The Veterans Transition Center (VTC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 rehabilitation center and shelter for veterans in Monterey County, California. The VTC is located at the site of the former Fort Ord near Marina, California. [1] While the program is funded partly by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Administration, it largely relies on donations for the public.[2] The VTC seeks a holisitic approach to helping homeless veterans that includes community service, life skills classes, sobriety requirements, counseling, and transitional housing. According to the U.S. Army Monterey Presidio Public Affairs bureau:
In general, the mission of the Veterans Transition Center is to provide services for Monterey County's homeless veterans and their families... by providing veterans with transitional housing, emergency services and case-management programs, veterans will once again become employable and productive members of the community.
Currently, the center is looking forward to add a vocational rehabilition program and more housing units. The vocational rehabilition program is to include a non-profit store with the express purpose of hiring the most veterans possible while the additional housing units will increase the center's capacity for veterans to rehabilitate.[4] Since it's inception the VTC has served 4,155 single veterans and 351 veterans with families. According to the center:
An estimated 80% of veterans who graduated from the VTC program transitioned into permanent housing for at least one year while 92% of who were in the program for 1 year maintained sobriety. At the time of graduation, 87% of veterans had $700 or more in savings and 75% were employed with a mean wage greater than $9.00 per hour. Among families, 100% of school aged children attended school, 80% of children pursued an after-school hobby, and 100% of all veterans with families enrolled in healthy families insurance.
As of February 2011, the VTC has partnered with Vocaitonal Rehabilitation Specialists Inc. (VRSI), a local rehabilitaion and counseling firm, to run its fundraiser: HelpVTC.[5]
See also
References
- ^ VTC Listing in the Monterey County Herald: http://businesslistings.montereyherald.com/3020732/Veterans-Transition-Center-Monterey-County-Marina-CA
- ^ KION Central Coast News. 2009. VTC sees big increase in homeless vets: http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10864935
- ^ Townsell, T. K. (2009). Monterey Area Veterans Transition Center offers assistance to all local vets. Retrieved 04-11-2011 from www.army.mil, the official homepage of the U.S. Army: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/12/10/31701-monterey-area-veterans-transition-center-offers-assistance-to-all-local-vets/
- ^ Monterey County Weekly. 2011. Homeless Veteran Support: http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/weblogs/homeless-veteran-support/
- ^ HelpVTC. 2011. About VTC: http://www.helpvtc.org/About.html