Welcome Home Vets is a program dedicated to helping homeless veterans. The program is a partnership between Hopkins Elks Lodge #2221 based in Hopkins, MN and Hopkins Elks Lodge Programs (HELP) For The Homeless - a 501c3 non profit dedicated to helping the homeless in our community. We provide home starter kits to homeless veterans moving into permanent housing. The vets come from all military branches, ethnicities , women, men and families each with a different story on how they came to be homeless. Through referrals from the VA's Community Resource and Referral Center (CRRC), Salvation Army, MACV and other providers, we provide kits to veterans throughout the state of Minnesota.
One as innocent as "I'm a country boy from North Dakota who became a combat photographer and came out of the service a messed up man" - to a man who has been homeless for 6 years and who acknowledges he made some bad decisions along the way. He's taking steps to make better choices and get his life back on track.
The most humbling and heartbreaking sight has been walking into a vets new apartment and he has nothing. Literally nothing other than the clothes on his/her back. We've learned it's the basic things in life that mean the most: a bed, a chair, a lamp, a clock radio to break up the silence and some food.
One as innocent as "I'm a country boy from North Dakota who became a combat photographer and came out of the service a messed up man" - to a man who has been homeless for 6 years and who acknowledges he made some bad decisions along the way. He's taking steps to make better choices and get his life back on track.
The most humbling and heartbreaking sight has been walking into a vets new apartment and he has nothing. Literally nothing other than the clothes on his/her back. We've learned it's the basic things in life that mean the most: a bed, a chair, a lamp, a clock radio to break up the silence and some food.
We are a 100% volunteer based program so all donations go directly to serve the needs of our homeless veterans. For a more detailed understanding of our program, click here for a downloadable presentation.