Operation Welcome Home

While working with HonorAir, Jeff Miller learned that job training for homeless veterans was desperately needed. The fact that displaced veterans, those who have fought to secure the American way of life, make up nearly 20% of all the homeless in America, is appalling.

060611-patchThe ABCCM Veterans Restoration Headquarters is working to change those statistics in Western North Carolina. This facility uses a holistic approach in assisting more than 200 veterans each year. The center provides job skills training in areas such as construction trades, culinary arts and truck driving. It costs between $2500-3500 to provide the training to each veteran. ABCCM has a near 100% success rate in placing veterans into productive work in the community.

ABCCM - VETERANS RESTORATION QUARTERS

Facts

1329 Tunnel Road,
Asheville NC 28805

Phone: (828) 298-7952
Fax: (828) 298-7958

FACILITY

  • Opened at current location in December 2007
  • The third largest Veterans facility (by contract) in the country
  • 239 Total Beds (VRQ currently houses 210 veterans on campus fulltime)
  • 148 Program Beds
  • 18 Intake Beds
  • 10 Non-Vet Beds
  • 45 Program Fee Rooms -
  • 18 Emergency Shelter Beds
  • Local area churches and civic groups prepare and serve meals.
  • Maintenance on the facility is done by the veterans themselves

JOB TRAINING

  • Veterans can obtain CDLs, culinary and green building skills among others
  • 16 meetings are held onsite each week including bible study and AA meetings
  • Transportation Service - Four shuttles travel each day to the VA and to downtown Asheville.

PROGRAM/VETERANS

  • More than 500 veterans helped since January 2008
  • Average age is 52
  • Length of stay at facility averages 9 months-year
  • Majority of veterans have substance abuse issues
  • Many referred to Veterans Restoration Quarters through VA network (facilities include Charlotte, Salisbury Va, other parts of NC, Ft. Bragg)
  • Veterans receive more than job training – They receive life skills including money management, anger management, spiritual guidance, etc.
  • 88%-92% of all veterans who are placed on the job were still on the job 18 months after leaving the program According to the Department of Labor independent monitoring statistics.

STAFF

  • Program Director: Michael Reich
  • 6 fulltime case managers
  • A chaplain, a registered nurse and a psychologist are on site.
  • A transition liaison to assist and track men discharging from the program.