Activision Blizzard, the video game company behind Guitar Hero and the Tony Hawk franchises announced it plans to donate $1 million on Tuesday to help U.S. veterans find employment.
The company's new game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is set to smash video game sales records by putting gamers on the front lines of an epic global battle being waged here in the U.S. But with the Call of Duty Endowment (CODE), Activision Blizzard hopes to help veterans win the very real battle to find jobs once they return home from war.
According to The Washington Post, the percentage of unemployed veterans has been historically higher than the national average, with October's rate topping off at 11.6 percent for people who have served in the military since 2001. A quarter of veterans who have found work earn less than $21,840 per year, the Washington Post reported.
"The joblessness rate that [veterans] should have should be far less than the national average, not more," said Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick. "How do you expect people to actually join the military if when they leave the military they can't integrate back into the free market they're supposed to be protecting?"
Activision Blizzard regularly donates video games and gaming consoles to the military through the USO, and the donations have helped the company identify and hire veterans who are interested in the gaming industry, the Washington Post reported. Now, the company hopes to reach out to more veterans with the foundation, which will make its first donation of $125,000 to the Paralyzed Veterans of America to help open a vocational rehabilitation center.
Read the full article and what other organizations are doing to reduce veteran homelessness on The Washington Post.