VietNow National Magazine

Pineapple Avenue
VOA and VietNow helping veterans

By Rich Sanders – VietNow National President

Where is your home located? Do you know? For nearly 80 veterans in Cocoa, Florida, their temporary home is located on Pineapple Avenue. This address is the location of the Volunteers of America's Veteran Transitional Housing unit. As a two-year program, this is a temporary home to previously homeless veterans.

Volunteers of America (VOA) currently has several similar facilities located throughout the state of Florida. The "brag"of success with their program can be backed up with statistics. From the moment a veteran enters VOA's homeless veteran program the goal of independent living is realized by both the veteran and the staff who work with their veteran clients on a daily basis. The Cocoa Veterans Transitional Housing facility has four two-story buildings that make up the 40 two-person apartments.

A decade ago the staff of the Cocoa Veterans Transitional Housing facility gave members of the VietNow National Board a tour of the facility and a presentation of their program. Even though at that time the facility was only in its infancy, it was apparent that this was a program/project that we would be proud to lend our support.

VietNow's journey to the transitional housing facility came via our support of another intriguing component of VOA-Florida which serves veterans. They operate a Mobile Service Center which is a 40-foot vehicle that can go directly to homeless encampments in areas such as the Everglades and Ocala National Forest. This Mobile Service Center is equipped to do dental work and diagnose medical conditions. It can link via satellite directly to the VA. Probably one of the biggest assets of the Mobile Service Center is the ability to do outreach, and develop a sense of trust in these encampments. In many cases, the Mobile Service Center is the first small step in the journey to independent living for some of our nation's veterans.

For the most part, the Mobile Service Center's functionality is at its best when it is working the back roads and the back woods. However, our first glimpse of this vehicle came while it was "on display" at the Vietnam Veterans reunion in Melbourne, Florida. That was also when we met some staff members of the Cocoa Veterans Transitional Housing facility. This meeting led to the tour of the facility which led to an expansion of our VOA support.

During our first walk-through tour of the property we were shown a small concrete block building that was described as the place where a future laundry would be housed. At that moment, the thought was born that maybe we could be a part of the realization of that plan. In the next few years, with the help of VietNow, the building was equipped with several commercial washers and dryers, and the VietNow laundry for the residents was up and running.

The residents of the Cocoa Transitional Housing facility came together to form their own community group. They chose leaders of the group, developed projects, spruced up the outside area, and cleaned up the clutter. They named the facility the Patriot Arms.

As a sense of community pride developed, their group decided to take on projects to enhance the neighborhood outside of the Patriot Arms. They held rummage sales, and hosted car washes. They then used the funds that were generated from these projects to buy school supplies, and donate them to a local school for use by underprivileged children. The Patriot Arms community group also "adopted" a neighborhood family, and bought Christmas presents for children of a single mother in the area.

For the past three years, VietNow has hosted a Christmas Eve annual barbeque for the residents at the transitional facility. We have met and gotten to know many of the residents. It is very rewarding to witness the successes within VOA's program. Often times when we ask about a person who is absent from our barbeque, the staff will update us that he/she has their own place, and has found a job. We were told of one such person during this year's barbeque. He had found employment working in the kitchen at a nearby Holiday Inn. The best news was that this former chef was working his way back into and up in his career. Independent living. A success.

Mobile Service Center – Veteran Transitional Housing facility (with a vocational training unit in construction) – and a VietNow laundry – all things that make VietNow a proud supporter of Volunteers of America, Florida.

Back to President's page.

Back to top of page.

VietNow National
1835 Broadway – Rockford, Illinois 61104
800.837.VNOW – 815.227.5100
nationalhq@vietnow.com

We can't continue our work without your help.
Please click here to donate now.