Securing a job is an essential step to exiting homelessness, but for many homeless Veterans employment is not just hard to find. It can be hard to keep.

Veteran Frank Diaz and his Tin Hut BBQ food trucks and catering service are addressing this issue head-on in Diaz’s own backyard on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

“I like to hire those people who need an opportunity in life to transition,” Diaz said. “Sometimes they come straight from the military; others are homeless Veterans who I try to offer stability to.”

Over the past five years, Diaz has hired 24 Veterans and their spouses to work his food trucks. Four of those Veterans were exiting homelessness. But his dedication to Veterans and their families goes far beyond saying “you’re hired.”  For the Veterans that Diaz has brought on to his team who have experienced homelessness, he has offered shelter, transportation, mentorship and a foundation from which to grow.

Diaz wasn’t always a food truck entrepreneur. His career started in the U.S. Army and eventually brought him to the U.S. Department of Defense as an anti-terrorism specialist. In 2011, Diaz decided he wanted to use his passion for barbecue and his love for Hawaii in his work to serve service members, Veterans and their families, so he launched Tin Hut BBQ. When Diaz retired from government work in 2014, Tin Hut BBQ became his main mission.

Since establishing his business, Diaz has cemented himself in the military community on Oahu. He uses his own military and government experience to inform his catering service on military protocol, event flow and military etiquette. This attention to detail has positioned Tin Hut BBQ as a trusted and popular catering source among both civilians and local military groups.

IMAGE: Frank Diaz with a Veteran in uniformTin Hut BBQ has supported school events, church fundraisers, and military events, including retirements. Diaz has also donated food from his business to stand downs in Honolulu and has hosted deployed Service members for Christmas dinner.

The way Diaz runs his business is the very embodiment of the attitude that drives our nation’s military: No man or woman is left behind. When Diaz hires a homeless Veteran, he sees that individual as a Veteran, first and foremost. To Diaz, that means this employee will know the importance of teamwork, understand what it means to be accountable, embody a resilient spirit and work well under pressure. And that makes hiring easy.

But Diaz realizes that the job he offers homeless Veterans will likely be part of their transition. So he goes along on the ride with them, even if that means eventually helping find those Veterans new jobs that are better suited to their situation and goals.

For one formerly homeless Veteran, Diaz went above and beyond.

“I was feeding him, and I was giving him a lot of food, he had a place to stay [at Tin Hut], and I bought him clothes, but he still felt that he had to go dumpster diving for food,” said Diaz. For many Veterans exiting homelessness, a job doesn’t immediately offer a sense of security, so they continue with their usual routines.

“But we got there, with patience,” Diaz said of the Veteran’s transition away from homelessness. “The good thing about this Veteran is that he had skills as an electric engineer from his time in the military, and we were able to get him back into that field. So it was just a transition time. And I was happy to be part of that transition time. That’s one of my favorite success stories.”

In the future, Diaz plans to hire and provide additional support for more Veterans who are homeless and exiting homelessness. He also hopes to take Tin Hut BBQ to other military bases someday.

“I’m a disabled Veteran,” Diaz said, “and because I serve Veterans, it will continue to be an opportunity to hire.”

If your business or organization has employment vacancies to fill, find out how to interview job-ready Veterans who exited homelessness and are ready to add value on day one by visiting www.va.gov/homeless/stakeholders.asp.

More Information

  • Visit VA’s website to learn about employment initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
  • Refer Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless to their local VA medical center, where VA staff are ready to assist, or urge them to call 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838).

IMAGE: Jackie NguyenJackie Nguyen is a disabled Army captain, served in the US Army from 1986 to 1992 and was deployed in Kuwait in 1991. She was homeless from 1994 to 2004.  However, in 2007, Jackie earned a master’s degree in psychology. Today, she spends her time giving back and sharing her experience, strength and hope with Veterans experiencing homelessness as a community employment coordinator at the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

 

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8 Comments

  1. Luis qursada May 27, 2018 at 15:25

    I have being in California for 14 months living in a motor home with a wife and two teenage age girls. Reached out everywhere but no help. I meet qualifications. Willing to work. I’m a professional disabled veteran but no job yet. Thank you for helping others. I hope some job comes out way.

  2. Luis qursada May 27, 2018 at 15:23

    Uy

  3. Denise Pope May 15, 2018 at 09:31

    What a great service. As a school social worker and homeless liaison for my county school system, I see homelessness in so many ways. My hat is off to you and I would love to learn more about any opportunities of expansion in other areas. Bless you for your service to those in need.

  4. Charles T. Briggs May 13, 2018 at 14:55

    So sad I have seen this first hand then I got ssi hud vash helped me I meet a friend who gets help as I do we decided to help each other but it is not working we are about to be evicted I’m trying to stop it but I only get 750 dollars a week I’m trying to stop this but if I pay I don’t eat what’s the point of getting help if I pay the bills I can’t eat have you ever gone 15 days of no eating everyone thinks I’m a crackhead and this is from trying to pay I don’t know how they figure the money we get would like to see them y’all try to make it guess I’m fixing to find out what it’s like to be homeless and no help from ssi so sad hero to zero army is thru with me so !!!!

    • Frank Diaz May 28, 2018 at 18:09

      Dan Thank you so much for your service. I wish you well in every endeavor you pursue. Blessings. Frank

  5. Dan Sullivan May 10, 2018 at 12:40

    As a Disabled Vet, I’m so happy to see these kind of stories. I applaud YOU Sir for your efforts to help.

  6. William Navarro May 10, 2018 at 10:19

    What a great segment, so proud to be a part of the greatest group of people “Veterans” , I’m going to Oahu in August and hope to sample some BBQ. You are a great person and I hope others will follow your lead . God bless you and your family for all your wonderful blessing’s and hard work and dedication to the people that have served with honor. Thank you!

    • Frank Diaz May 11, 2018 at 12:54

      William thank you for your comments. I appreciate it. Hope to see you when you come to Hawaii. Call me and please allow me to treat you to a meal.

      Veterans are awesome. They sacrificed so much when active and although retired I still enjoy serving and providing opportunity to those that have a rough time transitioning.

      See you on the high ground.

      Truly

      Frank

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