The Veterans Transition Center (VTC) is a non-profit

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

rehabilitation center and shelter for

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

s, founded in 1998, in

Monterey County, California Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Monte ...

. The VTC is located at the site of the former

Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, m ...

near

Marina, California Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,359, up from 19,718 in 2010. The city is located along the central coast of California, west of Salinas and northeast of Monterey. I ...

.VTC Listing in the Monterey County Herald: http://businesslistings.montereyherald.com/3020732/Veterans-Transition-Center-Monterey-County-Marina-CAKION Central Coast News. 2009. ''Former Marine Fights Homelessness in Face of Economy'': While the program is funded partly by the

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...

and

United States Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...

, it largely relies on donations from the public.KION Central Coast News. 2009. ''VTC sees big increase in homeless vets'': The VTC seeks a holistic approach to helping

homeless veterans Homeless veterans are persons who have served in the armed forces who are homeless or living without access to secure and appropriate accommodation. Background Many of these veterans suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorde ...

that includes community service, life skills classes, sobriety requirements, counseling, and transitional housing. According to the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Monterey Presidio Public Affairs bureau:

In general, the mission of the Veterans Transition Center is to provide services for Monterey County's homeless veterans and their families ... by providing veterans with transitional housing, emergency services and case-management programs, veterans will once again become employable and productive members of the community.Townsell, T. K. (2009). ''Monterey Area Veterans Transition Center offers assistance to all local vets''. Retrieved 04-11-2011 from www.army.mil, the official homepage of the U.S. Army: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/12/10/31701-monterey-area-veterans-transition-center-offers-assistance-to-all-local-vets/

Currently, the center is looking forward to adding a vocational rehabilitation program and more housing units. The vocational rehabilitation program is to include a non-profit store with the express purpose of hiring the most veterans possible, while the additional housing units will increase the center's capacity for veterans to rehabilitate.Monterey County Weekly. 2011. Homeless Veteran Support

/ref> Since its inception, the VTC has served 4,155 single veterans and 351 veterans with families. According to the center:

An estimated 80% of veterans who graduated from the VTC program transitioned into permanent housing for at least one year while 92% of who were in the program for 1 year maintained sobriety. At the time of graduation, 87% of veterans had $700 or more in savings and 75% were employed with a mean wage greater than $9.00 per hour. Among families, 100% of school aged children attended school, 80% of children pursued an after-school hobby, and 100% of all veterans with families enrolled in healthy families insurance.

Starting in June 2011, work has begun on two previously abandoned buildings that are to become a non-profit thrift store and reception center for arriving veterans.

References

External links

Veterans Transition Center

Documentary for the VTC of Monterey
{{US housing by state Non-profit organizations based in California Veterans' affairs in the United States Homelessness organizations 501(c)(3) organizations