Your support creates lasting change for Veterans.
Empowering Veterans
You Are Changing Lives
A Message from the COO
I am thrilled to share our Impact Report for the first half of 2024 with you. This report is a testament to your unwavering support and the profound impact you are making on the lives of Veterans and their families. You are the driving force enabling us to serve Veterans like Kyle (see page 3). His transformation is a testament to the power of serving Veterans with dignity and focusing on their long-term welfare, success and sustainability.
Why you matter more than ever
Your belief and investment in our mission allows us to operate confidently. Our reach is expanding as we grow both in our programs—like transitional housing in our tiny home Villages and life-changing outreach services— and in the number of sites, including new locations in Milwaukee, WI and Glendale, AZ.
Every dollar you give and every hour you volunteer empowers change in the life of a Veteran. Your contributions directly impact our effectiveness, helping Veterans find stable housing, receive critical support services, and rebuild their lives with renewed hope.
The stories in this report, including those of volunteers like Sue (see page 6) and supporters like Dave and Christine (see page 7), illustrate your impact. Your dedication and generosity are the heart of our success, and we are immensely proud to have you with us on this journey.
As we move forward, your continued support and involvement are crucial. Together, we can achieve our vision of a nation where every Veteran has a place to call home and the resources they need to thrive.
With gratitude,
Vanessa Van Goethem-Piela Chief Operating Officer Veterans Community Project
702 At-risk & in crisis VETERANS received assistance through VCP
2,540
Visits by Veterans with our Outreach Services Case Managers to receive support
4,588 Life-changing services provided to Veterans and their family members
$851
Average amount of emergency funds shared with a Veteran in crisis
Time period January–June 2024
421
New coats, boots, and other articles of clothing distributed
3,454
Pantry boxes, hygiene kits and snack bags distributed to Veterans and their families
16 New Veterans welcomed home into a VCP Village
165
Veterans screened for suicide prevention via the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Grant Program
98
Veterans mitigated the threat of homelessness or other crises with VCP emergency assistance funds
Impact highlight
Kyle’s story, along with his family’s, shows the lasting, generational impact of your support. Thank you for helping us change not only Kyle’s life, but his children’s too.
From homeless to three acres with a pond
Sometimes, it takes years to fully grasp the impact of our work with the residents of Veterans Community Project Villages. Take Kyle, a U.S. Marine Corps combat Veteran who moved into VCP Village in Kansas City in 2018. Before finding us, Kyle and his two young boys were living in their car, barely scraping by.
The stability provided by the Village, coupled with wraparound services provided by our case managers, proved transformative. Once his housing was stable, Kyle immediately began working on obtaining his CDL license. Within a year, thanks to the unwavering support of his case managers, Kyle had repaired his marriage (to the point of welcoming another child), landed a solid job with his trucking license, and secured permanent housing.
This March, Kyle returned to VCP to express his gratitude. He shared pictures of his beautiful wife and four kids standing proudly in front of their five-bedroom house with a pond. He’s now serving as a CDL trainer, too.
Kyle’s story is a testament to the lasting impact your support makes. Thank you for helping us change lives.
VCP of Kansas City Executive Director Chris Admire meets up with Kyle to learn more about his new career.
Q1–Q2 Highlights
Congratulations are in order for Glen. We’re thrilled to celebrate his new job offer with St. Louis Public Schools. His positive outlook and determination are truly inspiring.
Thanks to sponsors and donors who answered the call, our staff secured critical eye surgery that led to healing for Petey, a beloved pet of one of our Kansas City Village Alumns
On a cold, rainy day in January, our Kansas City team celebrated Tim and his dog Buddy, as they moved to their own home. During his time in the Village, Tim found joy reconnecting with his love of painting.
At just 7 years old, Aurora is making an impact in Sioux Falls by creating welcome baskets filled with books, snacks, and special items giving Vets a warm welcome when they move in.
In St. Louis, VCP Village residents like Angela, a Navy Veteran, are making summer memories to last a lifetime all thanks to a Spiderman bike donated by a VCP Staff member
In May, Otter employees beautifyied the courtyard at the Outreach center in Longmont, creating a welcoming space for Veterans and staff.
In May, students from Center High School in Kansas City donated handmade Adirondack chairs to the Kansas City Village, giving Veterans in the Village new ways to relax.
Gwendolyn, an Army Veteran, fell on hard times but with the help of the VCP team in Sioux Falls, she secured financial assistance helping her get back to focusing on her family
Community made all the difference for Michael, a Veteran in Longmont who struggled with homelessness since discharge in 1986.Through your support and his hard work, he found stability and transitioned to his own home after just 9 months. Congratulations!
