Our History

Social Media policy, procedures, and guidelines were created and made part of the VOM bylaws in 2015. A copy of these Bylaws, Mission and Purpose Statement and The Statement of Faith are at Oasis Church, 2200 Glasgow Avenue Newark, De in the VOM offices for your review. The Board of Directors also have a copy.

Six (6) months later we became a member of Cecil County Chamber of Commerce n Elkton, MD in February 2015. This was being done to allow our marketing strategy with visibility in New Castle and Cecil Counties and allow members of our organization to attend many Chamber 101’s business car exchanges, mixers, new organizations ribbon cutting and other outreach events sponsored by those chambers.

This created many inroads to new and existing organizations in order to expand our reach to new and existing businesses and organizations and thus allow our support of veterans. This enables us to meet many veterans so we can present our mission. As a result they have become resource partners, Corporate Sponsors and friends.

This year the formation of VOM events, from networking outreach events, workshops, roundtable discussions, visitation to veterans shelters were very successful and just a few of what was planned. The contributions to these events was from grants and donations from persons and individual businesses. This was a very slow year, but we were not disappointed.

Our non-profit became a member of the Middletown Chamber of Commerce in Middletown, DE in September 2017 and Volunteer Delaware in Dover, DE also in December 2017.

This was being done to allow us a marketing strategy with visibility in New Castle Middletown, Odessa, and Townsend, DE communities and allow our members to attend many breakfasts, business card exchanges, mixers, new organizations ribbon cutting and other outreach events sponsored  by Middletown Chamber of Commerce. We have made many inroads to new and existing organizations in order to expand to new and existing businesses and organizations and allow our support of veterans. This enables us to meet many veterans so we can present our mission. As a result they have become resource partners, Corporate Partners/ Sponsors and friends.

This same year we also became supporters of Victory Village located at 554 Port Penn Road in Middletown, DE, a transitional veterans housing. A project of the National Veterans Assistance Coalition, NVAC, their mission of helping  veterans receive the benefits and services they have justifiable earned as well as housing until they can be able to be on their own. Victory Village opened their doors to the first veteran in the fall of 2016.

VOM had utilized this organization to do many outreach programs and have been very satisfied with the outcome. Liz Byers-Jiron, the Director has been an advocate of VOM for many years and we pray that this partnership will continue as we go forward.

We had talked about starting a VOM News Magazine and we issued our first issue in the fall  (July, August, September) for comments from friends, businesses and others. A SUCESSFUL ISSUE.

With a successful launch of the VOM News Magazine in the fall of 2017. The Board of Directors approved going forward with a VOM News Magazine including a Welcome from the Board of Directors, a Recipe, Patriotism, Inspiritual, Male Veteran of The Quarter, Health and Wellness and Business of the Quarter articles. The Spring issue (May, June, July) was the first official News Magazine issued and was 16 pages .  We also had advertising to help pay for the putting this magazine together and shipping. Grunge Muffin Design put this News Magazine together and arranged for shipping. We were blessed that the VOM News Magazine was well received by businesses and individuals alike

Tom Hogate met Meredith Keating/Boas of Grunge Muffin Designs at the Cecil County Chamber of Commerce member orientation meeting in the beginning of 2018. I presented the VOM organization to her and she did the same for Grunge Muffin Designs. At our Board of Directors meeting they were approved for our Social Media, Facebook, and to put the VOM News Magazine together, which included picking the background for the many articles to sending a Test Copy for approval before ordering and shipping

In February 2019, a new EIN (employer/federal identification number) was acquired from the Federal Government for the Veteran’s Outreach Ministries, Inc. to divorce us from Mentors Matter. The purpose of this was to have a separate EIN number to procure donations, corporate sponsorships, etc. from organizations that are resource partners with VOM.

We celebrated our 5 year anniversary in 2019 with expansion into Delaware, Chester County, and the Philadelphia area. We received a certificate for these accomplishments. Presented by Cecil County Chamber of Commerce at their 2019 Business Spotlight event held at The Chesapeake Inn in South Chesapeake City, MD on March 14, 2019

We have added 3 more members to our board of Directors to bring our total to 7 with 2 resigning. The new Board Members are Rebecca Rondone, owner of Pura Vida Yoga and Physical Training; Al Grimminger, volunteer. He was asked by Rick Hagar of Victory Village to be grounds manager; and Glenn Ahrens, Christian Ministries Inc. Teresa Staten has resigned because she moved away from the area. Kammie Kirkpatrick has resigned because of life and business decisions.

Later this year, September/October time frame, we also discussed a Partnership/ Sponsorship with businesses for VOM. A “Veteran’s Outreach Ministries Corporate Partner” letter was created with Evette Morrow, Elm Properties, and Tom Hogate  with (3) tiers proposed. Bronze, $200.00; Silver, $400.00; Gold, $500.00. Evette was the first business, Elm Properties, to sign up as a Corporate Partner/Sponsor with a Gold Tier transaction. From this beginning were were very successful in attracting other businesses.

We at VOM continue with our outreach events which have been very successful with many opportunities to go forward with our existing and new outreach programs. Programs as Veterans Roundtable Discussion, held every 6-8 weeks at different venues, this allows Veterans and businesses to come together to succeed in the local community environment. We also sponsor a Thank You Veterans Brunch held at different locations once a year, with food donated by others in order to thank veterans for their service and also a meet and greet with other veterans. We offer a weekly Christian Life Study and worship group meeting.

Beginning in January 2019, we revised the offering of Corporate Partner/ Sponsor agreements with a Bronze Tier ($200.00), A Silver Tier ($400.00)  A Gold Tier ($500.00) and a Platinum Tier ($750.00)  If you would like more information on this exciting benefit to become a Corporate Sponsor/ Partner of VOM, please contact Tom Hogate.

The Covid-19 Pandemic has become more prevalent in the U.S. and other countries were also affected. We had to curtail many of our outreach events throughout the year and follow the CDC recommendations, Face mask wearing, social distancing, washing of hands and using sanitizers being  just   a few items.

We however, remained active, helping Veterans in Need via our website resource partners and phone calls from veterans family and friends. Other business organizations also allowed us to help many veterans with medical problems  and/or donations.

We also held outreach events throughout the year following CDC guidelines. We had to cancel many of our outreach events throughout the year, except the Career Fair.

We revised our Corporate Sponsor/Partner letter in September with the Board of Directors approval with regard to revising/changing the individual tier information.

We however, remained active, helping Veterans in Need via our website resource partners and phone calls from veterans family and friends. Other business organizations also allowed us to help many veterans with medical problems  and/or donations.

We were very active holding Outreach events, such as a Veteran’s Thank You Brunch at Bakers Restaurant in June. Veterans Roundtable Discussion, every 6 to 8 weeks, VOM/Community Career Fair in October, however we had to cancel a couple of the outreach events because of Covid-19.

We also received many donations from non-profit and profit organizations in Maryland and Delaware to allow our organization to help veterans and others via our existing outreach events. We Truly thank them for their support.

This year with the Board of Directors approval we added an advertising option for each tier offered. To receive more information about this new exciting addition please call Tom Hogate.