Nathan O’Leary from Comcast Newsmakers interviewed Jack Downing, CEO at the Majestic Theatre in West Springfield.

Solider On veterans thrive on grease paint, play writing and artist palettes

“Orpheus in the Berkshires” supports Soldier On veterans

The Berkshire Eagle | July 15, 2016 | Susan Bush

NORTH ADAMS – United States Army veteran LouAnn Hazelwood termed her professional acting debut “a Cinderella story.” Hazelwood’s birthday is July 5, and over the past year, her life has changed dramatically.

“Last year, at this time I was homeless,” the 61-year-old woman said. “This year, professional pictures were taken of me in costume and will be given to me as a gift. I came from over 30 years of abuse. I’ve found my voice and my courage. For me, it’s been miraculous.”

Hazelwood and about 75 other community residents opened the play, “Orpheus in the Berkshires,” on Thursday at the new Greylock Works venue, 508 State Road (Route 2). The run for the hour-long play continues tonight at 7:30 and concludes at 5 p.m. on Sunday, and is free to the public.

United States Army veteran LouAnn Hazelwood is acting in a collaborative production of “Orpheus in the Berkshires” at the Greylock WORKS venue from July 14 to 17. Hazelwood is participating with the Leeds-based Soldier On initiative, which is one of four groups partnering with the Williamstown Theater Festival for a community arts project. (Sue Bush — The Berkshire Eagle)

In the play, Hazelwood will act the part of one of the grandmothers looked after by Orpheus.

These performances are part of a community engagement initiative launched by the Williamstown Theatre Festival and led by Obie Award-winning playwright, Lucy Thurber, and festival associate director, Laura Savia. Additional cast members and materials were contributed through partnerships with the Williamstown Youth Center, the Williamstown Council on Aging; the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Rock On band camp, both based at Berkshire Community College, and others. Theater festival actors round out the cast.

Hazelwood participates with the Soldier On program based in Leeds. Launched in 1994, Soldier On is a private nonprofit organization providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and a number of support services.

In 2010, Pittsfield became host city for the organization’s Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, a permanent housing endeavor providing formerly homeless vets with affordable, sustainable homes. Solider On offers a women’s program, men’s program, an incarcerated veterans program and a resiliency health program.

This partnership holds much promise, Savia said.

“The show is a culmination of the first year of a multi-year community engagement initiative,” she said. “We were seeking partner organizations for this and we reached out to Nathan Hanford, who runs the arts program for Soldier On. That’s how we met LouAnn and all the wonderful people from Solider On.”

Among those are Ray Voide, a 56-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and United States Navy veteran John Goodro, 51. The two combined artistic talents to create “Palette,” a painting displayed at the Greylock Works entrance for the duration of the performances.

This painting titled “Palette” hangs at the Greylock WORKS entrance on Thursday. The painting was done by Soldier On participants Ray Voide and John Goodro as part of a community engaging art partnership with the Williamstown Theater Festival. (Sue Bush — The Berkshire Eagle)

Voide has been involved with Solider On since December 2015, and spoke about how the design was created.

“I was a homeless artist in New York City,” he said. “One day as I was preparing to clean my palette, the white went across all the other colors and I liked the way it looked. I liked it so much that I took a picture of it and framed it.”

In February, Hazelwood, Voide and Goodro began traveling to Pittsfield with other members of Hanford’s art group, to attend a workshop series led by Savia and Thurber, The experience was life-changing, they said.

“I’ve done creative writing in the past,” Voide said. “I’ve written a play before, and working with (Thurber and Savia) was exciting. This group has helped us discover us.”

With encouragement, Voide’s photograph became a painting. Voide and Goodro painted the piece together. When the finished work was delivered to the play venue recently, the moment created a once-in-a-lifetime memory, Goodro said.

“It was exciting,” he said. Goodro said he has been with Soldier On since December.

“When we delivered the piece, John turned to me and said, ‘I feel big,'” Hanford said.

“I did, I felt big,” Goodro said. “Really though, it was Ray’s design.”

Voide spoke up quickly.

“John is an artist in his own right,” he said. “He’s got skills.”

“Soldier On saved my life,” Goodro said. “I liked what they offered and now they have art for the veterans. I never thought I’d pick up a paint brush and I give a lot of credit to Nate. He’s a genius.”

