The Home Depot Foundation Grants Will Support Program Expansion and Facility Upgrades at the Massachusetts Bay Veterans Center in Somerville

Volunteers of America of Massachusetts (VOAMASS), a nonprofit that creates opportunities for individuals through residential and outpatient behavioral health treatment, re-entry for justice-involved individuals, veteran services and senior living, announced today that it has received two grants totaling more than $200,000 from The Home Depot Foundation for programs and projects at the Massachusetts Bay Veterans Center (MBVC) in Somerville.

VOAMASS received a Veterans Flexible Funding grant of $150,159 to expand its Welcome Home Project, which helps veterans secure permanent housing and remain stably housed.  The organization also received a Veterans Housing Grant of $51,292 to upgrade MBVC’s security and HVAC systems.

“Two of the biggest challenges homeless veterans face are finding housing and receiving comprehensive, trauma-informed behavioral health care,” said VOAMASS President and CEO Charles Gagnon.  “These grants from The Home Depot Foundation will help ensure that MBVC is best positioned to provide the services and supports that our veterans deserve.”

The Welcome Home Project focuses on assisting veterans transitioning from MBVC into permanent housing by helping them obtain rental leases and household goods while accessing continued case management within the community.  The grant funds will be used to create a veteran aid fund and hire a housing coordinator. 

The coordinator creates individual housing plans for veterans transitioning to permanent housing, identifying barriers, and managing solutions to ensure they remain stably housed and connected to community resources.

The Veterans Housing Grant will cover approximately half the cost of installing a new HVAC system and updating electronic security systems, including keyless entry and security cameras.  VOAMASS will also purchase automated external defibrillators, emergency medical devices that can save the lives of those in cardiac arrest.

About Volunteers of America of Massachusetts

Incorporated in 1934 and headquartered in Jamaica Plain, Volunteers of America of Massachusetts provides an array of outpatient and residential behavioral health services, including substance use and behavioral health treatment for individuals, families, and veterans, as well as re-entry programming.  Additionally, Volunteers of America of Massachusetts operates three independent and assisted living residences.  The organization serves 3,500-plus individuals across Massachusetts.  For more information, visit voamass.org.

About The Home Depot Foundation  

The Home Depot Foundation, the nonprofit arm of The Home Depot, works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. veterans, support communities impacted by natural disasters and train skilled tradespeople to fill the labor gap. Since 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $475 million in veteran causes and improved more than 55,000 veteran homes and facilities. The Foundation has pledged to invest half of a billion dollars in veteran causes by 2025 and $50 million in training the next generation of skilled tradespeople through the Path to Pro program. To learn more about The Home Depot Foundation visit HomeDepotFoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @HomeDepotFound and on Facebook and Instagram @HomeDepotFoundation.