PTSD and severe wounds do not care about politics or opinions. They are real, and they affect thousands of Americans and their families. The good news is that helping is simple, and anyone can do it. In episode 71 of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey talks with Leslie Hunt, Director of Donor Partnerships at Hope For The Warriors, about how.
Hope For The Warriors serves those who served and their families, helping veterans transition to civilian life, find jobs, and address mental and physical health challenges. Leslie explains what veterans struggle to get, the value of peer mentorship, and how hiring veterans can help solve one of the biggest problems facing auto repair shop owners.
What You Will Learn
- A bit about Leslie and Hope For The Warriors®
- The things veterans and their families are missing and struggle to get
- How helpful peer-to-peer mentorship can be
- What makes Hope For The Warriors® one of the best charities out there
- How veterans can solve the #1 problem of most auto repair shops owners
- The military-civilian translator and other Hope For The Warriors® resources
About Hope For The Warriors
Leslie opens by introducing herself and Hope For The Warriors. The organization supports service members, veterans, and military families through programs focused on health, wellness, and career transition.
Organizations serving veterans and military families play an important role in helping people transition after service. These organizations often provide services that government programs do not fully cover, such as peer support, family programs, career assistance, and wellness activities. Supporting them is one way communities can show gratitude to those who served.
Before supporting any charity, it is wise to research how it uses donations and what programs it offers.
Businesses can support veteran organizations in ways that go beyond a single donation. Some shops host fundraising events, sponsor local programs, or offer service discounts to veterans and military families. Others encourage employees to volunteer or match employee donations. Choosing an approach that fits the shop’s size and community makes support easier to sustain over time. Sharing these efforts with customers, without turning them into a sales pitch, can also invite the community to get involved and shows the values the business stands for.
What Veterans and Their Families Are Missing
Around the 6 minute mark, Leslie describes the things veterans and their families often struggle to get. The transition from military to civilian life can be difficult. Veterans may face challenges finding work that matches their skills, accessing health care, and adjusting to a very different culture. Families often carry part of that burden too.
The transition from military to civilian life involves many changes at once: finding a new job, adjusting to a different culture, navigating health care systems, and often relocating. Military families may also face challenges related to spouse employment and children’s schooling. Veterans with service-connected injuries may need ongoing medical and mental health care. Support during this transition can make a significant difference.
For employers, understanding these challenges can shape how a shop recruits and supports veteran employees. A veteran who has just left the service may be unfamiliar with civilian job interviews, resume conventions, or workplace norms that civilians take for granted. Military spouses may relocate frequently and need employers who value their skills despite gaps in work history. Patience during onboarding, clear expectations, and a willingness to explain how the shop works can help veteran employees settle in and contribute quickly.
The Power of Peer-to-Peer Mentorship
Leslie explains how helpful peer-to-peer mentorship can be. Veterans often connect best with others who have shared similar experiences. Mentors who have successfully made the transition can offer guidance, encouragement, and understanding that is hard to find elsewhere.
Shop owners who are veterans, or who employ veterans, can play this role for others entering the industry.
Peer mentorship works because shared experience builds trust quickly. A veteran who has successfully transitioned can offer practical advice, encouragement, and understanding that others cannot. Shops that employ veterans can create informal mentorship by pairing new veteran hires with experienced veteran employees.
The same principle applies to any new hire in a repair shop. People learn faster and feel more connected when they have a trusted colleague to ask questions without fear of looking foolish. A structured mentorship arrangement, with a named mentor, regular check-ins, and clear goals for the first few months, works better than leaving it to chance. For veterans entering auto repair, a mentor who understands both military culture and the shop floor can bridge two very different worlds and help the new employee see a long-term career path.
What Makes Hope For The Warriors Stand Out
Around the 17 minute mark, Leslie shares what makes Hope For The Warriors one of the most effective charities serving the military community. Kim also highlights how easy it is for individuals and businesses to support the cause.
Charities that focus on long-term support, rather than one-time assistance, often have a deeper impact. Programs that address physical health, mental health, family needs, and career transition together recognize that veterans’ needs are interconnected.
Owners who want to evaluate any charity before giving can look at several factors: how clearly the organization describes its programs, whether it publishes annual reports or financial statements, and whether independent charity evaluators have reviewed it. Talking with someone at the organization, as Kim does with Leslie in this episode, is another way to understand how donations are used. Shops that choose a cause carefully can support it with confidence and explain their choice to employees and customers who ask.
How Veterans Can Solve the Shop Owner’s Biggest Problem
Leslie connects veterans to the number one problem for most shop owners: finding good people. Many veterans bring discipline, teamwork, mechanical aptitude, and experience working with complex equipment. Some served as vehicle or equipment mechanics, giving them a strong foundation for a career in auto repair.
Federal programs can help. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship.gov offers resources for employers building apprenticeship programs, and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service helps connect employers with veterans. ATI has also announced new technician apprenticeship programs.
Veterans often bring valuable qualities to civilian employers, including discipline, reliability, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. Many have experience with technical systems, maintenance procedures, and safety protocols. Some military occupations involve vehicle and equipment maintenance, providing a strong foundation for automotive careers. Programs like the GI Bill may also help veterans pursue additional technical training.