Hanford said he believes the veterans possess the creative spark.

“It’s the work that they do; they are the treasure,” Hanford said. “The value is in them.”

Working with the theater professionals felt right for Hazelwood, she said.

“I felt involved right from the start,” she said. “When I was taking part at the workshop, I was told that they were considering me for the one of the parts. I was really excited.”

Hazelwood has benefited greatly from the partnership, said Women’s Program Director Sara Scoco.

“This program really opened a door for us,” she said. “It’s done so much for LouAnn. We’ve watched her blossom; she’s bubbling over. It’s been great to see her take on this role.”

And that is the gift of the arts, said Savia.

“Our youngest cast member is 7 and our oldest cast member is 80,” she said. “The Williamstown Theatre Festival is opening its doors and this area has so many richly talented people.”

The arts are a unifying force, Thurber said. “That’s the hope of art, the hope of the theater, that with all of our different struggles, our places in life, we can get together and create something.”

Tom Glassmire (left) sitting with Chris “Cappy” Leos at the June 29th Gordon H. Mansfields Veterans Community dedication ceremony in Leeds, MA.

Chris “Cappy” Leos was born in Boston, MA on July 28, 1958. Raised in Tewksbury, MA Chris excelled in sports as a young child. Chris played football, basketball, but truly excelled in baseball where he played third base at Tewksbury Memorial High School. During his high school career Chris only struck out once and he was later inducted to the hall of fame. Being from Massachusetts he is a loyal Boston Red Sox fan. Chris fell to peer pressure when he was a freshman in high school and started partying. He quickly learned that he was capable of drinking more than the other kids his age. He knew he had a problem, but enjoyed partying too much.

The partying and drinking is what ruined Chris. College baseball scouts sought him out, but Chris turned down the offers.  In 1975 he joined the Marines where he worked in intelligence and communications with top secret clearance.  During his time within the Marines, Chris married his childhood friend who was a tap, ballet, and jazz dancer.

When Chris left the Marines in the 1990s he went to work for United Stationers Supply Co. where he was a floor supervisor. He was also the assistant varsity coach of the Tewksbury Memorial High School baseball team. While working and coaching Chris continued to drink on a daily basis. After 17 years of marriage Chris and his wife grew apart from each other.

After the divorce Chris moved around between Methuen, Burlington, MA and Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. In 2010 Chris ended up renting a room in Haverhill, MA which is where he had his wake up call. Chris quickly learned that the house he was renting a room in was a crack house. While he never did drugs he found he was isolating himself, stayed in his room and continued to drink.  It wasn’t until his best friend, Steve Scilbilia, coaxed him into going to the Bedford VA Hospital by telling Chris they were going to the 99 Restaurant for lunch. Chris had no idea about the VA and the services that were offered to veterans.  With a little hesitation Chris admitted he needed help and started his journey to recovery.

During Chris’s fight of staying sober he completed a series of detox programs in Bedford, Boston, and Providence, RI. Chris became aware of Soldier On during his time at the Providence VA Medical Center. In September 2015 Chris arrived in Leeds and has been an active resident ever since. Chris said the programs Soldier On have been excellent for him and assist him with staying on track. He attends daily group and meetings to stay sober. Chris directs a regular spiritual group called

“Came to Believe.” He assists as many residents as he can and is a promoter of engaging recovery to stay sober. Chris has now been clean for the past 15 months.

During his free time Chris enjoys to watch sports and movies. His favorite movie is Goodfellas. He also works out 4-5 times a week where he rides the stationary bike. Chris’s plans for the future are to remain 100% service connected.  Chris also intends settle down within the Pioneer Valley area as he wants to remain close to the great deal of friends, both the residents and staff, which he has made at Soldier On

Hilltown Voices: Solider On Art Show

Daily Hampshire Gazette | July 8, 2016 | Fran Ryan

Art lovers, and friends and supporters of Soldier On veteran artists, gathered at the Hilltown Community Development Corporation in Chesterfield on Thursday for an art open house that showcased 45 art pieces from 12 participating artists.

“Navajo Soul” by John Goodro

This is a wonderful show,” Northampton resident Keith Woodruff said as he admired one large colorful acrylic painting by John Goodro entitled “Navajo Soul.”

