History of Veterans Village of San Diego
1981: Vietnam Veterans of San Diego is founded by five Vietnam Veterans, dealing with their own
issues and addictions stemming from the Vietnam War. From the very beginning
the organization has been dedicated to assisting veterans, in their efforts toward improving their lives. They received a $10K
grant from Mayor Pete Wilson to help unemployed veterans find jobs. Resulted
in creation 150 Vet Centers across the US and the HVRP Program.
1984: "Landing Zone" on 11th Avenue near Market Street opened providing
44 licensed alcohol and drug treatment facility beds for Vietnam Veterans funded by County Alcohol
and Drug Services.
1988: Opened "Dust Off", an 18 bed transitional housing program at 5th
Avenue. During that same year VVSD founded Stand Down and served over 650 homeless veterans. Stand Down is now replicated in over
200 cities nationally.
1990: VVSD moves the Veterans Rehabilitation Center on Pacific Highway.
The facility was a 1940's style motel with rooms older than most of the residents. Click to view VVSD before pictures.
1990-1992: VVSD raised nearly $1 million and the Veteran Rehavilitation Center is converted into an 80 bed licensed treatment facility.
Click to view VVSD pictures now.
1995: VVSD adds a 44 bed sober living transition housing facility, New Resolve in Escondido.
- 14 Sober Living beds at the Golden Hill 24th
Street site and
- Partnership with Crisis House adds 9 additional beds.
- Partnership with St.Vincent de Paul adds 30 beds for veterans.
1996: San Diego's best known researcher on homeless issues; SDSU Sociologist Richard
Hough completes a two-year scientific study of VVSD's Pacific Highway program
and concludes, "The social model program offered by VVSD is more effective
than other known and tested treatments for this (veteran) population."
1997: VVSD in partnership with the City of San Diego opens the first emergency shelter focused on homeless veterans.
1999: VVSD's introduces the first-of-its-kind residential family program "Welcome Home" Family program for homeless veterans and their families orens with 8 apartments.
2001: VA awards VVSD nearly $1 million to add 80 beds to our Pacific Highway site.
- Peter Daugherty, Director of Homeless Programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. declares, "There is no finer program for homeless veterans in America than Vietnam
Veterans of San Diego”.
- Founders of Homeless Court working
in partnership with San Diego Deputy Public Defender Steve Binder and Founders
of the San Diego Child Support Program.
- Awarded $ 2.25M from the City of San Diego to add
80 beds at Pacific Highway site.
2002: Selected as Channel 10 Leadership Award as the first Nonprofit Organization
of the Year 2001.
2003: On December 15, 2003, the organization broke
ground in the first step of a critical expansion and renovation program
to revitalize its residential treatment facility to help even more homeless
veterans and their families.
2004: Construction of Phase 1: 112 new beds, counseling center and kitchen and dining facility begins.
2005: Vietnam Veterans of San Diego announces a name change! We are now Veterans
Village, this new "public" name has been adopted as a part of the
expansion of services.
2006: Phase 1 completed and opened for occupancy. It adds 112 early treatment beds, a new counseling center, and modern kitchen and dining facility.
2008: Dedication of the Paul E. Nenner Memorial Courtyard.
2009: Phase 2 completed and opened for occupancy. It adds a new intake center (Office B), medical offices, employment and training department and corporate headquarters.
Over
the years, Veterans Village has developed a continuum of care for veterans which stretches
from the three days of outreach to homeless veterans at Stand
Down to providing affordable, sober living houses for those who have successfully
passed through VVSD's recovery programs.
|
