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Kelley Coates, Director of Neighborhood Building, Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks, Inc.
Challenge: Nearly 30,000 veterans live in Greater Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania, and many of them face real challenges when it comes to housing. While homelessness is a problem here as it is with veterans around the country, homeownership can also be a struggle for those who served in the military. Many are elderly and living on fixed incomes or fall below the poverty line and cannot afford needed repairs and upkeep. Some veterans with disabilities are unable to adapt their homes with necessary additions such as wheelchair ramps and accessible doorways.
An estimated 21 million veterans now live in the United States. Many are in their 60s and 70s and living on fixed incomes. Roughly one million veterans own their own homes and are critically burdened by the cost. While veterans have a lower poverty rate than other Americans, that rate is rising. While homelessness is a critical problem for many former service members; a large majority do own homes, thanks to loans and services from the Veterans' Administration. But that assistance can fall short for some veterans and their families, who cannot afford to maintain their homes or make them accessible for those with disabilities. Greater Berks County in Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to some 29,000 veterans, where many of the communities are financially distressed and battle problems such as poverty, inadequate housing and blight. Many veterans choose to live in dilapidated homes rather than join the ranks of so many homeless veterans.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks, Inc. (NHS) is a nonprofit providing Berks County families with affordable housing programs, education and loans for buying, improving and maintaining homes. In 2015, NHS brought together a coalition of nonprofits, government agencies and volunteers to provide help for veteran homeowners in need. The week-long Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair (ORVA) event deployed armies of volunteers to complete a range of projects for senior, disabled and/or low-income veteran homeowners. They painted interiors and exteriors, performed home weatherization projects and constructed or repaired wheelchair ramps. In all, 262 volunteers completed 29 projects at a value of $73,638 in labor and materials.
"Operation Renovation is no small event in an urban environment where there is so much poverty," said Dale G. Derr, director the Berks County VA. "It is a game-changer for many veterans who are considered financially at-risk, with so many living in decrepit homes to avoid becoming homeless."
Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair was modeled after another program, Operation Facelift which was launched in 1989 by NHS and Boyertown National Bank (now BB&T).
Operation Facelift provided local and community volunteers an opportunity to get their hands dirty assisting veterans by painting and repairing homes in a two to three block radius. Once we retired Operation Facelift, we decided to focus on "veterans' homes and extend the single day of work to an entire week.
In addition to the home improvement event, we collaborated with Save-A-Warrior (SAW), which supports those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Each day 20 veterans in this country commit suicide. SAW works with veterans and first-responders suffering from PTSD, with 100% success rates. Proceeds from fundraising during our Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair netted $8,000 for SAW to continue their great work.
Propelled by the success of our first event, Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair 2016 more than doubles the number of projects to 72. The expansion is thanks in part to our recent collaboration with Group Cares, a Christian ministry which provides youth volunteers and other resources for humanitarian projects. The 450 volunteers are divided into teams of about six people, with one or two adult supervisors. The work includes interior and exterior painting, completing home weatherization projects, and constructing or repairing porches and wheelchair ramps.
Operation Renovation continues to work toward our goal of making our neighborhoods safer places to live, work and play while contributing to the revitalization of our neighborhoods and greater community. We are collaborating with the City of Reading, Berks County Veterans Affairs Department, Group Cares, Wells Fargo, BB&T and the Little Acts of Love; a nonprofit. We learned that by bringing together the many talents, resources and skills of these volunteers, organizations and agencies we can make a greater impact in the community.
Challenge: Nearly 30,000 veterans live in Greater Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania, and many of them face real challenges when it comes to housing. While homelessness is a problem here as it is with veterans around the country, homeownership can also be a struggle for those who served in the military. Many are elderly and living on fixed incomes or fall below the poverty line and cannot afford needed repairs and upkeep. Some veterans with disabilities are unable to adapt their homes with necessary additions such as wheelchair ramps and accessible doorways.
An estimated 21 million veterans now live in the United States. Many are in their 60s and 70s and living on fixed incomes. Roughly one million veterans own their own homes and are critically burdened by the cost. While veterans have a lower poverty rate than other Americans, that rate is rising. While homelessness is a critical problem for many former service members; a large majority do own homes, thanks to loans and services from the Veterans' Administration. But that assistance can fall short for some veterans and their families, who cannot afford to maintain their homes or make them accessible for those with disabilities. Greater Berks County in Southeastern Pennsylvania is home to some 29,000 veterans, where many of the communities are financially distressed and battle problems such as poverty, inadequate housing and blight. Many veterans choose to live in dilapidated homes rather than join the ranks of so many homeless veterans.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks, Inc. (NHS) is a nonprofit providing Berks County families with affordable housing programs, education and loans for buying, improving and maintaining homes. In 2015, NHS brought together a coalition of nonprofits, government agencies and volunteers to provide help for veteran homeowners in need. The week-long Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair (ORVA) event deployed armies of volunteers to complete a range of projects for senior, disabled and/or low-income veteran homeowners. They painted interiors and exteriors, performed home weatherization projects and constructed or repaired wheelchair ramps. In all, 262 volunteers completed 29 projects at a value of $73,638 in labor and materials.
"Operation Renovation is no small event in an urban environment where there is so much poverty," said Dale G. Derr, director the Berks County VA. "It is a game-changer for many veterans who are considered financially at-risk, with so many living in decrepit homes to avoid becoming homeless."
Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair was modeled after another program, Operation Facelift which was launched in 1989 by NHS and Boyertown National Bank (now BB&T).
Operation Facelift provided local and community volunteers an opportunity to get their hands dirty assisting veterans by painting and repairing homes in a two to three block radius. Once we retired Operation Facelift, we decided to focus on "veterans' homes and extend the single day of work to an entire week.
In addition to the home improvement event, we collaborated with Save-A-Warrior (SAW), which supports those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Each day 20 veterans in this country commit suicide. SAW works with veterans and first-responders suffering from PTSD, with 100% success rates. Proceeds from fundraising during our Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair netted $8,000 for SAW to continue their great work.Propelled by the success of our first event, Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair 2016 more than doubles the number of projects to 72. The expansion is thanks in part to our recent collaboration with Group Cares, a Christian ministry which provides youth volunteers and other resources for humanitarian projects. The 450 volunteers are divided into teams of about six people, with one or two adult supervisors. The work includes interior and exterior painting, completing home weatherization projects, and constructing or repairing porches and wheelchair ramps.
Operation Renovation continues to work toward our goal of making our neighborhoods safer places to live, work and play while contributing to the revitalization of our neighborhoods and greater community. We are collaborating with the City of Reading, Berks County Veterans Affairs Department, Group Cares, Wells Fargo, BB&T and the Little Acts of Love; a nonprofit. We learned that by bringing together the many talents, resources and skills of these volunteers, organizations and agencies we can make a greater impact in the community.
