Capital Campaign
Building a Healthy Veterans Community
The VABC operates at maximum capacity from its current building shared with the nearly 600-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 9. There are limitations to the building that create hardship for VABC, especially with the commercial vehicles that deliver 20,000 pounds of food per month.
There is no loading dock to accommodate these food supply deliveries. With only ten spaces, parking is severely limited on the property, and street parking is equally scarce for veterans, many who are disabled, to safely access VABC services. Interior spaces are overcrowded for the number of people who arrive for services, and the volume of basic living supplies surpasses the storage and distribution spaces that are needed.
CASE FOR SUPPORT FOR A NEW SERVICE CENTER
$6 Million Capital Campaign
The Veterans Association of Bristol County (VABC) was founded in 1987 by Vietnam veterans to fill a substantial void in human services for local veterans and active members of the United States Armed Forces.
As a small and flexible nonprofit
By collaborating with numerous community partners, VABC maximizes its resources and experience in serving veterans. With a mission to provide meaningful and compassionate support to veterans and their families, VABC ensures a higher and healthier quality of life for Bristol County veterans.
Hunger, homelessness, addiction, financial duress, and medical and mental health challenges affect a significant number of the 25,000 veterans (U.S. Census, 2023) who reside in this region. Nearly 10% of this vulnerable population are disabled and live at or below the poverty line. Most veterans in dire need of essential human and health services remain hard to reach.
Fortunately, VABC is a trusted and recognized resource. This reputation fuels a significant reliance for services and programs delivered from a modest and outdated City of Fall River-owned building located at 755 Pine Street.
SERVICES & PROGRAMS
Here are some of our Services and programs we offer:
- VABC distributes 20,000 pounds of food per month to over 500 veterans and their families. Lunch is prepared and served daily while a monthly food pantry operates at capacity. VABC maintains a rescue food room to help relieve urgent nutritional deficits.
- VABC operates a clothing center to distribute essential, quality clothing and shoes. The clothing center maintains a store-like shopping experience to ensure a dignified experience and rotates its inventory seasonally.
- Recognized statewide for its effectiveness, the SHEROES program honors and engages women veterans in fellowship including workshops, activities and speaking programs.
- Weekly programs include Peer Support Groups and Coffee Socials to promote comaraderie and friendship for veterans combatting isolation and mental health challenges.
- Physical and mental wellness programs include painting, kayaking, hiking, biking, and stress management sessions. Rhythms of Service is a music therapy program.
VABC actively solicits recommendations from veterans to develop new services and activities that improve the quality of life of veterans.
DEMAND ON THE RISE
VABC rigorously collects, analyzes and reports service data. To facilitate this best practice, veterans sign in through a customized computer kiosk to select the services to receive on that day. Captured information is readily available for internal assessment and reporting. This system was installed in July 2023 with funding from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services.
Due to rising demand, VABC operates at capacity with consistent overcrowding within its current facilities. This has created severe operational constraints and an evident need for a larger facility to fulfill this vital mission.
Current Conditions That Limit Impact
- Limited parking spaces and minimal street parking create dangerous conditions for people and vehicles.
- No loading dock to accept large quantities of food pantry goods from the Greater Boston Food Bank and other suppliers. Volunteers are relied upon to handle goods at risk of injury.
- The lack of appropriate storage space for food supplies prompted some supplies to be turned away.
- An outdated and overcrowded kitchen inhibits the ability to meet demands for prepared nutritious meals.
- Ineffective heating and cooling systems create an uncomfortable environment for veterans, staff, and volunteers.
- No private spaces to accommodate individual counseling and peer meetings.
- No on-site opportunity to build an addition or manage transitional and permanent housing.
STRATEGIC GOAL
VABC is prepared to transition to a higher level of service with a more versatile and larger building. In 2024, VABC initiated a property search for a permanent home in preparation for its 40th anniversary in 2027.
To achieve this strategic goal, VABC has launched a $6 million capital campaign; “Building a Healthy Veterans Community in Bristol County” to fund the acquisition and remodel of a new Service Center.
The Outcomes Of This Transformative Project Include:
- Increase operational footprint by 400% with 50,000+ square feet of program space
- Increase prepared meals and rescue food service by 100% to 1,000 units per month
- Increase food pantry donations by 250% to 50,000 pounds per month
- Expand the number of households serviced by 50% to 7,500 households annually
- Expand group programming to include culinary arts training, career training, financial literacy, addiction recovery meetings, health and wellness classes, music, and more
- Expand private services to include intake and referrals, mental health counseling and clinical services, and drop-in services with third-party health professionals
- Expand collaborations and host events for veterans and the community at large
- Improve the physical and mental health and quality of life of more vulnerable veterans
- Provide new housing opportunities for homeless and vulnerable veterans
- Assist an overburdened network of health and human service providers, food pantries and others by increasing service to more veterans
- Relocate the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 9 William S. Green, with a membership of nearly 600 veterans, and other veterans organizations to create a community hub
VABC welcomes your support of this objective to secure a service center and meet the goal of its “Building a Healthy Veterans Community” Capital Campaign.
For a tour of VABC and an overview of the urgent needs of veterans in our community, please contact
Ken Levesque at 508-679-9277 or k.levesque@thevabc.org
or Kolby Driscoll at kolby @vantageinphilanthropy.com
Thank you.