PATRIOT STAR BUSINESS AWARDS 2021
The PATRIOT STAR BUSINESS AWARD was established to recognize veterans whose new businesses turned the corner to profitability after receiving essential equipment from Work Vessels for Veterans. In April 2021, WVFV Executive Director Cathy Cook personally visited several veteran businesses around the country to make the awards.
Army veteran Joyce Carter opened her hair restoration salon in February 2020 with $2000 in specialized therapeutic equipment from Work Vessels for Vets. Just two weeks later, she had to close due to the pandemic. Left with all the start up bills, and no income, Joyce was afraid her dream would never come true. But with courage and perseverance, she got through a year of COVID, and reopened in April 2021. During her visit, Joyce reported that now she has clients who travel over 2 hours for her effective hair restoration therapy. CONGRATULATIONS!
Army Captain Frank Ritz of Barnardsville, NC has created an oasis for preserving heritage breeds of livestock. He and his wife and children raise Jacob’s sheep (the ancient Hebrew breed), Nubian goats, American chinchilla rabbits, many kinds of fowl, including a very impertinent turkey. His wife and children contribute their skills and make soaps, cheeses, spin wool and knit items. They have a wide following for their products with customers travelling from the greater Asheville area. Work Vessels for Vets awarded the UTV he needed to manage the hilly NC terrain and some moveable fencing to keep the ducks and other fowl corralled. CONGRATULATIONS, Ritz Family!
USMC SSGT Jeremy Lake came home to the family’s apple orchard in Pennsylvania following 5 tours “in the sandbox.” He was injured in two explosions, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and earned two Bronze Stars for his valor. Farming offered peace and spaces, but he needed a tractor with tinted cab and hand holds to accommodate his physical and brain injuries. With the help of an angel donor, Work Vessels for Vets presented him with the tractor and a Patriot Star Business Award as he rehabilitates himself and his fruit orchard. CONGRATULATIONS!
