Buys local house with plans to help homeless female veterans
Katie Landeck
News Staff Writer
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| News staff photo by KATIE LANDECK MVOC has bought this house at 258 School St. in Winchendon for $210,000 with the intention of creating a residential program for homeless women veterans. |
“The women’s population is being underserved … and (the) women veterans need very different services than men,” explained William Edson, MVOC executive director.
Women are one of the fastest growing demographics in the military, according to the Dep-artment of Veterans Affairs. As that number grows, so does the number of homeless women veterans, approximately doubling between 2006 and 2010, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Women veterans often have suffered sexual or other forms of trauma, making circumstances difficult in what are predominantly male shelters, Mr. Edson said.
“Programs are designed to capture the majority of people, and those our men. That’s just how programming has naturally developed,” he said. “Our units are set up so they could be gender neutral … but women really need a different program.”
The new building at 258 School St. is hoped to fill that need, and it would be the first initiative of its kind in Central Massachusetts.
The goal is to get the home, which can accommodate eight women, set up for June. However, a significant amount of work needs to happen first.
Purchased for $210,000, the colonial-style building was previously used as a home for adults with developmental challenges. As such, Mr. Edson says it will require $90,000 in renovations before clients can move in.
MVOC will also need to hire a case manager for the women at the property, and it will start developing a wait list.
“We’re a small organization, and one of the advantages of that is we can be pretty agile and move quickly,” Mr. Edson said about the three-month goal.
In the meantime, the organization is raising money to support the project.
Officials are hoping to raise at least $10,000 for the cause this Saturday at the fifth annual Hockey for Heroes fundraiser at the Gardner Veterans Arena in Gardner. The Gardner All-Stars will face off against the State Police Blueliners, while a number of prizes are being raffled, including a football autographed by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Additional grants and donations from the community are also being sought, as well as people who want to help with some of the basic renovations.
For more information about how to help, visit veterans-outreach.org or the MVOC Facebook page.
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