Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Kemp.
Hi Martin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My involvement in veteran advocacy began in 2018 while I was still serving in the Army National Guard. During that time, I started working in veterans benefits and support services with Operation Stand Down Rhode Island (OSDRI), helping veterans navigate VA benefits, housing challenges, employment barriers, and other obstacles that can affect long-term stability.
Through that work, I discovered a passion for helping veterans understand and access the benefits and resources they had earned through their service. As my experience grew, so did the number of veterans who reached out for assistance. Even after leaving OSDRI, former clients, friends, and fellow veterans continued calling for help with disability claims, benefits questions, and other challenges.
Those continued requests made me realize there was a need for the type of one-on-one support and advocacy I could provide. In 2023, I founded the Veteran Stability Initiative (VSI) in Pennsylvania with the goal of helping veterans overcome barriers related to benefits, housing, employment, and financial stability.
In 2024, my family and I relocated to Shelby, North Carolina, where I reestablished VSI and continued expanding its mission. Today, VSI works directly with veterans throughout the community, providing benefits advocacy, housing stabilization support, employment assistance, emergency aid, and community outreach. In 2025 alone, VSI has helped veterans secure more than $220,000 in VA disability benefits, provided over $10,000 in direct assistance to veterans facing hardship, and supported veterans working toward long-term stability and independence.
What began as helping a few friends who kept calling for advice has grown into a mission dedicated to ensuring veterans have someone in their corner when they need help most.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges has simply been resources. The need is there, but as a small nonprofit, funding is always something we’re working on. There are times when a veteran needs help today, not next month, and finding the resources to respond quickly can be difficult.
Another challenge has been finding long-term solutions for the veterans we work with. Helping someone through an immediate crisis is one thing, but helping them stay stable is another. Affordable housing is becoming harder and harder to find, and that’s one of the biggest barriers we run into. Even when a veteran is ready to move forward, there aren’t always many housing options available.
Employment has been another area we’ve focused on. There are good veterans looking for work and good employers looking for employees, but connecting those two groups isn’t always easy. Building relationships with employers and creating direct pathways to employment is something we’re continuing to work on.
That said, every challenge has also created an opportunity to build new partnerships and find better solutions. Seeing veterans get back on their feet and become stable again makes the effort worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Veteran Stability Initiative. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Veteran Stability Initiative was founded with a simple goal: helping veterans overcome barriers to stability and connect with the resources they need to succeed.
Unlike many organizations that focus on a single issue, VSI takes a broader approach. We work directly with veterans facing challenges related to VA benefits, housing, employment, healthcare access, and financial hardship. Our goal is not only to address immediate needs, but to help veterans build long-term stability and independence.
One of the things that makes VSI unique is our focus on individualized support. Every veteran’s situation is different, and there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. Sometimes that means helping a veteran navigate a disability claim. Other times it means preventing an eviction, assisting with employment, connecting someone with community resources, or helping a veteran through a temporary financial crisis.
Since 2025, we have helped veterans secure more than $220,000 in retroactive benefits, provided over $10,000 in direct assistance to veterans facing hardship, and supported veterans working toward stable housing and employment. We have also distributed more than 1,000 winter relief items to veterans and community members in need.
As a veteran-led organization, our focus remains on practical solutions, strong community partnerships, and ensuring that veterans have someone they can call when they need help. Every success story starts with a conversation, and our mission is to be there when that call comes.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that surprises most people is that I don’t actually get paid for my work with the Veteran Stability Initiative. Like everyone else who contributes to VSI, I’m a volunteer. The difference is that VSI has effectively become my full-time job.
Many people also assume I intentionally set out to start a nonprofit, but that’s not really how it happened. VSI grew organically from years of helping veterans with benefits and support services. Even after leaving my previous role in veteran services, veterans and friends continued reaching out for help. Over time, those conversations and requests evolved into what eventually became the Veteran Stability Initiative.
I also still serve in the Army National Guard and have been serving since 2010. Balancing military service, nonprofit leadership, and family life keeps me busy, but staying connected to the military community has always been important to me.
Another thing that surprises people is that my academic background isn’t actually in nonprofit management or veteran services. I earned a degree in History from Rhode Island College and later completed my MBA at American University in Washington, D.C.. Most recently I worked in data analytics, which is a field most people don’t expect when they hear about the work I do today.
At the end of the day, what started as helping a few veterans with benefits questions turned into something much larger than I ever anticipated, and I’m grateful it did.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vetstability.org
- Instagram: @vetstability
- Facebook: @vetstability
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/vetstability
