Noteboom The Law Firm

Homeless Veterans Offered Bridge To New Life

March 22, 2011 - Bridges is a nonprofit organization attempting to help the homeless veterans in Brevard County, Florida by providing a new transitional housing environment, the Sherwood Veterans Transition Home (SVTH). The traditional housing will serve 6-7 veterans at a time and they will able to stay there for up to 2 years. While there, the homeless veterans will focus on getting back on their feet while attempting to find permanent housing.

Bridges is an already established organization with a focus on helping adults and children with various disabilities. Bridges also helps find employment and offers a range of support programs. This is their first foray into the world of helping homeless veterans.

The housing is in a renovated group home, which will be located in Melbourne and hopefully open its doors in July of this year. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) helped build the transitional home through grants and will continue to exist on funds such as grants and rent. Veterans will pay rent equal to 30% of their income and hopefully community donations will be made. Much of the material and labor necessary in the renovation has already been donated by the local community.  

Bridges is very focused on establishing relationships with other veterans' organizations to support the home. In addition to housing, the SVTH will provide transportation to the local VA clinic as well as offer veterans help in finding jobs and various counseling services. The goal is to get the veterans back on their feet and living independently as quickly as possible.