“It is great for the vets to experience creating art, but it is also nice for them to experience other people appreciating their work,” he said.

Soldier On’s mission is to end homelessness among veterans by providing transitional and permanent, sustainable, safe, and affordable housing that veterans own and operate with support services.

The Soldier On’s Veterans Community Art Initiative engages homeless veterans in the arts and cultural activities to promote healing and expand veteran’s social and personal networks of support.

For the last three years, artist in residence Nathan Hanford has been working with several veterans in the program making a wide variety of art supplies available and offering artistic assistance to anyone who cares to participate.

“I facilitate learning from the ground up. Most of them have never done art before,” Hanford said. “It is all about creating a positive point for themselves.”

Staff at the Chesterfield facility said they were impressed with the quality of the art work.

“We have had a lot of different paintings in shows here before but these are amazing,” Charlie Hayes, the HCDC social services program manager said. “These are really very good, if I could, I would buy many of them.”

One couple did just that. Brian and Meaghan Cooper of Pittsfield said a painting by Army Reserve veteran Dawn LeHouiller “just spoke to them,” so they bought the piece, entitled “Portrait of a woman,” for $200.

“We came to support Solider On because we think it is an amazing program,” Meaghan Cooper said.

The couple was surprised when the artist walked in just as they were purchasing her painting.

“I saw this woman walk in and I thought that she looked like the lady in the painting. It was wonderful to find out that she was the artist!” Brian Cooper said.

LeHouiller said that she was just as surprised that one of her pieces had sold.

Dawn LeHouiller standing next to her “Portrait of a Woman”

“I never thought I would sell anything!” LeHouiller said. “I have been painting for most of my life but mostly as a kind of therapy.”

LeHouiller said that Hanford’s work with vets has profoundly changed how many of the participants view themselves and their capabilities.

“I nagged a friend to attend a class with me and she sat down and did a beautiful painting of a nature scene,” LeHouiller said. “It was awesome to see the happiness in her face and the pride she had in what she had created. Nathan makes that possible.”

The show currently has no end date but will continue to run for at least the next several weeks. All proceeds from art sales go directly to the artists. For information on open hours call the HCDC at 296-4536.

Albany Times Union | June 30, 2016  | Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Bethlehem – As Jerry McCluskey sprays lubricant on machines or laughs with his co-workers, he looks no different from the other mechanics at the paving and construction company where they work.

McCluskey grew up working on cars in Schoharie and was a technician in the Army. The president of Callanan Industries regards him as a dedicated employee, and McCluskey says everyone has made him feel welcome at his new job.

But when the 34-year-old veteran arrives at 7 a.m., five days a week, he steps out of an Albany County Correctional Facility vehicle, and when he leaves at 3:30, he is transported back to the jail where he is serving a two-year sentence for driving with 26 license suspensions.

He is the first in a collaboration among the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and Soldier On, a privately funded veterans advocacy group, as well as Callanan, to employ incarcerated veterans while they complete their sentences in a ground-breaking program that Sheriff Craig Apple said is attracting attention from other agencies across the country.

On Thursday, Apple announced the Second Chance Veteran Inmate Work Release Program at Callanan’s mechanic garage in Selkirk, where McCluskey earns $15 an hour — money he uses to pay off fines and saves for life after jail. The goal is to drive down recidivism rates and prepare incarcerated veterans for employment.

Of about 200 veterans who have passed through Soldier On’s counseling services at the jail in the last two years, only four have returned. Yet, this is the first time the jail has allowed outside companies to hire inmates as full-time employees.

John Downing, CEO of Massachusetts-based Soldier On, said it was time to “stop having parades for veterans” and instead find ways for them “to be employed and have successful and stable lives, rather than celebrating them and then walking away and forgetting they exist.”

Although McCluskey was sentenced to two years in jail for two counts of felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, he can get out by September with good behavior. Through the new work-release program, he is also guaranteed employment at Callanan after serving his time.

This past month passed much more quickly than the first four, McCluskey said, now that he is spending his time working and making money. Before, “all I was doing was just sitting there,” McCluskey said. “To be able to get out and do this, it’s making the time go by so fast.”

