This project started after hearing a story on the radio one night while commuting home from work. It brought to my attention some of the amazing stories of people who have served this country, yet now have nowhere in this country to call home. The goal of this project is to help some of those men and women who served in the most honorable way possible for the United States, but now live in some of the most dishonorable of conditions among us. These are real United States military veterans who are now, or on the verge of, being homeless that only need a chance to turn things around.

There are varying statistics as to how many veterans are now on the street each day. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans website, one in five homeless persons (20%) is a veteran. This alone is a shocking statistic, especially when you consider that only 8% of the general adult population in the United States is a veteran. In addition, it is estimated by many that there are approximately 107,000 homeless veterans on the streets of America any given night, with 1,500,000 veterans estimated to be on the edge of homelessness due to lack of support, veterans living in substandard housing, poverty, and unemployment.  Statistics are vital to help calculate the amount of aid needed, but these people are more than statistics. They are, clearly put, VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY.

After previous wars, it often took a decade or more for many of those returning soldiers to reach the point of homelessness. The current wars are already producing homeless veterans, and it is a trend that is ever increasing. The research for this project has taught me a lot. Not just about the homeless veterans out there, but about America in general, and my place in it specifically. These people have seen some of the horrors of war that I as a civilian cannot fathom. In turn, the thought of being homeless and the struggles that accompany that are unfathomable to most of us as well.  In listening to the stories of homeless veterans being told, I often hear of anger, despair, and isolation. But, there are also those stories that speak of hope, encouragement, and pride. The stories are as diverse as those that tell them.
I welcome you to join with us in our cause.  Our veterans are relying on us.  We are a non-profit corporation because we are not striving to make a fortune, we are striving to make a difference.

-Brian Hillestad, President