Why Building More Housing Won’t End Veteran Homelessness—And What Will

[0:16]  Welcome back to an episode here on the Heart and Hustle podcast alongside Bruce and Casey. What's up? How you guys doing today?

[0:23]  Good. How are you?

[0:25]  Oh man, I'm blessed. We're awake, right? We woke up today on this beautiful Wednesday morning. For those that are watching, it is Wednesday. Maybe not where you're watching, but it is early in the morning. Some good weather.

[0:39]  Bruce and Casey, where are you guys located for people that are watching?

[0:42]  We're up in western Massachusetts. So, the Berkshires, for anybody that knows, that's kind of a vacation spot for New York City and the Northeast. Um, but it's western Mass. So people hear Massachusetts and think Boston, but we're the other end of the state.

[0:58]  Yeah, man. You know, it's so sad when you think Mass, you automatically think Boston. There's so much more in Mass, right?

[1:04]  Definitely.

[1:06]  Definitely. And, uh, so much more that there's organizations and resources that you guys provide. Casey, could you tell us a little bit about what you guys do at the organization?

[1:25]  So, we provide homeless and at-risk veterans with supportive services, peace management, and most importantly, housing. So, I'll let Bruce take over on that piece.

[1:30]  Yeah. Before Bruce takes over, if you could just tell us your title for the organization as well. We want to know who you are.

[1:32]  So, my name is Casey Deiko and I'm the executive director of communications here at Soldier On.

[1:35]  Got it. Got it. Bruce, sorry to cut you, man. I just wanted people to know who Casey was. She's doing some amazing things. So, Bruce, if you want to go ahead and take over.

[1:42]  Sure. Well, Casey, like a lot of folks, makes this place work. I kind of get to orchestrate it and see the results and participate when I can. But our purpose really is to end veteran homelessness. And we've been around for 30 years as a 501c3. To oversimplify it, I look at every day as my job is to end veteran homelessness. We've been working on that in a lot of ways and continue to grow and serve the men and women that served our country.

[2:14]  What’s the why, man? I think people would love to know what gets you into the space. I mean, when we could be doing so many other things in spaces where money, right? We can make more money. But you're in this space, Bruce. Did you have any experience with homelessness or vets, or is it just wanting to do the right thing?

[2:16]  Well, you know, life happens. And I think as I age here, I've learned more and more that, you know, you have a plan. You do what you can to make your life happen the way you want it to be, and then life happens. So, I am not practicing a CPA. When Soldier On was a very small agency in 2002 and needed some accounting help, I came on and really had a very kind of an outside looking in perspective, but helped make the money work for this agency. And then I grew with the agency. We've grown a lot since 2002 when I really became, um, I think bitten by the passion, if that's the right way to say it. But, um, you know, seeing the results of what I can do and what our staff does is what inspired me to do more and really commit my working life to this effort.

[3:39]  Man, so what, 24 years is that you've been doing this?

[3:41]  Yeah. 24 years.

[3:44]  Yeah. And you told me, man, you don't stop long enough to feel it because you feel like there's still so much more to do. But I want to pause you there for a second, man. What does it actually mean to still be running toward this after all that time?

[3:57]  Well, I think, you know, it means we're accomplishing things. I wouldn't do it if I didn't feel that we were really making a difference. And you know how we measure it. I can throw statistics and numbers and even bigger numbers and more buildings, but really we measure it by the men and women that we serve. We're all in our buildings quite a bit. I talk to the men and women, the veterans that live in our programs, live in our permanent housing on a daily basis, and um, I can see that we're making a difference. So, you know, I think we measure our success in names, not numbers.

[4:42]  And Casey, what does your everyday look like? And when we talk about helping the veterans and the homelessness, what does your job entail to make sure that we are helping these individuals?

