Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) held a fall social on Oct. 10 bringing together over 100 community leaders and representatives from various military installations to acknowledge STEP’s impact and to honor and celebrate its accomplishments and community partners. The Rotary Club of Coronado was awarded the Honor Roll of Leadership.
The Rotary Club of Coronado has been a dedicated supporter of STEP for several years. STEP has been a recipient of the Club’s “Low Tide Ride and Stride” event with the proceeds helping fund its military programs. Over 50% of the event’s proceeds were allocated to supporting military members and their families, making a significant impact on the well-being of military and veteran families.
Additional Honor Roll of Leadership volunteer honorees were Chris and Keith Eshelman; and the Terry McGee Leadership Award went to San Diego Social Venture Partners.
Now in its 12th year of service, the San Diego nonprofit Support the Enlisted Project serves young military and veteran families facing financial crises. As a community funded agency, STEP has had a positive impact on 250,000 military lives and is 90% effective at permanently changing financial behaviors over the 8,600 families served through its Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) Program.
The organization’s Capacity Building Campaign is a 10-year strategy to expand beyond Southern California and Washington State aiming to serve more families across the United States. The next phase of expansion will bring STEP’s financial wellness program to young military and veteran families across all of California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. The campaign goal is to fundraise $6.5 million by the end of 2024, which will provide substantial support for the acquisition of the organization’s San Diego headquarters and transformational change for STEP’s expansion and future impact.
