Veteran In Command

We are a nonprofit that houses homeless individuals.

Funding will go towards down payment of a building. Funding will go toward commercial kitchen equipment to incorporate a workers Café.

Veteran In Command is a community-conscious contributor to
those in need of a stable respectful life.
Our mission at Veteran in Command is to provide Transitional
Housing for homeless Veterans and other transitional groups.  It is our goal to help those we serve reintegrate into
society and assist them in building self esteem and become
productive individuals. We do this through a variety of social
services, such as, providing physical and mental health care along
with providing work force development that includes career and
job placement at the completion of the training program . Assisting
in locating permanent residence as they make the transition from
homelessness is the ultimate completion of our work with each
individual.
We believe it is our duty to improve the homeless system that is
available at the present time to its potential . At Veteran In
Command we recognize the necessary improvements that are
needed in this field and we are committed to work towards
positive productive solutions to enhance the quality of life for 
individuals we serve.

Our goal along with housing is also to incorporate work force development producing sustainable income for the individuals that are capable of working. Some of the men are seniors and just need a clean safe place to live where they can have dignity and walk with their heads high.

Our new building will house six individuals on upper floors and occupy a Café on the first floor where the men can work and learn the culinary trade and the workings of a business. It is located in a booming beach community and we want them to feel very much motivated in being part of their community.

The Café will also be used as an art gallery for work done by Veterans and formally Incarcerated individuals. PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder effects individuals not just in combat and we want to be able to assists men addressing this issue.

We have plenty of out door yard space for a community garden. For someone coming from a shelter this can be life changing.  All this is very doable and sustainable.

The above video is from a prior organization I founded YANA (You Are Never Alone). We became a big part of the Hurricane Sandy Relief Effort.

I believe if you give people the opportunity to do good things even under hard times the best of them comes out. 

I took this organization Veterans In Command over a year ago. We focus on but not exclusive to veterans. The original founder retired. I knew I can make a change.  My idea of making this concept a model of a solution to the homeless issue in NYC and across the country. Warehousing does not work. A big part of the the men we serve are of color. The communities they are located in don't accept them and the individuals in these shelters hate being there and feel dehumanized and unsafe. Many homeless people sleep on the street before going to an unsafe shelter.

We are unique as we are against warehousing homeless individuals. Shelters are institutions. Shelters extract the humanness from an individual. We provide a home setting that is a clean safe environment with a new bed and furniture .Each person has a key and lock on their own door to their room. They can prepare their own meals and we assist with groceries if needed. We work to provide self reliance and dignity. Some men are seniors and are content with a little good will and companionship. We encourage creativeness such as gardening and art classes.

Our latest home will have a café on the ground level so  the men that are capable can work and learn culinary skills and the ability to run a business.

Many homeless individuals sleep on the street as they do not feel safe in the warehouse shelters. Fights happen often and stealing of belongings is a issue.

We believe we are a solution to a very out of control issue that is present in every city. Not just in America for that matter. Veteran In Command can be a successful model with policies and procedures that can minimize cost and be effective.

Every person that is not sleeping on the street, on a subway, under a bridge, laying on and under cardboard in the freezing cold effects every one of us one way or another. Any person that we can get out of a shelter effects us all. Not even on a financial burden this puts on society but the full scope of who we are as a humanity. When anyone of us walks past a homeless person wither we acknowledge them or not our psyche is with no doubt effected. 

We have men that came from a shelter, received social service benefits and now have employment and can pay for their rent and expenses, save money to get an apartment on their own. They become self sufficient. Every one wins.

We are renting  four buildings. We are working to buy buildings which will give us leverage to house even more people. Even woman. We can not co-ed but we do not want to discriminate but we are not equipped to house woman at this point.

Renting is costly. A mortgage is more affordable and practical allowing us to be productive and use the funds received effectively.

We are our Brothers Keeper.