Callanan President Don Fane, who proposed the program to the jail because of difficulty filling positions and a determination to help veterans, said McCluskey and others can apply their military training to the workforce.

“They learned a skill when they were in the service … they didn’t forget it,” he said. “And this particular individual in this case, he’s been a very good employee.”

Apple said hiring McCluskey was a “bold move” and hopes other companies see the program’s success and say, “We can try that.”

McCluskey said he wants to counsel inmates through Soldier On once he is released.

He wears a bright orange Callanan T-shirt and green cap and is grateful to be a part of the Callanan team.

“I come here, work eight hours, go home, sleep, wake up and do it again,” he said. “The only difference is I go home to a different place than everybody else.”

nburroughs@timesunion.com • 518-454-5012 • @Nickatnews

Veterans’ Housing Dedicated at Soldier On in Leeds

Daily Hampshire Gazette | June 29,2016 | Dan Crowley

NORTHAMPTON — James Oliver’s home burned down five years ago in upstate New York, leaving him homeless.

The 60-year-old Vietnam veteran migrated to the Soldier On homeless shelter on the grounds of the VA medical center in Leeds, not knowing where his next permanent home might be.

Katrina Dore, 38, a U.S. Air Force veteran, left an abusive marriage and eventually found space in Soldier On’s former transitional home for women on the VA grounds after spending considerable time on the streets.

“I was living out of my car, all the way from Kentucky to Vermont, wherever I could stay,” said Dore, a New Hampshire native.

Oliver and Dore are the new faces of Soldier On’s first homeless veterans ownership housing on a VA campus, and the new Women and Children’s Housing Unit, which represents another innovative housing concept for veterans.

“Four and a half years I have waited for this,” Oliver said of his new home at the 44-unit Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, where about 150 people gathered for a dedication ceremony Wednesday.

“I’m excited about moving in,” said Oliver, who served as a U.S. military police officer and assisted with the evacuation of Americans and South Vietnamese from Saigon in 1975. “I’ve watched them build this right outside my window.”

The facility allows veterans who have been successful in the Soldier On program to purchase an equity stake in their homes. The idea is for veterans to become homeowners while surrounded by the support services they need throughout their lives.

The nonprofit organization built its first such development in Pittsfield, a 39-unit facility that is also named after Mansfield, a decorated veteran and former deputy secretary of veterans affairs who died in 2013.

The ceremony outside the newly built townhouse-style homes was marked by several impassioned speeches from local, state and federal officials, as well as John “Jack” Downing, chief executive officer of Soldier On.

“We’re trying to make a difference in the place we live,” Downing told the crowd. “The more we give, the more we chip away at the barriers.

“The standard for homeless veterans is beautiful, affordable housing,” he continued. “What we give away lives on forever in the people we give it to.”

Needs of individuals

The keynote speaker was retired Col. David W. Sutherland, a former special assistant to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Sutherland gave a powerful account of his own combat experience in two wars, particularly in Iraq, and the sacrifices of the men he commanded who put their lives on the line, for their country and, in one case, for him.

“American people know what we are, but they may not know us,” Sutherland said. “You can’t talk about us without understanding the unique needs of individuals.”

Sutherland recounted examples of veterans and their families who fell on hard times, and stressed why the new housing model built by Soldier On, in collaboration with the VA Central Western Massachusetts Health Care System, is important to providing veterans with dignity and respect in their lives.

“The power of humiliation when you don’t fit in can be overwhelming,” he said. “This is potential, not pity, and recognizes that sometimes people need a hand up, not a handout.

“We will not tolerate another generation of homeless veterans,” Sutherland said.

Other speakers included U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Worcester; Lisa Pape, national director of homeless programs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Francisco Urena, the state’s secretary of veterans’ services; John Collins, director of the Veterans Affairs Central Western Massachusetts Health Care System; Michael Gondek, vice president of the Life Initiative; and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan.

Sullivan described the new housing as “justice for vets.”

“Remember every day you live here, it’s your home,” Sullivan told the veterans shortly before they were presented with Soldier On welcome mats.

Women and children

Charlsey Mitchell walks up to the dedication for the new housing with other veterans. Behind her is the housing for the female veterans.

