(HUFFINGTON POST) It's an understatement to say that Navy veteran Shane D'Onofrio would give the shirt off his back for his fellow servicemen. The Rio Rancho, New Mexico veteran actually dedicates his income to vets in need, according to a local news station.
D'Onofrio reinvests his disability check -- about $1,700 each month -- back into What Would U Give, a nonprofit he started a few years ago designed to help other disabled veterans get off the streets. The organization also helps in building community development and helping veterans achieve their after-military life goals.
"The idea was, why don't we start something here locally to help our veterans, brothers and sisters, that are on the street?" D'Onofrio told the news source. "And find them a place to live."
New Mexico is home to about 5,000 homeless veterans, but D'Onofrio hopes that by letting the veterans explore their avenues of interest at the housing facility will result in a successful move into employment, and out of homelessness.
"We're trying to find what their niche is and let basically emphasize, push them forward to it," D'Onofrio said.
Still, D'Onofrio isn't the only veteran taking that bond of service seriously. Many like him are drawn to the continuation of service work through the skills they gained while in the military.
"[Veterans] don't want to drink beer and share war stories in some dark beer hall," William McNulty, a Marine who co-founded the disaster-relief nonprofit Team Rubicon, told The Huffington Post. "What they do want to do is continue their service."
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