Veterans Matter!

The idea was formed during a conversation between 1Matters founder Ken Leslie and the director of the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans program of VISN-11 (the Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan division of the VA), Shawn Dowling. When Shawn told Ken about the VASH vouchers and the work her team was doing, Ken asked her what was missing for more veterans to take advantage of all the vouchers available for the area. Shawn said that virtually none of the unhoused veterans had the money for the first month’s rent and security deposit (go figure). Ken asked, “That’s it? That’s all that’s in the way of more veterans getting off the streets? Let me make a few calls.”

The first call he made was to a friend, Barb Petee, telling her about the issue and asking her what ProMedica might be interested in doing. Seven days later on Valentine’s Day, the ProMedica Advocacy Fund, through the Toledo Community Foundation, granted 1Matters with the $26,250 estimated to be needed for matching to the 35 vouchers allotted to the VISN-11 area. Shawn’s team sent over the first veteran family, which was approved and the first check cut to the landlord. Within 11 days, from concept to implementation, Veterans Matter was born. In less than eight months, Shawn was announcing the time to move a veteran family into housing, from the time they were first declared eligible for the progam, had decreased from 131 days to 72 days. That means our brave men and women veterans, and fairly often their spouses and/or children, have to wait almost two months less to get home.

Once all the pieces were in place, Dusty and his wife Charleen (a.k.a., Chuck) kicked into high gear and within three weeks, along with Kevin Maley of KO Supply, raised $40,000 of the $160,000 needed for the 200 HUD-VASH vouchers available in the Houston area. As of now, in just over one month, 10 veteran families in Houston are now home through the new program.