Over ten years ago, a handful of Vietnam veterans opened an emergency shelter for their fellow Vietnam veterans, who had fallen through the cracks of society and were living on the streets.

In October 1991, we received the keys to the Massachusetts National Guard Armory Annex from the state. Abandoned, condemned, and slated for demolition, the building was rented to Massachusetts Veterans, Inc. for one dollar per year. We collected $17,000 in donations and, with the help of volunteers and the labor unions, in four months we completed $250,000 in renovations.

In January 1992, we opened our doors to nine homeless veterans. The building was so decrepit, programs were run from a small portion of the first floor. Utilities were non-functioning, the windows were blown out, the roof had huge holes, and every pigeon in the city made a home in what remained of the building.

As the years passed, we repaired the building, a little at a time, thanks to the work done by the residents and dedicated volunteers. Over the past decade, we have invested $3,000,000 in volunteer and donated services to rescue this historic building for our veterans and for the state of Massachusetts.

Many people believed our program was doomed to fail, and they were very nearly right. In the early 1990s, it was a financial struggle just to keep the doors open. However, we persevered, and today we are the second largest agency in Massachusetts supporting our veterans and their families.

Currently, our staff covers geographic territory from Cape Cod to the Berkshires. We provide our veterans with a safe place to live, the tools to help them rebuild their lives, and a food bank to help their families.

Thanks to your support, over the past decade we have helped well over 5,000 Massachusetts veterans and their families. However, homelessness is on the rise in Massachusetts, so we expect to serve twice that number over the next decade.