Milwaukee with Generac
Summerfest music festival goers rocked out for Veterans, raising $83,132
Where do you meet thousands of people, dance to the tunes of 600 artists and partner for a purpose? Summerfest! Thanks to our partners at Generac and their “Power Up with a Purpose” pit pass promotion, VCP was able to spread its mission and raise $83,132 for our future Milwaukee Village.
At the event, we connected with the community and spread the word about our mission to fix Veteran homelessness in Milwaukee. This was our first Summerfest and the generosity of the fans was evident
and inspiring. It was incredible to see so many people eager to join our mission in support of our nation’s Veterans.
With a capital campaign currently underway, the funds raised at this event will help cover the cost of building one tiny home in our future VCP VIllage in Milwaukee.
Generac’s Power Up with Purpose program has moved us one step closer to putting shovels in the ground.
Volunteer spotlight: Sharing the love, Sue Love
Turning tiny houses into homes for Veterans in Kansas City.
Every time a Veteran moves into a new tiny home, they step into a space fully furnished with everything they need, from new furniture to dish towels. For more than five years, nearly every tiny home in the Kansas City Village has been lovingly prepared for move-in day by an extraordinary woman and volunteer, Sue Love.
Sue manages this inventory so well that she can name the contents of each bathroom cabinet and kitchen drawer by heart. She’s put new bedding on hundreds of beds and painted more tiny house walls than we can count. Every article of clothing she owns has a streak of Behr paint somewhere on the sleeve.
Sue prefers to keep a low profile, but her presence is unmistakable. The evidence of her selfless work and loving touch is everywhere, making each home a true haven for our Veterans.
We are incredibly grateful and thankful for Sue.
Every Village needs a Sue—someone whose dedication and care make all the difference in creating a warm, welcoming home for Veterans in need.
Join our fight for one less homeless Veteran
Become part of a community of passionate, action-minded individuals committed to investing in the lives of Veterans in need. Your easy monthly gift sustains critical services, including case management and wraparound support, transitional housing, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing the community has your back. Your generosity makes a profound difference, providing Veterans with the security and support they deserve. Join the Corps at vcp.org/honor-corps
Sue Love’s dedication and heart create a warm, loving home for our Veterans.
Mission moments: Sioux Falls
A snowy January day at Sioux Falls Village
If our mission statement was a picture, it might look something like this. Despite a cold and snowy start to the year, VCP Village of Sioux Falls began thawing out by the end of January. The relative warmup gave the team the chance to shovel out, exposing the pathway hidden below the snow. These neatly shoveled paths connect the tiny homes, meaning homeless Veterans are safe and warm as they get back on their feet.
As our Sioux Falls location grows, these sidewalks will connect to even more tiny homes, as more Veterans will be connected to the care and support of the Sioux Falls community.
Thanking a “Billion” in Sioux Falls
Thanks to Dave and Christine Billion, and their Billion Automotive family, we have been able to start construction of the Village Center much earlier than anticipated. The Village Center is truly the beating heart of our sites, transforming the way we serve all Veterans for maximum impact. It will provide life changing case management and wraparound services to Veterans and give our community partners the space to help with resume building, financial planning, and even cooking classes and even goat yoga!
Alongside the generous gift from Dave and Christine, a dedicated team of over 70 business leaders in a Chamber of Commerce-led Community Appeals campaign worked tirelessly to exceed the Phase Two Capital Campaign goal. We cannot thank our community partners enough for stepping up and answering the call.
Progress continues on our Sioux Falls Community Center—the heart and soul our site—that transforms how we serve all Veterans.
Closing the gap in Longmont
It takes a community to build a Village, and we can’t do it without you.
As our first expansion site, our efforts in Longmont, Colorado (Boulder county) launched in 2019. A city and publicly led endeavor—the local community rallied to build 26 tiny homes for unhoused Veterans across Northern Colorado. After navigating the unforeseen and unprecented challenges of a global pandemic, VCP of Longmont completed their first group of tiny homes and moved Veterans in during the fall of 2023.
We have closed a funding gap that increased from $5.5 million to $7 million over the course of the project due to supply chain issues and inflation. Large contributions from supportive and respected philanthropists such as a $3,100,200 land donation from Mountain Brook Partners, LLC, $400,000 from the Morgridge Family Foundation, $300,000 from Daniel’s Fund, $200,000 from Kodiak Building Partners and $200,000 from the Knoph Family Foundation, combined with grassroots fundraising efforts and small donations from thousands, have been crucial in working toward the completion of VCP of Longmont’s tiny home Village.
With just $50,000 left to reach our fundraising goal, VCP of Longmont is moving full steam ahead to complete the remaining 20 homes this year. Thank you to everyone who has helped bring VCP to Longmont, constructing a Village, and developing highly effective programming.
Thank you to the Colorado community and beyond. Your generosity at every level has allowed us to overcome obstacles and continue our mission to help homeless Veterans.
OUR MISSION
Veterans housing Veterans, armed with the strength and support of the community.