HACAOT’s Community Program is  a hands-on, grass-roots effort  to make a positive impact in our immediate community and set the right example of how to effect positive change through proper management and best social practices. Whether it is cleaning up a  street , participating in a local  neighborhood watch program, visiting our Veterans in VA hospital,  supporting those who serve our country,  volunteering for emergency situations, or getting involved in  our local youth sport programs,  HACAOT is totally engaged in the communities we serve and we will always support our community.

In his inaugural address fifty years ago, President Kennedy called all Americans to community service when he challenged us to,    “ ask not what your country can do for you,  ask what you can do for your country”. We believe in giving back to our country and our community because we see our organization as an important part of the community and we know that   the only way we will make a real difference is through direct community service. For HACAOT, taking care of our local community is as important as any of our  overseas programs because we rely on our community to support what we do. Fortunately many of the needs  we serve overseas are met here in USA by state or Federal service programs but there are still things we can do in our neighborhoods to set the example and make our community a better place.

The majority of our staff are   current or former service  members who understand the value of team work and  the meaning of sacrifice for a better cause.  So often they are the  first to volunteer when a need arises.  Too many of our brothers-in-arms have given what President Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion.”  You can honor their sacrifice  by  joining HACAOT in serving  your community and making it a better place for everyone.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her book,  “It Takes a Village”  reminded us of the African proverb that says,  “ It takes a village to raise a child.”  HACAOT incorporates that proverb into our organizational philosophy when we say that  it takes every single citizen  doing the right thing to have a great community.

HACAOT’s  very first mission back in 2005 was to assist displaced persons from   Louisiana who came to  Killeen, Texas after Hurricane Katrina . We are proud to say that today  HACAOT’s programs have expanded far beyond immediate  humanitarian assistance. Our goal is that our children will come to experience and  understand the full meaning of community service and hopefully in  years to come  HACAOT’s Community Service Program will become a global initiative that encourages people everywhere to  make the world a better place, one community at a time.