It was a huge success for the Veterans Guest House Friday. Support from people all over Northern Nevada helped them raise way more than their initial funding goal. A grand total of 70,000 dollars will go to temporarily house veterans when they need medical care.
For 21 years, the Veterans Guest House has been temporarily housing vets while they get treatment at the medical facilities in the Reno and Sparks area. Whether it's the vet going to the hospital or a loved one getting care, this program provides free service.
Noreen Leary, the CEO of Veterans Guest House says this organization is crucial for veterans in our community, "Many of them don't have the means to stay in a hotel and go back and forth, so we provide a safe, secure, home away from home for them to stay."
The Guest House is truly a "home away from home" for these vets. It offers guests a temporary bedroom, bath, continental breakfast, and kitchen to make their own meals. For those who have physical challenges, an elevator and handicap access make it easy to get around the house.
One of the veterans we spoke to said this organization has helped her and other vets when they needed it most.
"We have organizations that bring us food several times a week so you come back from doctor's appointments and many of the people don't want to worry about where to eat, what to cook, it's all there for them," said Annie Couer, a veteran of the Navy.
The veteran population continues to grow and with such a high demand, it costs money to run a household full of veterans, from keeping the power on to the trash picked up.
"We maintain a 380,000 dollar budget to sleep 5,000 guests a year and 70,000 dollars is 20 percent of our budget," said Carol Langford, Treasurer of Veterans Guest House.
They still need more funding to continue their day to day operates. For more information, go to:
https://www.veteransguesthouse.org/
