For Female Veterans, A Place to Call Home

Submitted by Homes for the Brave:

October 21, 2011 will be a landmark day in the State of Connecticut. On that day, Homes for the Brave/ABRI will hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Connecticut’s first supportive housing facility exclusively for female veterans who are transitionally homeless. 

The Pfc. Nicholas A. Madaras Home, which will house this project, is named for a Connecticut soldier who gave his life for his country and whose family was instrumental in establishing this facility. Nicholas Madaras, a graduate, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2006. His family and local volunteers banded together four years ago to form Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes (FS:FH) to serve the growing population of female veterans.

Connecticut currently has about 106 transitional housing beds for returning veterans, but fewer than a dozen are designated for women. There are more than 200 female veterans who are homeless in the state.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 at 10 a.m. at 66 Elmwood Ave., Bridgeport, CT.  The public is encouraged to attend the ceremony. Tours of the facility will be led by FS:FH staff following the ceremony.

Residency at the facility will be limited to two years, during which time the 15 veteran residents will receive health care, case management, gender-specific counseling, assistance in finding permanent housing and vocational skills-training, both in-house and through collaboration with community partners. The program is designed to enable the veterans to again lead independent, productive, and meaningful lives.

The community-based Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes project became a reality thanks to a government VA Per Diem Grant, the financial support of private citizens and local businesses, and the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers. We hope it will serve as a shining example of what the citizens of this country can achieve in a time of need.

A gala to support the continued operation of this residence will be held on May 5, 2012 in Norwalk, CT. For more information please visit www.HomesForTheBrave.org and www.KickForNick.org