Veterans Breakfast Club

Mission

The mission of the Veterans Breakfast Club is to create communities of listening around veterans and their stories to ensure that this living history will never be forgotten. We believe that through our work, people will be connected, educated, healed, and inspired.

Veterans Breakfast Club (VBC) believes that every Veteran has a story. No matter who they are - or when or how they served - our Veterans are valued and important members of our community. Their stories are our history and there is power in telling them. Veterans’ stories connect, heal, educate, and inspire, bridging the divides that separate us to benefit both tellers and listeners. The VBC listens because it is the best way to thank a Veteran. Listening to our Veterans stories - actively, attentively, and without judgment - is a civic obligation of every citizen to those who have served in the military. 

Date of Founding: 2008  Date received Nonprofit Status: 2011

Todd DePastino, Executive Director

Comprehensive Workforce Development; Military Records Research; Mental and Physical Wellness

Veterans Breakfast Club (VBC) has opened its first physical Headquarters/Welcome Center/Service Hub at 5850 Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh. This site, in the heart of East Liberty, is located within the Tom Reed Armed Forces Career & Veterans Center/Phase 4 Learning Center and is open to all veterans and their families. This center represents an exciting new chapter for VBC — a permanent home where veterans’ stories can be shared, preserved, and celebrated through future programs, gatherings, discussions, podcasts, exhibits, and events. At this site, VBC provides an integrated suite of workforce, wellness, and mentorship services that address the unique needs of veterans and strengthen the next generation of service members. 

The principal services that are offered at this site are comprehensive Workforce Development services, VA military records research, and mental and physical health services. Depending on need, participants use the on-site PA CareerLink computer and resources, meet with visiting workforce advisors or Veteran Service Officers, and receive guided referrals to partner agencies such as Veterans Leadership Program, Veterans Place, Soldier On, Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, and VA Healthcare representatives. 

VBC serves veterans reentering the public workforce post-military service, while also supporting those seeking to enhance skills later in their careers. Services include:

•    Job Training and Skills Development: Vocational training, soft skills workshops, digital literacy, and apprenticeships/internships.

•    Career Services and Counseling: Resume and interview preparation, career coaching, and job placement assistance.

•    Specialized and Support Services: Wraparound support, reentry programs, and disability accommodations.

•    Employer-Focused Services: Industry partnerships and employer engagement initiatives.

For more information about Workforce Development, contact Beth Reuschel, Director of Veteran Engagement and Research at beth@veteransbreakfastclub.org. 

Other Principal Programs

The VBC also offers 60+ annual In-Person storytelling breakfasts, which serve as the flagship for a growing array of storytelling programs where veterans of all eras and branches of service share their experiences with the non-military public. Additionally, VBC provides 100+ annual twice-weekly live podcasts; the conversations are new, and everyone is welcomed to speak up and join the storytelling. These events create close-knit communities of listening, and by recording the events, we ensure that our living history will never be forgotten.

To learn more about the Veterans Breakfast Club and all it has to offer, visit www.veteransbreakfastclub.org.

Ways YOU Can Support VBC!

•    Attend our In-Person Breakfasts: which are open to all veterans, their families, community leaders, and non-military guests.

•    Participate in our weekly live podcasts on military-related topics. 

•    Encourage a veteran to participate in our Oral History Project.

•    Visit or communicate with our new Headquarters/Welcome Center/Service Hub.

•    Become a Member of the Veterans Breakfast Club at a cost of $50 annually.

•    Financially support the VBC through a generous financial gift.

If you have any questions about the VBC or the giving process, please contact:

Todd DePastino, Executive Director 

todd@veteransbreakfastclub.org

Nancy Lee Cochran, Director of Development

 412-889-8721   nancy@veteransbreakfastclub.org