Hope for Veterans
Far too many veterans are homeless in Massachusetts. On any given night, more than 1,400 veterans in Massachusetts are searching for a place to sleep; a place to call home. Many of these veterans suffer from an addiction to alcohol or drugs, PTSD, depression, or traumatic brain injury. “When the veterans arrive here so many of them come in- and they have absolutely nothing”, says Michael Herron, Director of our Hello House for Men on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. Hello House is just one of our residential recovery programs that provide services to veterans.
Volunteers of America remains committed to helping veterans. One of our newest veteran’s initiatives is our Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF). The SSVF program is a collaborative partnership between Volunteers of America Massachusetts and Father Bills & Mainspring.
The program provides services to veterans who are low-income in Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk Counties which includes the Boston Metropolitan Area and southeastern Massachusetts. The program provides services for up to 195 individuals and their families. The goal of SSVF is to help veterans in need before they become homeless, to increase their housing stability, and to enhance their independent living skills.
In early 2012, Volunteers of America Massachusetts will initiate the development of a new transitional and permanent housing facility in Somerville. Once the building is complete the new program will provide services and resources for low-income veterans who struggle with addiction and other underlying conditions of homelessness.
Services in Somerville will include education and employment assistance, health care, and family support. The Somerville program offers the supportive services veterans need to aid them in their progress toward a good opportunity to receive the proper care they deserve. This commitment for each veteran becomes a personal journey that involves developing hope, a secure base of skills, and creating supportive relationships.
We've seen the devastation among veterans and we are committed to striving to provide more housing and guidance to struggling veterans. With our veteran’s service programs at Volunteers of America, Massachusetts, we are giving renewed hope to these local heroes.
Our Somerville Veterans Project is scheduled to be completed in the Fall of 2012. To learn more about how you can help make a difference in a veterans life contact Stephanie Paauwe, Director of Development, 617.390.0228 or SPaauwe@voamass.org