Boots to Heels

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Partnering to Support Women Veterans Returning to Civilian Life

The military men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedom deserve nothing short of a seamless reintegration into civilian life after their time in the service has come to an end. Unfortunately, readjusting to civilian life often poses challenges to our military heroes. In the 10 years following 9/11, 44% of veterans returning home struggled to adjust to civilian life. These former military members face a higher risk of suicide, mental health issues, unemployment, and homelessness, among other challenges.

Female veterans are just as likely as their male counterparts to experience difficulties adjusting to the “new normal” of civilian life; in some cases, they may have a more difficult time.

A 2011 Pew Research survey sheds light on a number of troubling statistics pertaining to women veterans:

40% of post-9/11 women veterans surveyed reported a difficult time readjusting to civilian life

42% suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

50% experienced strains in family relations

45% felt irritable or angry

27% reported not caring about anything since they had left the service

More recent statistics paint an equally troubling picture. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that close to 40,000 veterans were homeless on any given night and roughly 10% of this number was female, a percentage that has more than doubled since 2006.

There are many veteran support systems available, but the majority are dominated by men and geared toward the mental and physical needs of male veterans specifically.

Currently, roughly 10% of military veterans are women, but that number is expected to double by 2045, making the development of organizations geared toward women veterans more crucial.

Thankfully, organizations like Mercury One partner Attitudes & Attire: Boots to Heels have risen to the challenge of providing support for women veterans. Attitudes & Attire founder Lyn Berman started the organization in 1996 with a simple, yet significant, goal in mind: to build the self-esteem of women entering the workforce, equipping them not only with the soft skills necessary for job success, but also with professional interview attire.

Boots to Heels focuses on helping women veterans transition to civilian life once their service ends.

In 2012, Berman and her team noticed an influx of women veterans taking part in her Attitudes & Attire: Core Program, so they decided to design a program geared specifically toward women veterans and with that, Boots to Heels was born.

Boots to Heels focuses on helping women veterans transition to civilian life once their service ends through the development of skills required to obtain and consequently maintain a civilian job. Boots to Heels is the only organization in the Dallas area focused on women veterans specifically, which explains the demand for the program and the rapid rate at which its grown. Last year, the program expanded to another, often-underserved demographic: the female spouses of active and past military members.

For more than 21 years, the team at Attitudes & Attire has been dedicated to changing the lives of the women they help. They have, so far, given over 21,000 women the tools and self-confidence they need to achieve self-sufficiency and to live up to their full potential.

There are a few ways you can help Attitudes & Attire: Boots to Heels

DONATE TIME

Attitudes & Attire welcomes volunteers in the Dallas area willing to volunteer their time to help choose clothes for clients, manage the boutique inventory, and volunteer at events

DONATE FOOD

The majority of funds donated to Attitudes & Attire are used to keep programs up and running. Donating even a small amount helps!

DONATE CLOTHES

Attitudes & Attire is always in need of professional women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories. Visit their site to see their wish list and donation guidelines.