Although the men who will own and occupy the approximately 410-square-foot units at the Gordon H. Mansfield Community have not yet moved in, 15 women have taken up residence since December in Soldier On’s Women and Children’s Housing Unit just down the hill. A 16th is expected to arrive this week, bringing the development to capacity.

Lou Ann Hazelwood, 60, is the oldest veteran living at the women’s transitional housing, which currently has no children in residence. She said the tenants support each other, hearing each other’s problems and helping solve them.

“We have women coming from all walks of life in all different situations,” said Hazelwood, a U.S. Army veteran who hails from New York and who has been involved with the Soldier On program for four years.

Many of the women living in the transitional housing have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, have a history of substance abuse, or been victims of domestic or military sexual violence. About a dozen of the woman earlier lived in transitional cottages run by Soldier On on the VA campus.

The program provides a variety of wellness programs, including stabilizing mental and physical health, group sessions on building self-esteem, and programs geared toward education, job training and employment.

There is a waiting list to get into the housing and programs, and women will typically stay in such transitional housing about a year on average, said Sara Scoco, director of Soldier On’s women’s program, during a tour of the property.

“Typically, women stay longer because they come to us having lost everything — all sense of self-confidence and self-esteem,” Scoco said.

New identity

Charlsey Mitchell stands in a closet called BlommingGals in the newly built housing for female veterans. The closet is filled with donated clothes the Veterans can use. The sign says ,”Take what you need. Need what you take. think of others.”

The youngest of the residents is 27-year-old Charley Mitchell, who grew up in Holyoke and enlisted in the U.S. Navy right out of high school, and is planning to become a certified nursing assistant. A former crew chief on U.S. Navy planes, Mitchell came to Soldier On from a substance abuse rehabilitation program in New Bedford.

After several years in the military, an experience that took her to Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Mitchell said she had great difficulty adjusting to civilian life.

“It was all I knew,” Mitchell said of her military experience. “It was who I was. It was my identity.”

Mitchell said she is finding the support she needs in the women’s program to move forward with her life.

“Everybody really cares about each other,” Mitchell said. “My grandfather died while I was here and nobody left me alone. I think it’s helpful to be with people who’ve had similar experiences to you. There’s no judgment because they’ve all been there.”

Heather Aslin is one veteran who said she lost everything when she relapsed after eight years of sobriety while living in Monmouth County, New Jersey. A U.S. Navy veteran who has a long history with substance abuse and who suffered military sexual trauma, Aslin said the women’s program is helping her rebuild her self-esteem as she works on getting back into school to obtain a social work degree.

“My addiction has taken me to places that are not fun,” Aslin said before Wednesday’s dedication ceremony. “I’m blessed that I found this place, because it’s amazing.”

Dan Crowley can be reached at dcrowley@gazettenet.com.

In June, 44 formerly homeless veterans will be moving into Soldier On’s new Gordon H. Mansfield (GHM) Veterans Community in Leeds, MA. This limited-equity cooperative is modeled after Soldier On’s successful Pittsfield GHM Veterans Community and features beautiful, sustainable, LEED Gold certified design and serves as permanent housing that is owned and operated by the veterans living within it. Soldier On provides direct services to each resident of the cooperative such as case management, counseling, addictions support, transportation and employment training and assistance.

Today, the veterans of Soldier On need your help! We are asking that friends of our organization donate or fundraise so that we can purchase furniture for each of the 44 new homeowners. Each room will cost $2,500 and will include bedroom, kitchen and living room furniture – everything necessary for veterans to feel comfortable and established in a new home.

We would like to give supporters the opportunity to memorialize a loved one in this initiative! Funders who donate or are able to raise $2,500 through Crowdrise will be given the opportunity to name a unit of this new cooperative in memory of a friend or loved one. The name will be proudly displayed on the door of the unit they fund!

If you would like to join the Soldier On fundraising team, visit the Soldier On Furniture Fundraiser page and click “Fundraise for This Campaign” on the right side of the page to begin fundraising. To make a donation, simply click “donate to this fundraiser”.

We thank you for your support of Soldier On and willingness to contribute to this community of new homeowners!

NORTHAMPTON — Jane Geary struggled up two flights of stairs with full shopping bags and clothes hangers dangling from her overloaded fingers. It was moving day, a wonderful day, a day unlike any Geary had known.