Reaching veteran candidates takes some intention. Posting openings with veteran job boards and local veteran service organizations, contacting transition assistance offices at nearby military installations, and attending veteran hiring events can all help. Job ads that mention how military experience translates to the role, and that describe training opportunities clearly, are more likely to attract veterans who are unsure whether they qualify. Once hired, a clear training path shows veterans how they can advance, which matters to people used to structured progression. ATI shared ways shops can honor veterans in Veterans Day Is Around the Corner.
The Military-Civilian Translator and Other Resources
Leslie closes by describing resources such as a military-civilian translator, which helps employers understand how military roles and skills apply to civilian jobs. Job titles and descriptions in the military can be very different from civilian equivalents, so a translator helps hiring managers see a veteran’s real qualifications.
Online skills translators allow employers and veterans to match military occupations with civilian careers. Using these tools helps hiring managers understand a veteran’s experience and identify transferable skills that might not be obvious from a military job title.
Translators work best as a starting point for conversation. After using one to understand a candidate’s background, a hiring manager can ask specific questions: What equipment did you maintain? Did you follow written procedures and inspection checklists? Did you train or supervise others? The answers often reveal skills that map directly to shop work, such as diagnostic thinking, attention to safety, and documentation habits. Asking these questions also shows the candidate that the employer values their experience rather than treating military service as a gap in a civilian resume.
Building a Veteran-Friendly Workplace
Shops that want to attract and retain veterans can take several steps. Recognizing military experience in job descriptions, offering flexibility for medical appointments or reserve duties, and creating a supportive culture help veterans feel welcome. Partnering with local veteran organizations and attending veteran job fairs can connect shops with candidates.
Recognizing veterans on Veterans Day and throughout the year also shows appreciation. Many customers value businesses that support veterans, which can strengthen the shop’s reputation in the community. Leslie’s message is that helping veterans is simple, meaningful, and often beneficial for businesses facing workforce challenges.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service offers resources for employers looking to hire veterans.
Onboarding Veterans Into Your Shop
A strong start makes a big difference. Veterans often appreciate clear structure, so a written onboarding plan that outlines the first weeks, the skills to be learned, and who to go to with questions can help them feel confident. Explaining how pay, hours, and advancement work in the shop removes uncertainty, especially for those new to flat rate or commission-based pay.
Regular check-ins during the first few months give both sides a chance to adjust. Employers can ask what is working, what is confusing, and what support would help. Flexibility for medical appointments, reserve obligations, or family needs also matters. Shops that combine structure with genuine care are more likely to keep veteran employees for the long term.
How Your Shop Can Support Veterans
- Add veteran-friendly language to your job ads and reach out to local veteran organizations.
- Learn to translate military experience into shop roles.
- Consider an apprenticeship program for veterans new to auto repair.
- Support veteran-focused charities through your shop or community events.
Kim’s tribute to essential workers in Hurricanes, Real Heroes, and the Ones Who Keep America Going shares a similar spirit. For more on widening your hiring pool, listen to Jay Goninen in How to Offer Jobs Aligned With the New Generation’s Values.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should auto repair shops hire veterans?
Many veterans bring qualities that fit repair shops well, including discipline, reliability, teamwork, and experience following technical procedures and safety protocols. Some served in roles involving vehicle or equipment maintenance, which provides a strong foundation for automotive work. Others bring leadership experience that suits advisor or management roles. For shops struggling to find good people, veterans represent a valuable and often overlooked talent pool, especially when paired with structured training and mentorship.
How can a shop find veteran job candidates?
Shops can post openings with veteran job boards and local veteran service organizations, contact transition assistance offices at nearby military bases, and attend veteran hiring fairs. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service offers resources for employers. Writing job ads that explain how military skills apply to the role, and highlighting training opportunities, helps veterans see that they are a good fit even without civilian automotive experience.
What is a military-civilian skills translator?
A skills translator is a tool that matches military occupations to comparable civilian jobs. Because military job titles and descriptions often look unfamiliar to civilian employers, translators help hiring managers understand a veteran’s real experience and identify transferable skills. Veterans also use them to find civilian careers that fit their background. Employers get the most value by using the translator as a starting point and then asking candidates specific questions about their duties.
Can veterans use the GI Bill for automotive technician training?
Many veterans can use GI Bill benefits for approved non-college training programs, including some automotive technology programs, and some apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs may also qualify. Eligibility and coverage depend on the veteran’s service history and whether the program is approved. Veterans and employers should check with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the training program’s school certifying official to confirm details before enrolling.
How can a small business support veterans besides hiring?
Small businesses can donate to or fundraise for reputable veteran organizations, sponsor local veteran events, offer service discounts to veterans and military families, and recognize veterans on Veterans Day and throughout the year. Encouraging employees to volunteer, or matching their donations, extends the impact. Choosing one cause and supporting it consistently often makes a bigger difference than scattered one-time gifts.
Resources and Links From This Episode
- Hope For The Warriors® website
Connect With the Guests
- Leslie: LinkedIn
