New community center looks to provide more support services for Delaware veterans
MILFORD, Del.- “It would put me away from my family, so it was a hard decision to make. Yet, circumstances came up which made it an easy decision,” Olden said.
Darryl Olden and his family were evicted from their home after the Covid-19 pandemic. He told 47ABC his saving grace was getting connected with the Home of the Brave Foundation in Milford. The nonprofit has a goal of reducing homelessness amongst local veterans. “We aren’t a homeless shelter, we’re transitional housing. What that means is that they’re actually here, have goals, and are working on them. They’re set for success once they leave us,” HOB Executive Director Heather Travitz said.
Participants can spend up to nine months with the program, getting connected with a variety of health services and more for a smooth transition back into society.
Travitz said that push just got more momentum as a new community center is now under construction on campus grounds. The facility will provide additional office space, food assistance, workforce development, and more. “We’ll have the ability to host AA meetings for veterans here at Home of the Brave but also within the community. There will also be workshops and other learning opportunities,” Travitz said.
The space will also have a storage room, bathrooms, and an outdoor activity space. The project is a partnership between the Home of the Brave Foundation, Nally Ventures, and Horizon Construction Services.
The new facility will not only help the nonprofit expand their efforts in reducing homelessness amongst veterans but fulfill a growing need for more available services in Delaware. “In Delaware we had about 900 extra beds for homeless people in general. Those have all closed in the last year,” Travitz said. “We have a constant waiting list of veterans needing housing and our services, so we are constantly looking to grow.”
Olden has been a resident in the men’s facility for five months. He has plans to put a permanent roof over his family’s head and start his own business once he completes HOB’s program. “I’m a family man, so that’s the hard part for me. I talk to my kids all the time and they ask me when I’m coming home. I tell them that I’m working on it and just hold on,” Olden said.
Funding for the project came from two sources, one being a grant from Crystal Trust Capital Investments and the other being grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
We’re told the nonprofit can still use a helping hand from the community, as things like clothing items and other supplies are always accepted at the on-site donation center.
Construction on the new center is expected to be completed either later this year or early 2024.
