The Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness (VCEH), alongside Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition, Vermont Interfaith Action, and Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, is planning the upcoming 2023 Homelessness Awareness Day in which we as shelter and service providers, various stakeholders, and community members work to raise community awareness of the homelessness issues facing the people of our state.
VCEH plans to work with persons with lived experience and those working in the field to provide testimony to the house and senate committees at the State House in Montpelier on the morning of January 19th 2023. There will be a visual element and an in-person element at the statehouse drawing lawmakers’ and local Montpelier citizens’ attention to the issues we face. For more information on this event please check it out here.
The WRJ VA Healthcare system in collaboration with the Veteran’s Inc and Veteran’s Place homeless veteran grant and per diem (GPD) programs will host two events by providing a “local awareness” event.
The “Paint and Fruit Punch” event took place at The Veteran’s Inc GPD Program on Friday, January 13th led by WRJ VA Healthcare System’s Art Therapist, Brooke Robinson-Drew. The Veterans painted on canvas using free expression to depict what homelessness/homes, barriers, challenges, strengths, etc. look like to them. The paintings will then be on display at the VT State House on January 19th.
The “Pop up Soup Kitchen” event will take place at the WRJ VA Healthcare System campus on Thursday, January 19th from 10:00-12:00. Bowls of chili will be handed out to patients, staff, and visitors on campus to highlight the connection between food insecurity and homelessness. Staff and Veterans from both GPD programs will be handing out the chili.
Please join us for the events to raise awareness of the many issues and barriers Veterans and Vermonters experiencing homelessness face. For more information, visit this page.
If you are a landlord or know of a landlord interested in working with Veterans please see the attached flyer and contact us at:
802-280-6651
For further information about VA Homeless Services please reach out to Meghan Snitkin, Homeless Services Program Manager at 802-295-9363 x6939