Veterans Guest House, a local nonprofit that has provided free, safe, overnight accommodations for military families seeking medical treatment in the local area for the past 30 years has announced a new partnership to tackle another challenge many veterans face: homelessness.
Together, Veterans Guest House and Karma Box Project will pilot a program to provide supportive housing and wrap-around services that best prepare veterans for independent living.
Karma Box Project was launched by founder Grant Denton to provide nonperishable food, drinks, and other items to the neediest in our community.
Recently, that work has expanded to helping the homeless population transition off the streets and into temporary housing. With ever-increasing rental prices and the complex mental health challenges many homeless veterans face, permanent housing is often out of reach.
While affordable housing is part of the solution, dedicated assistance is needed to help veterans access medical care, receive benefits they qualify for, and even secure employment.
This pilot program is designed to provide supervised housing and personalized assistance to help veterans successfully integrate into permanent housing and the community.
“Veterans Guest House was created to promote the health and protect the safety of vulnerable veterans in our community. As we expand the resources available to veteran families during times of medical need, we also recognize that homelessness puts the health and safety of our veterans at greatest risk of all.” said Sylvia DuBeau, CEO of Veterans Guest House. “This pilot program is an extraordinary opportunity to leverage community assets and professional expertise to address one of the biggest issues our community faces.”
The two bedroom, one bathroom bungalow is fully furnished and is a separate property from Veterans Guest House’s primary building. The home will serve two veterans at a time. Veterans are carefully selected together by the Veterans Guest House and Karma Box Project teams.
Candidates must demonstrate they are not using drugs or alcohol, are actively participating in programming, and are employment ready. Those who choose to participate will receive wraparound services by a Karma Box Project team member, who will help them seek permanent employment, practice elements of independent living, and ultimately find permanent housing.
“We’re honored to partner with another nonprofit that understands the obstacles of transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing cannot just be solved with providing a home. We look forward to giving our clients the extra help they need as they learn to live independently again.” said Grant Denton, founder of the Karma Box Project. “I love that Veterans Guest House is using the resources they have to lend a hand. It all counts.”
To learn more about Veterans Guest House, you can visit www.veteransguesthouse.org.
