Stephen Brochu Receives Veterans' Champion

For his efforts to promote the personal and economic well being of veterans of the US Armed Forces, the US Small Business Administration has chosen Stephen R Brochu, a veterans' representative with the Vermont Department of Labor, as the 2006 Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year.

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"We have a lot of veterans out there who have post-traumatic stress disorder or other illnesses created when they were in the military, and they're living on the streets," Brochu said. "I don't like that. If I see vets holding up a sign saying, 'I'll work for money,' I'll put them in my car and get them a job."

In fact, Brochu tries to meet all their basic needs. He buys food for homeless veterans, often paid for out of his own pocket, finds them a place to stay if they need shelter, works with co-partners like the Agency of Human Services if they need medical assistance, gets them clothing, boots, a backpack, and sometimes a bicycle for transportation. After their basic needs are met, he assesses their job skills and interests. From there, Brochu contacts employers, arranges meetings, and even accompanies the vets to job interviews. Not interested in a quick fix, Brochu is willing to work for months to match a vet with the right long-term job.

"My feeling is that everybody in this world is worth something, so why not try and help them out," Brochu said.

Recognizing that a veteran's needs may extend to the whole family, Brochu says he works for everybody within the family circle. If, for instance, a vet is laid off because a plant closes down, Brochu explained, "I work with the vet's spouse, son and daughter who may also have been working at that plant. You could assist just the vet but if nobody else is being helped, it puts a lot of pressure on the vet, so you've got to help the whole circle."

If there is anything Brochu is personally familiar with, it's the military life of a soldier. He served in the Marine Corps from 1967 to 1970. Then he immediately joined the Army and served in the Vietnam War for 13 months, where he was wounded and received a Purple Heart. After 32 years of military life, he retired from the Army in 1998. According to Sen. Patrick Leahy's award nomination letter, "Steve Brochu's hard work and dedication have resulted in placing more than 100 veterans in full-time employment, including disabled veterans, and training many more men and women with much-needed job skills."

Employed by the Vermont Department of Labor, Brochu, a native Vermonter now living in Derby, serves the regions from Newport and St. Johnsbury to Morrisville, Barre, and White River. He responds to calls from all over the state whenever and wherever a vet is in need.

In a proactive endeavor to help vets avoid homelessness, he has asked landlords to call him before an eviction takes place. One such call led him to an old classmate who had suffered several heart attacks and couldn't work. Brochu enabled the vet's continued independence by helping him secure disability benefits and medical care through the VA Medical Center. In another case, Brochu helped a veteran of World War II replace his 30 year-old hearing aid and walked him through the steps to receive disability benefits he'd been eligible for years earlier.

Brochu describes himself as a "real trouble maker" when he was a teenager, throwing eggs at police cars and other such pranks. "If I hadn't joined the service, I'd probably have been one of those from the Department of Corrections who have to do community service, so this is a way for me to pay society for all those things I did wrong back then." He credits his time in the military with changing his attitude and proving to him that he had worth. Now he volunteers his time to supervise Department of Correction work crews who perform community service instead of going to jail. When he discovers veterans on these crews who didn't graduate from high school, he helps them enroll in a high school program or earn a high school equivalency certificate.

As a volunteer for veterans' organizations like the Marine Corps League, the American Legion, the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, Friends of Vietnam, Brochu often caters events. He says he loves to cook and charges nothing for his own time. He also serves on the School Board of Directors for both North Country Union High School and North Country Junior High School.

Brochu says he takes pleasure listening to people because it helps them open up and be honest about their lives. He asks only two things of his clients: to be honest with themselves and to avoid making excuses. He mentions a client who used to slump over and speak to the floor and says he "now comes in with a smile, clean clothes and a positive attitude." What he most enjoys about his work is "the satisfaction of seeing my vets and their families happy and moving on with their lives."

Proud of his 35-year marriage, two children and four grandchildren, Brochu says he feels he can help others because his own needs have been met. His only request is that people take the time to thank veterans for their service to the country. A two-time recipient of the Doyle Award for assisting the highest number of vets hired, Brochu is pleased to receive the SBA Award because "it may inspire vets to feel confidence in my ability to help them."

Brochu will be locally honored by the SBA at a ceremony presented by Vermont Business Magazine at Burlington's Waterfront Park, June 7, 2006, 4:00 - 7:00 pm.