As a veteran owned company, Wild Timor Coffee are fully supportive of other enterprises doing amazing things for former defense members. We wanted to share a little bit about Veterans In Construction.
VC all began in early 2018 with founders Dan Cairns and Dave Farrell. They recognised the need for helping ex service people integrate into the civilian workforce, and realised a great way to do this would be to employ veterans in construction work.
Their vision is "To be the #1 labour hire company of choice, assist veterans, look out for each other, and work towards a healthier tomorrow."
"Our employees are hard working with mission focus and represent VC and the Veteran community with pride."- Veterans in Construction
Members will fill roles such as Carpentry, Demolitions, scaffolding, First Aid and much more.
"These remarkable people, who have accomplished so much in their previous military service, have added a new dimension to the construction and infrastructure sector. They are enthusiastic, diligent and process driven." - Simon B
I spoke to Tom Potter about what it's been like to work on projects as part of the VC team.
"For guys that have come from the military into the civilian world and are looking for an industry to get into, they can still share that military bond, which is so important when you leave the service... It's what's comfortable, it's what we know...
(Civilian) humour is different.
"It's easy to feel alienated..."
You're used to a certain give-and-take and it's hard to fit back into that once you leave the military."
While VC have some major construction projects on the horizon, the lads have been using their time and resources to renovate RSLs around Victoria. The RSL's often have adjoining residences that can be used as welfare houses for veterans who are down on their luck and needing temporary shelter, and also for families visiting patients in Austin Health's Ward 17.
A current project is the Camberwell RSL, with a living space scheduled for finish this week. The aim is to create a clean, modern space where residents can feel comfortable and safe knowing their buddies are just a few feet away if they need them.
Wild Timor Coffee are currently supplying beans to the RSL that are under construction.