[4:55]  Well, it's making sure that we're accessible, right? So, um, every day is different, and making sure that our social media platform is being constantly updated with stories, success stories, or events and fundraising. Most importantly, it's raising awareness. Um, it's not always about the fundraising piece, though that is a perk, but getting the word out because somebody knows somebody who's a veteran and who might be needing or seeking help. So, we want to make sure that we're getting out there and knowing that we have a toll-free number that they can call or they can simply email us, just making sure that we're accessible.

[5:37]  Copy. And from a communication standpoint, how do we close the gap between the need that exists and the awareness that doesn't? Because the story you're telling is so powerful, but it's probably not reaching everyone who needs to hear it. Would you agree?

[5:51]  Oh, 100%. We're definitely not reaching everybody. And so, how do you close that gap?

[5:57]  It's something that we work on every day, like meeting new people, right? Meeting you, getting our word out, um, you know, having conversations and going to where we are currently and providing the services in the five states and making sure that those community resources know we're in your area.

[6:18]  How many people are you guys serving on a yearly basis? How many vets?

[6:21]  I think we have the number. I don't have it in front of me. It would be four or 5,000. Um, we serve veterans in a lot of ways. We do build housing and, you know, the good news is also a little bit of the bad news. So we build housing and we provide a lot of supports in that housing, and the good news is they stay there. It becomes home for the rest of their lives. I just got a call before this call from our New Jersey building in Titan Falls, New Jersey, and the upper Jersey Shore. It's a 70-unit building, and one of the veterans that's been there pretty much since it opened in 2021 passed away somewhat unexpectedly, and I knew the guy pretty well. But it really is a testament to the men and women that move into our buildings. Usually, they stay there. So that's the good news. The bad news is we need to build more and more and more. But that's one way we reach veterans. We also have a program of transitional housing that's based in Massachusetts. Um, but it's not unusual. We bring veterans from around the Northeast here for a period of time. And, um, so last night we would have had about 500 veterans living in our permanent housing. We would have had about a hundred in transitional housing. And then we have the biggest thing we do is a program called SSVF where the VA funds us. It's been a great program. It's an abbreviation for supportive services for veteran families, and we have 110 to 120 employees throughout the Northeast that go out every day in a least rev 4, which is part of the grant, and they meet with veterans all over. They meet them on the streets. They meet them in their sister's couches in their apartments. They meet them in their apartments if they're going to be evicted. Um, a lot of ways we touch veterans, and then we can pay rent, we can pay security deposits. So, that touches literally thousands every year in the five states that we're out there every day performing those services. So, that's where we get to 5,000ish.

[8:42]  Yeah. Yeah. No, that's crazy. I was going to ask that actually. You mentioned Jersey at some point. So, what locations are you guys in right now? Where are you all doing the services, providing these services?

[8:53]  Well, we are in New York State. We're in the entire state from north of New York City. We don't do the city. We don't do Long Island. We do all of New York State from about Kingston, if anybody knows that, Ulster County, up to Canada, out past Buffalo. We're in 26 or 23 counties in western Pennsylvania.

[9:19]  We are in nine counties in New Jersey, and then we're in four more counties in New Jersey. So, we're really in 13 counties in New Jersey, and we are in the entire state of Delaware now. So we're kind of throughout a lot of the Northeast. Not every single spot, but much of it.

[9:46]  I love that. And Casey, you being a part of this and probably seeing a lot of growth, like what are some of the things that you're so excited to even continue to implement to see more growth?

[9:48]  You know, and you're right, I have seen the growth. Um, I've been lucky enough to watch the agency grow throughout the 10 years I've been here. And, um, it's the constant opening of the permanent housing buildings and meeting the new residents. They become our family. And so, it's the meeting the people, it's meeting the people we serve and allowing them to become a part of my life and vice versa, becoming a part of their life.

[10:12]  Love that. And how long have you been with the organization? You don't mind me asking?

[10:14]  It actually will be 10 years next week.

[10:19]  Happy 10 years.

[10:21]  It doesn't feel like it.

[10:23]  That means you're having fun. That's usually what happens when they say it doesn't feel like 10 years. It means you've been having a lot of fun.

[10:29]  The days fly by.