The 55-year-old Navy veteran does not have a home of her own. But Tuesday, Geary and 11 other women embarked on a bright, promising chapter in their lives as they moved into a new residence for homeless women veterans.

“Crazy, crazy, crazy,” Geary said, shaking her head and breaking into a smile at the wonder of it.

She and the other women now have individual apartments in a bright, sparkling residence as part of a program run by Soldier On, a private nonprofit organization.

For these women, part of the wonder is that someone cares at all. Most suffered sexual abuse in the military, and Geary, a former nurse who once lived in Gardner, also deals with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I never felt like I fit in anywhere,” Geary said. “Here, it’s a different story.”

That story will unfold in a $1.7 million building of nearly 9,000 square feet that contains 16 individual apartments, four shared kitchens, plus space for activities as varied as group meetings, yoga, and artwork.

‘I never felt like I fit in anywhere. Here, it’s a different story.’
Jane Geary, talking about moving in to her Soldier On apartment

“This is a safe place to be. They make sure of that,” said Geary, who became homeless after her husband died and she struggled with drugs and alcohol. “They love you until you can love yourself, and that’s very new to me.”

It’s a place designed for women and run by women, where men can enter only by invitation. Soldier On is one of a limited number of residences for homeless women veterans in the state, but the three-story residence is the latest effort to meet a growing need as more women join the military.

Kathy Copeland, a 47-year-old Navy veteran, said she is still in disbelief over her new apartment. “When I look at it, I say to myself, ‘Wow, that’s for us.’ ”

Women made up 9 percent of homeless veterans this year, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. That percentage, encompassing more than 4,000 women, tracks closely with their representation in the armed forces, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

But women veterans, for reasons that are unclear, are slightly more likely to become homeless than their male counterparts, said Randy Brown, spokesman for the nonprofit coalition.

“Women come to us incredibly broken,” said Sara Scoco, the women’s program director for Soldier On.

When the women arrived at a previous Soldier On facility, some did not speak because of their trauma. Others cried for weeks.

“All of our women experienced trauma before the military — childhood abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse,” Scoco said. “Many of them went into the military to escape trauma and were re-traumatized instead.”

The program is located on the campus of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and parallels a Soldier On effort that serves 265 homeless male veterans here and in Pittsfield. The women’s services, however, carry a distinct imprint.

There are cooking classes, art instruction, and beadwork — all part of a holistic strategy to meet the mental, emotional, physical, and intellectual needs of a vulnerable, traumatized group.

“Many of these women don’t realize what their strengths are,” Scoco said.

Low self-esteem and nagging fear sapped much of that strength. But with mental-health counseling, volunteer work in the community, and opportunities for schooling and employment, those strengths are being rediscovered and nurtured, Scoco said.

“I’m learning what it’s like to not be a victim,” said LouAnn Hazelwood, a 60-year-old Army veteran who is the oldest woman in the program. The youngest is 26, and only one day of active-duty service is required for eligibility.

More than 1,500 women have been helped since the program began in 2005, said Jack Downing, chief executive officer of Soldier On. Per-diem payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs meet some of the program’s expenses; up to 30 percent of a resident’s income, if there is any, helps meet others. Donations and grants make up the rest.

When the program began, women were placed in the same building as men on the VA campus. Later, the women moved separately to two aging cottages that once housed doctors who worked at the hospital.

But now, set on a slope and surrounded by greenery, the women have a semi-secluded place of their own.

Downing said the new building has been designed to accommodate homeless women veterans with children. That’s an uncommon pairing, Downing said, because many women remain in abusive relationships to protect their children from homelessness.

No children are living at Soldier On now, but a flexible design will allow apartments to be reconfigured when needed, Downing said.

On Monday evening, Geary anxiously awaited the move-in the morning. Boxes had been packed, clothing had been sorted, and a promising chapter in a difficult journey lay only hours ahead.

But first there was a treat.

A women’s group had invited Geary and the other veterans to a country club for dinner and a dance, and Geary wanted to look special. For this, she donned a dress and a necklace.

“I don’t wear a dress too often,” Geary said, a small smile creasing her face. “And this is an opportunity to put one on.”

