.png)
Thanks to the generosity of supporters, each home is furnished with around 125 items that become the property of our Veteran resident the moment they move into VCP Village.
The morning after U.S. Army Veteran Andy moved into his 240-square-foot home at Veterans Community Project of Sioux Falls, he walked into the Village Center with a smile on his face.
For the first time in months, he was able to make himself a pot of hot coffee and a bacon-and-egg sandwich for breakfast. It was, to say the least, a different kind of morning than the past eight months that he spent sleeping in a tent by the river.
“Being able to wake up and make my own breakfast instead of having to walk to the soup kitchen and ask for food every morning has been life changing,” said Andy, “It restored my sense of dignity and made me feel like a human again.”
Adding, “I forgot how much I love to cook.”
The VCP model, which has demonstrated a radically effective 85% success of transitioning Veterans from experiencing homelessness to achieving permanent housing, is founded in the belief that transformation begins by giving a Veteran in need the dignity of home.
And that includes more than just walls. Each home is stocked with around 125 brand-new household items, as well as groceries for a couple of weeks. When a Veteran opens the door to their home, those items, simply, become their own.
They include: a bed with sheets; a reclining chair; an area rug; a television; a set of pots and pans; kitchen utensils; a coffee maker; an outdoor folding chair; a door mat; and much more. Later, when residents move out after the typical stay of 12 to 18 months, they can take those items with them.
VCP Co-Founder and Chief Project Officer Brandonn Mixon explains the thinking there, saying, “These are Veterans who often times go from having nothing to moving in and being able to say, ‘This is mine.’ We’re telling them that they’re worth it. And that they earned it. It’s really important.”
Most items are donated to Veterans by generous individual supporters via Amazon or other wish lists maintained by Veterans Community Project locations: VCP of Longmont, VCP of Kansas City, VCP of Sioux Falls, and VCP of St. Louis. Notably, there are currently dozens of items on those wish lists, as there’s typically an increase of Veterans moving in during the hotter and colder months.
“Think about that little feeling when you get when an Amazon package arrives on your porch,” said Mixon. “Now, what if you could give that feeling, on a much grander scale, to someone in need?”
There are also opportunities for large organizations to get involved in filling the homes with love. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), for example, has recently driven literal truckloads of goods and financial donations to Sioux Falls, St. Louis and Kansas City.
“Many in the ranks of truck drivers are Veterans,” said OOIDA President and U.S. Army Veteran Todd Spencer. “Collectively, we recognize the sacrifice that men and women make in the military, and we want to show our appreciation. VCP is something that we and all of our membership is proud to support.”
To that end, their giant-check financial donations to VCP are often the result of hundreds or thousands of OOIDA members chipping in to support the mission of fixing Veteran homelessness.
Back at VCP of Sioux Falls, that mission continues one bacon-and-egg sandwich at a time. Or, pots of coffee, which Andy brews every morning and regularly shares with construction volunteers in the Village.
He has adjusted well to life in the Village over the past month and is already working toward goals, including building a network of support. His case manager Craig recently connected him with a fellow Veteran-focused nonprofit in Sioux Falls, Warriors Never Give Up, for a multi-day hunting trip.
“Being at VCP is going to totally change the direction of my life,” Andy reflected, “After years of being down on my luck, VCP stepped in to help me when no one else would. I’m excited to get my life back on track, and then let other Veterans know about VCP and get them the same help they gave me.”
These transformative moments are priceless, but they require your support. For the cost of your morning coffee, you can give a Veteran like Andy that same sense of dignity and hope. Consider donating today.