Meet Kristin Marie Johnson | Founder & President of Operation Resource Arizona

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristin Marie Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin Marie, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Volunteering in the nonprofit sector that specializes in veteran and first responder assistance inspired my own nonprofit. Being apart of these organizations allowed me to understand the specialized services provided and realize that there are many ways available for our veterans and first responders to get healthy or stay healthy- mentally and physically.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Running a small nonprofit is difficult in a town full of hundreds of nonprofits. We took this into consideration before we took the difficult steps to join the nonprofit world. Three people in the nonprofit world, that I work with and trust, were called in to weigh in on this new venture. We decided that a group that can help others wade through the sea of nonprofits would be the most beneficial. We have heard stories of terrible service and misleading information that our heroes had to deal with and navigate while going through their stressful life events. We decided that a group that can vet organizations to make sure they are helpful and beneficial to our community is much needed. ORA covers a wide variety of “needs” and that makes it easy and hard to maintain. I enjoy being able to direct someone to a mental health facility, leisure group of like minded individuals, real estate agents and financial assistance organizations and businesses.

This has been one of the more difficult things to do. Creating and maintaining these personal relationships with other organizations and businesses has been challenging. We need growth to expand our reach, but we also need to maintain the relationships we currently have right now. We don’t just take a recommendation or suggestion and refer out. We reach out, do our research and establish a contact person for the organization; someone we can call anytime of day if there is a crisis. That is one of the things that makes us different when it comes to being a “resource” or ” referral” service. I want the community to know, in Arizona or not, that if there is something we don’t know or a resource we don’t have in our rolodex, we will do the leg work for you. We will make the calls and get you the answers you seek, all without any charges or obligations. We want to be the one organization you need to call (for veterans, active duty and first responders) in Arizona, to get you what you need.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Marshall, has been my support system in everything I do since the beginning. Outside of the home, I want to recognize a few people for their support, encouragement and mentorship along the way. Joe Wood and Codi McCaw from Boulder Crest Arizona have been great supporters and mentors. They have believed in me even before I took on this new venture. I want to recognize Mark Lacy from Operation 22- PTSD Awareness for his support and friendship. He welcomed me into Operation 22 and has given me many amazing tips for keeping a nonprofit successful. Additionally, I want to recognize James Espinoza from The Veteran Mentor Project out of California. James has been a wealth of knowledge since the first day I gave him a call. He has been a huge supporter, always making the drive to Tucson to support my resource fairs, and sharing his story with everyone that will listen. Last but not least, Mike Thomas needs some recognition for his more recent involvement in ORA. He is a veteran and dog training expert. Mike let me talk him into sitting on the ORA board and hasn’t looked back. He is my go to for all things veterans and service dogs. He is a wealth of knowledge and is always available.

Website: https://operationresourcearizona.com/

Instagram: operationresourceaz

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/operation-resource-arizona

Facebook: @OperationResourceAZ

Other: TikTok: OperationResourceAZ

Image Credits
Matt Carrier Photography