For Geary, the night out represented another small checkpoint on the road to stability. It’s a long journey, Geary acknowledged, but it’s one she wants to see through.

“There’s more that I need to work on, so that I don’t have to come back when I leave here,” she said. “I want to be a success.”
The $1.7 million building of nearly 9,000 square feet contains 16 individual apartments, four shared kitchens, plus space for activities as varied as group meetings, yoga, and artwork.

-By Globe Reporter Brian MacQuarrie

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – A home for the holidays. Homeless women veterans living in Western Massachusetts got the help they need to heal from serious trauma.

“We should not have any veteran living on the street,” said homeless women veteran Kathy Copeland. But about 50,000 veterans do live on the street, each night. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 1.4 million veterans and their families are at risk of becoming homeless. It’s enough to make Copeland cry. “These are people signing a blank check up to, and including, our lives for this country. And then to come back and not have the assets available to us,” she said.

Tuesday, however, she was crying tears of joy. She was getting a new home and a new lease on life. Kathy and 11 other homeless women veterans had shared an old home on the campus of the Central Western Massachusetts Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The home was leased out by Soldier On, a veteran’s advocacy group. With the help of former homeless veterans, family and friends, they moved across campus Tuesday to a new home for 16 women, with much more to offer. The nearly 3.5 million dollar facility is fully funded by you, the taxpayer.

This facility and all its programs are run completely by women for women. There will soon be a yoga center, and next to it, an arts and crafts room. It’s all to help these women veterans recover and heal from the physical and emotional trauma they’ve experienced.

“Our women have really been traumatized in every way, shape and form. Over 80 percent of our women have experienced military sexual trauma and 100 percent were traumatized before they went into the military,” said Soldier On Women’s Program Director Sara Scoco. She said there’s a waiting list for Soldier On’s services, showing just how many homeless veterans are in need living in Western Massachusetts.

“We have a lot of work to do, miles to go before we sleep,” said Soldier On President and CEO Gary Shepard.

A permanent home isn’t just a roof and four walls: It’s also a place to feel safe emotionally and physically. That’s really what this new transitional home provides our veterans.

-By WWLP Reporter Kait Walsh

Leeds, MA ─ Soldier On has been awarded a $150,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation. This funding is part of the $80 million pledge that The Home Depot Foundation has taken to go towards veterans’ housing needs.

“The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every veteran has a safe place to call home,” said Kelly Caffarelli, President of The Home Depot Foundation. “We are proud to work with Soldier On as part of our efforts to give back to those men and women who have so bravely served our country.”

Soldier On is dedicated to providing housing and supportive services to homeless veterans. The $150,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation will go towards the new Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community that is being built on the Veterans Administration campus in Leeds. This limited-equity cooperative will consist of 44 permanent housing units for formerly homeless  veterans. The community, modeled after the 39 units of permanent housing built by Soldier On in 2010, represents the final step in the fight against veteran homelessness.

“Soldier On will continue to ‘change the end of the story’ for homeless veterans with the assistance of  organizations who are committed to the mission of making sure every veteran has the opportunity to live his or her life to their highest level of potential,” said John Downing, President and CEO of Soldier On. “We are very grateful that The Home Depot Foundation has been able to extend its generosity and thoughtfulness to the particular veterans that Soldier On serves.”

The Home Depot Foundation is committed to assisting veterans and their families that face major challenges, including housing, unemployment or disabilities. This grant reflects the pledge that the foundation has taken help ensure that all veterans have a safe place to call home. The Home Depot Foundation has committed $80 million over the next five years to this effort.

###

Soldier On provides safe affordable housing to homeless veterans, including permanent limited-equity ownership units at the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community in Pittsfield, MA. The Mansfield Community serves as a national model as Soldier On actively seeks to extend its successful veterans’ programs to communities throughout the United States.

 About The Home Depot Foundation

The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to improving the homes of U.S. military veterans through financial and volunteer resources to help nonprofit organizations. The Foundation has committed $80 million to these efforts over five years.

Through Team Depot, the company’s associate-led volunteer program, thousands of Home Depot associates volunteer their time and talents to positively transform neighborhoods and perform basic repairs and modifications to homes and facilities serving veterans with critical housing needs.

Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $340 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. To learn more and see our associates in action, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org.