At Carvana, we recognize the often challenging transition from military service back to civilian life. Compounding that with the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the switch back can be as murky and trying as ever.
To combat that, our rapidly growing CarVets Community (Carvana’s veteran-focused Employee Resource Group) is dedicated to connecting team members with shared military experience across the country, making Carvana an employer of choice for veterans and veteran families. Carvana is also committed to hiring and supporting veterans as they transition back into civilian life, while being conscious of the fact that the transition from military service to civilian life can be more difficult than meets the eye.
Carvana has a wide range of initiatives in place, beyond the resources of our CarVets community, to ensure veterans we’re is not just an employer, but an employer that embraces a myriad of backgrounds, talents, and experiences. CarVets is a way to support each member of the community in their ambition to further veteran causes. Whether it’s hiring veterans into Carvana, staying active in the veteran community, or supporting other veteran causes that align with our CarVets values, the community has become a core means of Carvana’s company-wide military support. We work with Carvana team members who have served in the military to make setting back into civilian life easier for future veterans, but we also strive to connect with veterans outside the walls of Carvana and do what we can to show our nation’s servicemen and women exactly what it means to be a part of our team.
As the recent recipient of the ESGR’s Pro Patria Award, Carvana has demonstrated support to Guard and Reserve employees by adopting personnel policies that make it easier for employees to participate in the National Guard and Reserve, however, we also know that the effort to help military veterans understand what a career at Carvana can be like begins well before they begin a job application. Considering this, we recently took our message to the streets – literally – to reach former military servicemen and women considering post-service careers in logistics.
Recently, at our Nashville Vehicle Inspection Center, our team went to the drawing board to come up with a way to not only honor CarVets that are out on the road delivering exceptional customer experiences, but to draw the attention of other veteran professionals looking for their next career move, many of whom are out on America’s roads and highways, leveraging their military experiences in logistics and supply chain positions. What they came up with was an artful homage to the shared military service that binds them together, as well as an open invitation to other fellow veterans to come learn more about a place that would value their skills, experiences, and knowhow.
The idea manifested itself in a fleet of custom-wrapped vehicle stingers, all sporting one-of-a-kind decal work that drives Carvana’s veteran support home. Carvana’s trademark blue colorway meets the armed forces’ ubiquitous modern camouflage fatigue pattern, coming together as a blend of styles that harkens to Carvana’s unwavering support of the military community. With these multi-vehicle stingers out traversing America’s highways, each mile driven is another show of support for Carvana’s veteran teammates, their families, and future veterans that will join our ranks.
This year, in honor of Veterans Day, CarVets was proud to partner with Soldier’s Best Friend in support of its work in Arizona’s veteran community. The organization provides former servicemen and women battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with the opportunity to make a lasting, impactful bond with an animal in need. With a two-fold mission dedicated to helping veterans and dogs alike, Soldier’s Best Friend works to find loving homes with veterans for rescue dogs across Arizona, while also offering veterans the therapeutic support they need.
Soldier’s Best Friend pairs veterans with rescue dogs at no cost to the veteran, while also hosting qualifying courses at six locations across the state, equipping the rescues to become certified Therapeutic Companion Dog/Emotional Support Animals. Carvana donated a new vehicle to replace the philanthropy’s primary vehicle, which will be used to transport supplies, trainers, and dogs across the state, plus a whole truckload full of supplies to help cover the expensive process of pairing a dog in need with a deserving veteran.
With Veterans Day quickly approaching, many will take time to reflect on the freedoms made possible by the work and sacrifice of members of our armed forces. However, Carvana has built this consideration into our comprehensive approach to fostering our overall workplace culture. Our company culture relies heavily on looking out for each team member’s individual wellness on multiple fronts. Inspired by many of our veteran teammates, Carvana recognizes the need to consider our team’s whole health, taking a multi-pronged, values-driven approach to the overall wellbeing of everyone in the company, no matter their location or vocation.
Services include the launch of Ginger to provide our team members with free, on-demand emotional and mental support as we continue to navigate the hardships of the pandemic and remove the stigma of mental health. Carvana has also aimed to elevate conversations around family planning with services like Maven, while also recently launching the Carvana KEYS college tuition program for those looking to continue their education into the next chapter of their lives. Our long-running CarvanaFit initiative promotes physical health and wellness among our employees, while personal finance education from services like Financial Elements assists in fostering financial wellbeing.
These internal initiatives, combined with external recognition from the U.S. Department of Defense’s ESGR program (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve), public-facing shows of support like Carvana’s donation to Soldier’s Best Friend, and our brand new fleet of custom military-inspired vehicle stinger designs out canvassing America’s highways, demonstrates the pride behind Carvana’s broad spectrum of support for our nation’s veterans to and through Veterans Day 2021.
