North Chicago, Illinois is a city of approximately 33,000 people, including the Naval Station Great Lakes community. According to ReNew Communities, a local nonprofit committed to revitalization in the northern suburb, it’s a city “with tremendous potential, but also significant needs.”

To help ReNew Communities’ goals of increasing home ownership and job growth, Medline employees, including 25 members of Medline’s Veteran Engagement Team (M-VET)—an employee resource group—helped build two homes this fall for families with low incomes.

“Our original goal was to build one home, but thanks to the passion and teamwork of our volunteers, we were able to build two,” said Eric Hartman, the new co-chair of M-VET and a long-term supporter of ReNew Communities.

“This was an opportunity to bring some of our local military veteran employees together for community service, fellowship and volunteerism; to give back,” said Hartmann, a U.S. Army veteran and Medline senior manager, collections. “ReNew Communities and Matthew Home are great organizations that are working to revitalize the community through home ownership.”

According to ReNew, “Thriving communities generally have a 66% rate or greater of home ownership. As home ownership increases so does safety, improved childhood academics, friendships among neighbors, family health and family stability.” An additional 300 new homeowners, a 15% increase, could represent a ‘tipping point” for North Chicago.

“Medline showed up in mass to swing hammers, drive nails, and build the walls for two homes, side-by-side,” said David Weil, president and CEO of ReNew. “They were amazing! Together with skilled carpenters and others, they raised all the walls and roofs on two homes. It was a real barn-raising. Thank you, Medline.”

Creating a workplace ‘where veterans feel understood and supported’

Medline has more than 900 U.S. military veteran employees working in locations throughout the U.S. M-VET provides resources and hosts events throughout the year, including monthly virtual “coffee chats” – discussions encouraging open dialog on veterans’ topics. In November, M-VET hosted a webinar featuring a panel of five Medline employee veterans “sharing stories on their valuable experiences from their time in service, their transition to the corporate world, and what Veterans Day means to them.”

“Medline values the skills and experience that veterans bring to their jobs at Medline,” said Hartman. “We’re working to build a community where veterans feel understood and supported.”

Learn more about Medline’s commitment to being positive stewards in our communities.