Veterans may face a variety of challenges due to the effects of war and can have obstacles transitioning into civilian life after their military service. With growing economic demands and lack of veteran resources, many fall into difficult times.
Take a moment and explore how these charities are making a difference in the Bay Area by providing vocational training, housing, health, and education services to veterans in need.
Ranchin’ Vets wants to bring peace of mind to the service members transitioning to civilian life.
Ranchin’ Vets partners with ranches and farms to create agricultural employment opportunities and assists in housing, transportation and clothing expenses associated with their new job.
Operation Dignity assists homeless veterans and their families by providing emergency, transitional and permanent housing for homeless veterans in Alameda County.
Operation Dignity also offers comprehensive support services, nutritious meals and a strong peer community. The goal is to help veterans rediscover hope and provide tools needed to live a self-sufficient and stable life.
Founded in 1974 by veterans, Swords to Plowshares supports nearly 3,000 homeless, low-income and at-risk veterans in the Bay Area every year.
Swords to Plowshares offers employment and job training, supportive housing programs, permanent housing placement, counseling and case management, and legal services.
Operation Freedom Paws empowers veterans with disabilities to restore their freedom and live an enriched life by teaching veterans how to train rescue shelter dogs and certifying them as service dog teams.
Founded in 2010, Operation Freedom Paws provides a 48-week training program offering a therapeutic canine-human relationship which helps veterans renew hope and engage in their communities.
Blue Star Moms are mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have children serving in the military, guard or reserves, or children who are veterans.
Since 2001, Blue Star Moms has provided valuable services such as care packages, veteran outreach, and support services to military family members.
Operation: Care and Comfort provides support to "adopted" units of deployed U.S. military service members by assembling and shipping care packages every month until they return home. OCC currently supports over 200 units and sends 3,400 pounds of care package supplies each month.
Since 2004, OCC has also worked with professional and college sports teams, entertainment venues, and promoters to send thousands of troops, reservists, veterans and their immediate families to events for free.
Since 1988, NCIRE-supported scientists and clinicians have been at the front lines of Veterans health research, developing novel treatments for the wide range of conditions that affect veterans of all ages.
NCIRE continues to advance science, promote education, and foster innovation through leadership in the field of veterans health research.
Founded in 2012, Delta Veterans Group assists veterans with housing, employment, health, and education services.
Delta Veterans Group mission is to bring together all veteran service organizations in the community to provide peace and balance back into a veteran’s life.
Since 2010, Community Veterans Project has helped veterans cope and heal from memories and symptoms of past trauma.
Early warning signs of Post-Traumatic Stress disorder are often subtle and hard to spot which is why Community Veterans Project educates veterans, family members, and the community on how to understand this type of trauma. Community Veterans Project offers veterans a path to diagnosis and a treatment plan for recovery.
Since 2011, Veterans Supportive Services Agency’s mission has been to help eligible veterans apply for service connected disability life-time compensation.
VSSA is dedicated to offering life enhancing supportive services to veterans and their families with services such as housing referrals, coaching and counseling, obtaining military records, and special monthly compensation.
Homeless Veterans Emergency Housing Facility provides emergency/treatment beds, transitional housing, and supportive services (such as case management, vocational rehabilitation, and mental health and addiction treatment) to homeless veterans throughout Silicon Valley.
The HVEHF transitional housing program serves as an access point to VA health care and benefits by offering 25 treatment beds and 125 transitional housing beds for homeless or near-homeless veterans in need of emergency housing.
Honor Flight Bay Area is dedicated to escorting Bay Area veterans to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at the Memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice.
Since 2014, HFBA has escorted over 600 veterans on their “Tour of Honor” in which veterans receive free charter airfare, two nights in a hotel, charter buses, all meals and bottled water for three days, t-shirt, lanyard, photo book, and more.
Paws for Purple Hearts offers Canine Assisted Warrior Therapy to wounded Service Members and Veterans and produces some of the best trainers and highest quality assistance dogs in the world.
Since 2006, Paws for Purple Hearts has improved the lives of America’s Warriors facing mobility challenges and trauma related conditions such as PTSD and TBI and by building public awareness about the important role dogs play in helping Warriors along the road to recovery.
