Unity House is working more with area groups and experts who work on issues facing our country’s veterans. In doing so, Unity House will launch a Veterans Welcome Initiative, Unity House can tailor existing services to meet the needs of veterans looking for support and access to services or referrals.
To that end, Unity House is improving the trauma-informed literacy of staff. By better understanding the role trauma plays- both as a cause to current conditions and also as a barrier to accessing needed supports- staff can better serve veterans. For those people who are reluctant to visit The Front Door, we harness the power of our existing Ambassador Program to perform street outreach. Peer-to-peer relationships have tremendous capacity for change. A person who was once reluctant to come to our community resource center may feel differently after being invited in and accompanied by someone who was once in a similar position.
The Veteran’s Welcome Initiative capitalizes on the safe, welcoming atmosphere we have at our community resource center. Guests can access services such as food pantry, meals, showers/laundry, thrift store, job search/entitlement help, as well as housing support/case management services. We also offer a PROS program for those with a mental health diagnosis, a program for victims of domestic violence and childcare/therapeutic services for children who may have developmental delays and their families.
While Unity House has always welcomed and supported veterans, it was not well-known. Since the 2013 building of our community resource center, The Front Door, we’ve been able to highlight more of what we do and how it impacts for the better various groups in our community. As such, we’ve seen an increase in visits of individuals and families looking for help.
The Veteran’s Welcome Initiative hopes to not only better serve veterans but to help establish Unity House as an organization that veterans will associate as a safe, reliable source for help. We also hope to better educate the general population about the needs of veterans and the best way to address those needs.
For more information on the Veterans Welcome Initiative and how you can help, please contact Diane Cameron Pascone at (518) 274-2607, x4133.