualifying veterans.

In order to qualify for the Retroactive Scholarship, a veteran must have completed some form of higher education, suffer from economic hardship, and have student loans because they were not fully covered by existing educational programs. But the program is not a handout. In return, veterans who receive help must commit to 100-400 hours of community service.

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Hakki discovered that his old military buddy had returned to Chicago. Eli had indeed followed through with the ambitious non-profit they had discussed in passing. “It’s not that I doubted him,” Hakki explains. “But you always hear about peoples’ plans. I never thought I’d be one of the people Eli would help.” Hakki applied to Leave No Veteran Behind. They paid off his student loans. Hakki laughs, “It reminds me of that scene in Forrest Gump where years later Forrest and Lieutenant Dan reconnect and form a partnership.”

Once his loans were paid off, Hakki brainstormed with Eli and Roy about how he could pay back his community. As a Chicago Police Officer, Hakki was all too aware of the violence in Chicago, especially among the youth. He thought of the corner of MLK Drive and 35th Street. There were multiple gang affiliations at that corner. It was known for high-violence after school days, Fridays, and holidays. Kids shouldn’t have to worry about being pulled into a brawl as tragically happened with Derrion Albert. Hakki suggested he could patrol that corner. Everyone agreed.

Eli applied his experience to Hakki’s suggestion. Eli explains, “In the military, I worked with psychological operations teams, which means taking information and changing behavior. We used positive approaches, community engagement strategies, and had no incidents.” The city of Chicago noticed. They partnered with LNVB and used their proposal to create the Safe Passage Program. The program serves over 10,000 youth daily and ensures safe passage for Chicago Public School students. Eli couldn’t be more proud. “We took on a contract with 40 veterans. We’ve grown to about 130 veterans.”

LNVB was founded on the belief that veterans are not a charity, but a strategic social investment. They have provided 10 Retroactive Scholarships and relieved over $150,000 in student loan debt. But it’s their impact on the community that is most impressive. Chicago Public Schools have reported up to a 51% decrease in student disciplinary rates at the schools LNVB serves. The Chicago Police Department has reported up to a 22% decrease in criminal activity around the communities LNVB serves.

Leave No Veteran Behind was founded in the midst of the economic downturn. As they continue to grow and expand programs, so do their expenses. Eli explains, “We want to be seen as a great investment. There’s a feel good side to what we do, but we can be a sustainable entity over time and have a larger than life impact.” The numbers don’t lie. LNVB is having a substantial impact on the community. As Chicago struggles to shake it’s “Chiraq” image, LNVB is on the frontlines with strategies to eliminate violence. At Chive Charities, part of our mission statement is to support veterans. We share common goals with LNVB and are excited to give to their innovative program. We are proud to announce that we are donating a $50,000 grant from the Chive Fund!

Meet Leave No Veteran Behind…