Answering the call
Army Colonel Bob McLaughlin received a call in 2013 that would change his life and that of thousands of other veterans. His friend, former Marine and Colorado Springs businessman Jay Cimino, had contacted Bob and said he needed him for a new mission. Jay’s vision was to start an organization that would serve as a “one-stop-shop” for veterans and their families. Since 2016, Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center (MCVSC) has provided support for veterans and their families in Colorado Springs.
Although Jay passed away in early 2024, his legacy continues. Just as he envisioned, MCVSC offers multiple programs to meet veterans and their families at every stage of life and at every need, with Bob serving as the executive director. From health and wellness, family services, transition and employment, and business outreach, MCVSC works to make sure the veteran community thrives in post-service life.
The organization works to fill the gaps of much-needed services for veterans, particularly in the transition out of service. But filling those gaps requires air-tight organization of data . So MCVSC uses Bonterra Impact Management software to track their progress, report their impact, and acquire the funding they need to change lives.
Finding a new mission
Approximately 200,000 soldiers move from U.S. military service to civilian life each year, and the transition can be stressful. Veterans returning from service experience unique challenges including mental and physical injury or illness, homelessness, substance abuse, and suicide risk. Despite heroic tours of duty that require peak mental and physical fortitude, some veterans require support in the time after they’ve served. “They need a hand-up, not a hand-out,” says Justin Verhulst, operations manager at MCVSC. Justin served in Afghanistan and says that returning from deployment and having the opportunity to work at Mt. Carmel has been like “being given a new mission.”
Research shows that veterans find comradery with other veterans, prompting increasing use of peer-to-peer support groups as intervention against
adverse effects of military service. Nearly all (90%) of Mt. Carmel staff are veterans themselves. The organization has 30 full staff members, juggles four large-scale programs and locations, with multiple offerings and events, and manages thousands of volunteers. They couldn’t enact these complex operations without the help of data management and impact tracking. “Numbers are everything,” says Justin. “We’re a nonprofit. We do a lot with grants. You’ve got to pay employees with grants, you’ve got to give veterans and spouses independent services with grants. So, it’s just huge to have Bonterra. They’re the VIP and star of the show.”
Better numbers for better support
MCVSC features four main programs, each entailing multiple classes and events including massages and tai chi, career workshops, support groups, and an annual Angel Tree. Their four programs aim to serve all members of a veteran’s family, including children and spouses. They serve all ages and veterans of all wars and are the Veteran’s Outreach Business Center for the state of Colorado, helping aspiring business owners get the resources they need to thrive.
To provide these services, MCVSC relies on grants, funding, and volunteers. Yearly impact reports, especially during end-of-year giving season are crucial for continued and expanded services. Bonterra’s Impact Management software streamlined data organization and improved reporting capabilities, according to Justin.
Justin says the organization was delighted by the elite coaching offered by Bonterra’s support rep for MCVSC, Nia. “She helped me clean up the system and taught me how to run reports at the drop of a hat, and that’s what we need, because we have a team of grant writers that need to know how many active-duty soldiers walked through that door last month. Now I can go in there and say, ‘Boom! Here you go.’ It’s just so important to have all this data organized all in one spot. The rapid reporting has just been one of the biggest benefits.”
Expanding service, increasing impact
With thousands of veterans and families served, MCVSC is utilizing quantitative storytelling to continue to expand their mission. In 2025, the organization plans to increase valuable partnerships, help end food insecurity for veteran families, and increase services around mental health. They also received a $35,000 dollar fund that they plan to use for art therapy services for clients.
As for Justin, he’s excited about the new Digital Navigator Program, a partnership with Comcast that will help veterans become technologically proficient for daily living. “A lot of VA forms required for disability claims require portal logins or digital details. We get veterans coming in, and it just breaks my heart because they don’t know how to do that. But this is a unique program because the person driving that program is a Green Beret veteran himself. So again, you’re seeing veterans helping veterans.”
Justin says this is the thread that runs through every facet of the organization. “There’s a kind of a saying that we have in the military world: ‘I’ve got your six,’ and for us, that’s huge. It means I’ve got your back.”
