Salute the Troops refocusing scope to better serve larger veteran community
Salute the Troops, a non-profit organization who supports local veterans and their families through advocacy, education, training, financial assistance, and supportive programming to promote awareness, and fostering camaraderie that stimulates economic development in the community, has transitioned 13 veterans through the Warrior House.
The Warrior House opened in March, 2017. The house provided transitional living for up to four veterans at one time. Since its’ opening, the Warrior House provided a home for 13 male veterans. While owned by a third party, the Warrior House was fully paid for and maintained by Salute the Troops costing approximately $22,000 annually to operate, not including donations. The Warrior House provided a safe, affordable, temporary living facility for veterans; an opportunity for veterans to create individualized goals and treatment plans in cooperation with specialized organizations; a place where veterans received professional career mentoring from local businesses to bolster their interviewing confidence and turn military experience into civilian skills; a resource where veterans could build a stable and steady income for independent living; a home, until securing permanent housing and becoming self-reliant.
“The Warrior House program was absolutely unparalleled!!”, Jerry Smith, Warrior House veteran, said. “It gave me a safe, comfortable place to regroup while I was getting some infrastructure in place for the rest of my life. The people who put the Warrior House Program together and made it happen are absolutely TOP SHELF, FRONT AND CENTER kind of people. They did me RIGHT!! They made me PROUD!! My life is a work in progress - and it IS "on track" now.”
In an effort to serve more veterans, Salute the Troops has decided to reallocate Warrior House resources to other ventures, thus closing the Warrior House. When the Warrior House closes, all veterans who lived there will have been successfully transitioned. “Closing the Warrior House was not an easy choice,” Jim Erskine, Salute the Troops Board of Directors President, said. “As an organization, we decided we can help more veterans, male and female, through our other programs.”
Salute the Troops will continue their assistance program, providing resources and financial assistance to veterans and their families in the Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, and Dodge County areas. For information on this program, please visit https://www.salutethetroopswi.org/assistance