When he left the Army, John Emswiler searched for a way to continue giving back to the community. After becoming the police chief of Denison, Iowa, he met Ron Hernandez, the founder of Moving Veterans Forward. The nonprofit program works closely with the Omaha Veterans Affairs office, and Emswiler jumped at the opportunity to assist fellow veterans. While the VA helps find housing for veterans in the Nebraska/Iowa area, Emswiler and Moving Veterans Forward work together to help move the vets in and provide furnishings for their new homes.
According to the organization's website, Moving Veterans Forward relies entirely on supporter donations to complete its mission. Any household items donated go directly to veterans in need. Emswiler told KTIV 4 News that the most difficult items to acquire were dressers. Any money the group receives is applied to the cost of storage units used to hold donated items until they can be given to veterans and the transportation costs accumulated during the move-in processes.
To date, Emswiler and Moving Veterans Forward have assisted over 500 veterans with moving into and furnishing their new homes. One of these veterans was a former records clerk who Emswiler served with in Iraq.