Do you know about these incredible and unique resources for our Veterans?

Most recently, we worked with Betty, a senior who needed to move to Senior Living from her long-time home. She was ready and willing to move but worried about what would happen to her adult old son, who lived with her and didn’t know what to do. Betty knew that if she moved, he would have nowhere to go, so she would effectively be displacing her adult son, who relied on her for his housing needs. She felt stuck and unable to make the move that she needed to make, for her health and safety, without knowing what would happen to him. John is a Veteran and suffers from PTSD, as well as other physical challenges, and has been living with Betty for many years. Neither of them knew what to do next so that Betty could make the transition to Senior Living. 

After learning that John was a Veteran, Family Shepherd introduced Betty and John to the Veterans Community Project resources. If you are unfamiliar with the VCP, it is an amazing project based in Kansas City that focuses on helping Veterans rebuild their lives through their “Housing First” mission. They have built a village of 49 tiny homes dedicated to housing Veterans who are in a period of transition. These 240-360 square-foot homes are built with Veterans’ needs in mind. Knowing that many Veterans suffer from PTSD, they have incorporated thoughtful layouts and inclusions to give Veterans a safe and stable place to call home as they work to stabilize their lives and address ongoing challenges they are experiencing. 

Beyond the fully furnished home, they offer a variety of additional resources as well. They have a canteen where the Veteran can get needed food and toiletries at no charge to the Veteran. They also offer counseling, case management services, and wrap-around support as they work to help connect the community to the Veteran and the Veteran to the community. They partner with other organizations to bring events to the Tiny Home Village that encourage connection between the Veterans and the community around them. Last Tuesday, our founder and Lead Shepherd, Ben Rao, had the opportunity to volunteer at the VCP Tiny Homes Village when the Kansas City Repertory Theatre brought their Nina Simone Community Tour to their Tiny Home Village. It was a fantastic show of music and camaraderie that gave Ben a glimpse into the additional efforts and resources that genuinely allow Veterans to be and feel supported and seen as part of the community. The music was fun, the crowd was engaged, and the joy was contagious! 

The Veterans Community Project became a great resource as we worked with Betty and her son to find a solution to offer him a support network and offer her peace of mind. Going through the process of helping make arrangements with and for her son, we ran into many people in the senior space who loved the idea of the VCP and quickly identified many senior families that they had encountered who would have benefited from this resource had they known to refer them to the VCP. Knowing that so many of you work with senior families who are also Veterans, we wanted to remind you of this local resource in hopes that you would share it with Veterans who may need these resources. 



Email our team for an introduction or you can learn more about the Veterans program at https://www.Veteranscommunityproject.org/