DETROIT – One local business is helping homeless Detroit veterans in a unique way.
The company called Boots on the Ground, which is a familiar phrase used by the military, has set out to create a company for veterans, by veterans.
“We wanted to create something in Detroit. To be the boots on the ground in Detroit,” said Jarret Schlaff, co-founder of Boots on the Ground.
Schlaff said the project will provide consumers with heavy-duty, made-in-America utility boots. The project will also aim to help homeless veterans with the opportunity to reclaim their lives.
Mike Jones, a former U.S. Marine, who has engineering and law degrees but is now living on the streets said when the economy crashed, so did his life.
Thanks to Boots on the Ground, Jones now has a new fuel for life.
“Now you're finally getting to an organization, and actually live a quality life,” Jones said.
Boots on the Ground is owned mainly by veterans who have overcome homelessness.
The boots are being produced at Bates Footwear in Rockford, Michigan. The plan is to eventually move the entire operation to Detroit, with veterans filling the jobs and using the boots to launch a new life.
When asked what homeless veterans need the more to help get them off the street? Jones says people are mistaken when they think the answer is a place to live. Instead, he says good jobs where veterans can be creative and productive are crucial in making a comeback.
The boots will be debuting next Friday on Veterans Day. The first limited run will be available online through the company’s website which you can find here.