The Homes for Heroes Foundation awarded Operation At Ease with a $5,000 grant to support Operation At Ease programs that provide direct, tangible support to veterans and first responders by pairing them with free guided training programs to support post-traumatic stress and mobility issues.
The Operation At Ease Mission
Why was Operation At Ease Established?
In 2015, Joni Bonilla, a military spouse who had worked with dogs for over 20 years, saw a friend going through an incredibly difficult time. This friend was a four-time combat veteran who had recently lost his pet dog. He told Joni how much that dog had meant to him after retiring from the Army and how she helped him transition back to civilian life.
When Joni tried to help him find a service dog, she ran into a problem. The process was complicated, expensive, and came with long waiting lists. There simply weren’t any local resources for veterans who needed service dogs in the area.
Joni Bonilla, Founder and CEO of Operation At Ease had this to say:
“Operation At Ease started ten years ago. We take dogs from shelters, we pair them with deserving veterans and first responders, and provide the service members and dogs with free training for post-traumatic stress, mobility and psychiatric service.”
With her background in animal care, her dog training experience, and her firsthand understanding of military life, she knew she could build something better.
Operation At Ease was built to fill a gap. Veterans and first responders who needed service dogs deserved an option that was accessible, professional, and free. At the same time, shelter dogs needed homes. Joni saw a way to help both.
As a military spouse, Joni understood the challenges that veterans and their families face. She didn’t just want to provide dogs. She wanted to offer quality training, ongoing support, and a program that treats post-traumatic stress not as a disorder, but as an injury that can heal with proper treatment.
What Does Operation At Ease Do to Help Veterans and First Responders?
Operation at Ease provides free service dog training programs for veterans and first responders dealing with post-traumatic stress and mobility challenges. The organization rescues dogs from shelters and matches them with participants who need them most.
Here’s how the program works:
Service Dog Training – Veterans and first responders train their own service dogs through an eight-month program. Classes are held once a week in small groups of two to four teams at their training facility. This small group size makes sure each person gets one-on-one instruction.
The training covers obedience skills and task training specific to each person’s needs. Trainers also work with participants to practice real-world situations. This helps build confidence and teaches participants how to advocate for themselves and their service dogs in public settings.
Quality Standards – While federal law doesn’t require service dogs to be certified, Operation At Ease holds itself to a higher standard. At the end of the program, dogs and their handlers are tested twice through the American Kennel Club and must pass their public access test. This ensures that every service dog meets professional standards.
Lifetime Support – The relationship doesn’t end after graduation. Operation At Ease provides behavioral support for the life of the dog at no charge. If challenges come up, help is always available.
Therapy Dog Resources – In addition to service dog training, the organization offers free therapy dog support for first responders who may benefit from this type of assistance.
Professional Team – All staff members are professional dog trainers with at least ten years of experience. Many are also military spouses, veterans, or first responders themselves. They understand both the training side and the lived experience of the people they serve.
By bringing together shelter dogs in need of homes with veterans and first responders who need support, Operation at Ease creates lasting partnerships that change lives on both ends of the leash.
Homes for Heroes local mortgage specialist, Heidi Ives, and real estate specialist, Viola Kotulak, nominated Operation At Ease to receive the $5,000 Homes for Heroes Foundation grant.
Heidi and Viola were asked why nominating this organization was important.
Heidi responded by saying:
“I met Joni a few years ago at another event where Operation At Ease was our nonprofit spotlight. It just really struck my heartstrings. I was so amazed that she had this organization! I’m a huge pet lover. So I felt helping Joni and her organization was about helping to save the life of a dog, and helping to save the life of a local hero.”
How will this Grant be Used to Support Veterans and First Responders?
The Homes for Heroes Foundation is honored to support Operation At Ease with its mission to help U.S. military veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress and mobility by awarding the organization with a $5,000 grant.
Watch the grant presentation video:
When Joni was asked how the $5,000 grant will be used to help veterans and first responders, she had this to say:
“So this money will go toward our shelter to service dog program. So pairing a shelter dog with somebody who otherwise wouldn’t have the ability to acquire a dog, and we provide all the training necessary to build the dog into a task working service dog.
Normally, the wait for a service dog from other service dog organizations can be 3 to 5 years, and cost between $30,000 to $50,000. We service veterans who are living on VA benefits and Social Security who maybe can’t afford the cost of a dog.
Because of our unique model for training and acquiring the dogs, our waiting list is approximately six weeks. We provide all the training free of charge and we never turn a veteran for first responder away if they can’t afford the dog.
Our organization absorbs all the costs associated with the dog for the life of the dog. This helps ensure our veterans and first responders have the resources they need.”
How You can Support Operation At Ease’s Mission
You can help support Operation At Ease’s mission by visiting their website. To further support their efforts, please consider making a donation to help fund the programs they provide that help support our veterans and first responders.
Foundation Grants – Part of Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving
Grants from the Homes for Heroes Foundation are made possible by the Homes for Heroes Circle of Giving and its network of real estate and mortgage professionals. Homes for Heroes, Inc. is committed to providing savings to community heroes; including firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military (active duty, reserves and veterans), healthcare professionals and teachers.
To expand its Circle of Giving, Homes for Heroes, Inc., donates a portion of its earnings to the Homes for Heroes Foundation. So, every time a hero buys or sells a home using the Homes for Heroes program, they are helping other heroes across the country who are facing a housing crisis, or are in need of urgent financial assistance.
If you are interested in learning more about how Homes for Heroes can guide you through the home buying, selling or refinancing process AND save you an average of $3,000 after closing on a home, simply sign up to be connected with our local specialists. They will follow up with you to answer all of your questions.
If you’re interested in learning about our wider impact, simply visit the Homes for Heroes Foundation page for more information about recent grants to hero organizations, how much it has awarded, and how it all works.
If you’re interested in supporting and donating to the Homes for Heroes Foundation to assist heroes in need, please visit the donation page to submit your contribution via PayPal. We thank you for your interest and support.
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