Raven Hilden supervises the support of the military through the group MilVet.
By Mia Paisley, Santa Rosa Academy student
Three to five boxes. That was all it took to create a ripple effect that would touch the lives of thousands of service members, veterans, and military families.
In 2016, MilVet started with a resource website and three to five care packages delivered to deployed service members abroad. Today, 10 years later, those few boxes have grown into more than 10,000 care packages shipped to more than 200 addresses each month.
But for the founder and CEO of MilVet, Raven Hilden, this kind of growth was not even part of the original plan.
“The original intent is if we can help one person, then we’re doing the right thing,” said Hilden, whose MilVet office is located at 33040 Antelope Road Suite 114 on the Menifee/Murrieta border. “One life can have a ripple effect.”
Identifying the Problem
The idea for MilVet began when Hilden worked for the State of California. She shared state resources with the community, but she saw there were even more opportunities and resources available at the county, federal, and city levels as well as from non-profits and for-profit organizations.
The community didn’t know about the resources that could be of help. Hilden wanted to collect the resources in one spot, especially for the veterans and military families from the local community. That thought gave rise to MilVet.
MilVet operates a variety of programs aimed at solving various issues faced by service members, veterans and their families. These include resource fairs, active-duty support programs, and an annual toy drive on a C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft for Air Force families.
During holidays, MilVet assists with meals for service members and its Holidays for Heroes program, which helps hundreds of kids from military families living in Riverside County.
MilVet also operates a pantry providing groceries and household necessities along with connections with representatives of Veteran Service Organizations. The representatives help veterans and their families learn how to use benefits and claims, including disability and survivor benefits.
There was a veteran who visited MilVet and was on the verge of becoming homeless. He believed he did not qualify for any benefits because of his military service, so he never applied for them. He also had no access to various resources like health care. Thanks to MilVet, he found out how to get the benefits which he earned during his service.
“It really brought them from poverty to thriving,” Hilden said. “Not just surviving, but thriving.”
The People Behind the Mission
The whole organization is supported and funded by the community and is fully run by volunteers, Hilden said. She is one of the volunteers as well.
The delivery of military care packages alone now costs approximately $4,500 per month, excluding the cost of the things inside the boxes. Gathering donations, finding volunteers and raising funds are ongoing tasks for MilVet. Despite these difficulties, there are volunteers who have been helping MilVet from its first days.
“They’re really the heart of everything we do,” Hilden said.
“The number one motivation is remembering why we started and who we serve and why we do it,” she said. “Our mission is our guiding light.”
The letters of gratitude from deployed service members are another reminder. When MilVet gets letters from service members saying they appreciate the memories of the volunteers, Hilden remembers that care packages are much more than the things inside the boxes. They remind the service members deployed abroad that they have not been forgotten.
Beyond the Uniform
Hilden wants people to realize that military service influences not only the one who wears the uniform. The family members sacrifice for the veterans along with them. During deployments, family members take care of their children, jobs, housework, and the moves of the whole family without having their loved one at home.
“The resilience that they have is absolutely incredible,” Hilden said.
She also wants people to see that veterans are not defined by the challenges they might face when returning from military service. Although challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder can be faced by some of them, she thinks it shouldn’t be the stereotype for all veterans. The service members are strong, dedicated, and committed people who usually continue serving after leaving the military.
“So many have served but continue to serve,” Hilden said.
The Next Ripple
People can volunteer with organizations like MilVet, send letters to deployed service members, organize donation drives, attend local Veterans Day and Memorial Day celebrations, donate supplies, sponsor the delivery of care packages, or just thank veterans.
Currently, MilVet serves more than 30 families every week through the pantry by giving them two large bags of groceries and household necessities. Besides food, MilVet needs such things as diapers, wipes, toothpaste, and soap.
“Even $10 a month can make a huge, huge difference,” Hilden said.
After 10 years of service, MilVet looks forward to its future. The organization plans to find a larger space or warehouse that will allow it to accommodate more supplies for the pantry and care packages programs and serve more people.
But after 10 years of growth, the philosophy behind MilVet remains almost the same as the one that Hilden had at the beginning.
Asked what she would tell her younger self at the beginning of her journey, Hilden answered very briefly.
“Just keep going,” she said. “Don’t give up. Dream big.”
Hilden believes that making a difference does not have to mean creating a nonprofit organization or making a huge contribution. It can start with realization of what one has to offer.
“We all have talents, we all have something to give and a way to make a difference,” Hilden said.
