Blogs → UMOM New Day Centers → Success at StandDown

Posted Feb 21, 2012 10:30 am (86 days ago)

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A few weeks ago the entire veteran’s services community gathered at Arizona StandDown – a two-day event to help homeless veterans access services and find housing.  Over 1,200 veterans received services at StandDown, a record number for the annual event.

As a provider of two programs specifically for veterans and their families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, UMOM New Day Centers was proud to be a part of this year’s StandDown.  UMOM is currently providing transitional housing for eight veterans and their families through the Grant Per Diem program funded by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA).   UMOM also operates the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program in conjunction with Save the Family.

Some of the UMOM Veteran's Program staff at StandDown 

Events like StandDown allow for agencies like UMOM to coordinate directly with the VA to help serve homeless and at-risk veteran families quicker and more efficiently.  One great example is the story of Melissa.

Melissa served in the U.S. Army and utilized the G.I. Bill to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree. But after losing her job she was struggling to find something else in her field.  Then she found out her condo she was renting was being foreclosed on.  She and her 15 year old daughter had nowhere to go.

She heard about the transitional housing program for veterans at UMOM through the VA and she called for more information.  Our case management staff took down her information and encouraged her to attend StandDown that weekend.

Sure enough, Melissa attended StandDown on Saturday, February 4 and met with our veteran family case managers there.  Because the VA staff was also there at the event we were able to work together to process all of Melissa’s intake paperwork that very day.  Melissa and her daughter moved in to the UMOM Transitional Housing program just two days later, on Monday February 6.

Melissa is now working with her case manager and the VA team to refine her employment skills and research affordable housing options.  But thanks to the teamwork and collaboration between the VA, UMOM, and all the agencies at StandDown, Melissa and her daughter had a safe place to live within a week of being evicted.  UMOM is proud to be a part of such a successful program.