TIME TO GROW...The VoTF story.

The Vets on Track Foundation will furnish its 100th home for a military veteran within the next few days. While that number may not sound like a great achievement for today's non-profit...it is a tremendous milestone considering where the journey began for this small organization in Northern Virginia. Operating out of a two-car garage in the beginning, the Vets on Track Foundation was reborn in 2016 to tackle a critical element within the homeless realm - a piece of the puzzle that was missing. 

Early on we learned that there wasn't much of a difference between living on the streets or in a shelter than being placed into an empty shell of a house. The rooms echoed because there were no buffers - no furniture, no pictures, no rugs...nothing to muffle the sounds. The rooms were dark and cold. Although protected from the elements of Mother Nature, these unsung heroes were still not home.

In July 2016 we met our first veteran through a referral from one of the homeless agencies we currently work with. The Army veteran was living in a one-bedroom apartment, and the only thing this man had to his name was a blanket and a small television. Although we had put our mission statement on paper - it wasn't until that warm day in July that our Foundation's true purpose came into full focus. We needed to transform these empty houses into warm loving homes...a place that these veterans and first responders would be proud to call "home." 

Building a model that worked was a fairly easy process, as we were working from a blank canvas. There were no rules and there were no expectations. All we knew at first was that we needed furniture and accessories, which were generously donated by local communities. We needed a way to transport the donations and then deliver to those in need, so we rented moving trucks. We needed "muscle" to move the furniture. The initial "crew" was my family and I. Moving sofas and loveseats up three flights of stairs with no elevator proved to be challenging, but one worth tackling. 

After our first couple of "furnishings" word began to spread about the transformations we were doing with these "houses," and we began getting request faster than we could keep up. A dozen or more homeless veteran case workers were reaching out to us for support. It wasn't long before my wife Lesley, two daughters, Brittany and Rileigh and I knew we needed help. We quickly grew out of the two car garage and moved into a public storage unit, but that only lasted a few months. The agony of having to pull everything out of the storage unit every time we needed to furnish a home was overwhelming and extremely time-consuming, but at the time it was the best we had. We worked under those conditions for more than nine months.

The expense of the storage unit and the rental trucks were slowly eating a hole in my pocket. While local communities proved to be very generous in donating the needed furniture, we had an issue in generating operating funds. We were so busy responding to requests for support, that we didn't have the time or resources to pursue much needed funding. What most people don't realize is that everyone involved with the Vets on Track Foundation are volunteers - no one gets paid, and every volunteer, (including myself) either has a full-time job, goes to school or has other "life" responsibilities...we were (are) building a national network of support with a small group of volunteers, more than 2-dozen now, and a VERY limited operating budget. 

We received our first big break while searching for college scholarships for my youngest daughter, who now attends the University of Mary Washington as part of their Nursing Program. It's funny how one pursuit can lead you in a completely different direction. One of the organizations I reached out to for a scholarship was the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation (MC-LEF). Although I quickly learned I didn't qualify for a scholarship, I did feel the need to share our story with them. That contact has since developed into a mentor-type relationship, as well as two new box trucks for our Foundation. Thanks to MC-LEF's generosity, today we no longer have to rent trucks. 

Business wise, one of the best decisions I made in building this foundation was to join the local Chamber of Commerce (this also costs money). I needed a way to network and get needed support. Through those connections I was introduced to a businessman, Rick Groux, who has since generously donated more than 6,000 square feet of warehouse space to our organization...no more storage units. While we appreciate all the support, donated space comes with a price (no heat or air conditioning and no rest rooms), which limits the amount of time we can actually spend at the warehouse. 

 Today, we work closely with the Veterans Administration and multiple Homeless Agencies. We are working to open operations in San Antonio, San Diego and other cities across the country...it's time to grow. There are still more than 40,000 homeless veterans in this country, and in one small way, the Vets on Track Foundation is doing its part to keep veterans off the streets by keeping them in their homes once they make the transition from living on the streets. By keeping these unsung heroes in their homes - our foundation in fact is making headway towards helping to end the homeless crisis...but we can't do it alone. We are in search of CEO's / organizations and individuals who want to help us make a difference - we need corporate support so that we can END homelessness not just for our veterans and first responders, but for anyone who wants a second lease at life. Visit the Vets on Track Foundation website and click the donate button at the top of the page - your generosity WILL make a difference.