Alabaster organization helps service men and women

Published 11:40 pm Friday, October 23, 2015

The Alabaster-based Objective Homefront organization offers services to any member or former member of the Armed Forces who is in need. (Contributed)

The Alabaster-based Objective Homefront organization offers services to any member or former member of the Armed Forces who is in need. (Contributed)

By JENNIFER BAILEY / For the Reporter

ALABASTER – Objective Homefront is a non-profit organization based out of Alabaster geared toward helping any service men or women who may be in need.

The organization was started by Jarred Kato. When Kato came home from serving in Afghanistan, he said that he began having issues, and needed to have somewhere to turn. Kato said that he turned to his friend. However, many veterans returning home do not have someone to turn to.

Kato started Objective Homefront to provide services to veterans, as well as law enforcement and first responders, who may be suffering through post-traumatic stress disorder.

The organization seeks to help these men and women get reintegrated back into society by providing them with counseling, job training and interview tactics, among other things. They also try to help the service people by providing them with leadership skills, life skills, trade classes and apprenticeships in fields like plumbing and construction.

Objective Homefront is also working with the Thompson High School Junior ROTC. These students are required to do community service work, and they are given the opportunity to get these hours by helping Objective Homefront with their various community service projects. These two groups have a 14 mile hike that will provide the students a chance to gain valuable leadership skills.

“We are putting everything into this so that we can offer something that we didn’t have,” Kato said.

Kato, as well as the other members of Objective Homefront, are working to become certified as stress coaches in January. This will help them council any veteran, law enforcement officer or first responder who suffers from PTSD or any other issues.

For more information about Objective Homefront or to donate to the cause, visit Objectivehomefront.com or visit its Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages. Objective Homefront is located at 106 A First St. N. in Alabaster.