[10:31]  Were either of you guys in the for-profit world and then ended up in this nonprofit space?

[10:33]  I was in the for-profit world.

[10:38]  What do you think is the difference for those that are listening that may want to find that purpose and passion and say, "You know what? Let me join an organization." Um, but there's stigmas around it, right? Like there's no money in nonprofits or, you know, all these different things. You're going to do a lot of jobs. I can imagine that there's a lot of pros and cons to it. Casey, what is that pro and con that you've seen on both sides?

[11:00]  Um, so I was in the fashion industry in New York City and, uh, hustle and bustle. I ended up ending my fashion career at Oscar de la Renta, and it was between a work-life balance. I needed something more fulfilling. Uh, so I gave up my job without a job.

[11:22]  Yeah.

[11:22]  Um, and moved back to the Berkshires and have been lucky enough to be with Soldier On since, and it's rewarding, right? And I do have the work-life balance. Um, so I have a lot of perks to say about it.

[11:37]  Yeah. That was a total change right there from fashion to what you're doing today.

[11:43]  Yes. They're both probably fun work. Um, as you mentioned, this one is probably filling up your cup every single day you're seeing. Do you have a story actually that comes to mind when we think about a story of impact and seeing someone go from maybe not having the resources or the direction to someone now, as you mentioned in one of your programs?

[12:02]  Well, I have a few stories, right? Because um, we're constantly gathering the success stories of our veterans. You know, one that comes to mind is Valerie. She lives in our Titan Falls building, moved in in 2024, and we partner with a lot of different nonprofits as well, which is great. Voices of Valor, which is a program underneath the music for all seasons. Voices of Valor consists of about a nine-week program where veterans work with professional musicians to create a song that they actually write and then record in a professional recording studio. And Valerie has participated in two of the programs, and she told me she got her voice back. And so that was just very impactful. And then I got to go to a fundraiser where they sang the song, and I felt like a proud mom because they were all lined up on stage in a room full of strangers with professional musicians, and they sang the song that they all wrote. And so I couldn't help but being like, you know, that was my proud mom moment.

[13:21]  Yeah, that's so cool. How about you, Bruce? Do you have a story that comes to mind that you'd like to share?

[13:27]  Well, like Casey, I've got lots of stories. I think one that I refer to is there was a gentleman, Guy Mash. Well, I don't know if Guy passed away. Okay, I'll end with the end of the story, but Guy lived in a tent city behind a supermarket in New Jersey for 35 years, a Marine veteran, and was very gruff looking. He had a big white beard, piercings in his face, his cheek, and he had a gruff kind of bark personality. Our staff in New Jersey tried to get him to come into our program for years, and he just wouldn't budge. He lived behind a supermarket with other homeless folks in central New Jersey and lived in a tent literally for a period of time. Before that, he lived in a shed in somebody's backyard that they let him live in. So, Guy was a tough one. Our staff brought down our mental health professional from Massachusetts to meet with him. We convinced him to come up to Massachusetts into our transitional program and started out kind of keeping away from me but slowly really became part of the community. He was a kind, nice guy under this gruff exterior. We built a building in southern western Mass in Awan, Massachusetts. He was one of the first veterans to move in in 2017 and really became part of the community. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years ago from his health catching up to him, but we even helped him get his driver's license back, which is something he just let lapse. But our staff worked closely with him, helped him study for the test, got his learner's permit. We used our vehicles and our staff to let him do his road time and practice, and then worked with him while he got his license back. And he passed his license test. And this kind of illustrates some of the barriers that we see that aren't always logical. But yeah, he passed the test, went to get his license, and he was bald and always wore a cap. And the woman said, "Now I'm going to take your picture. You've got to take your cap off." And he says, "I'm not taking my cap off." And the woman at the registry says, "You can't get your license if you don't take your cap off." And he says, "Why would I take my cap off? I always wear it. If the police stop me, they won't recognize me unless I have my cap on." And they were at a stalemate. Fortunately, our staff was with him and got him to take his cap off for the 10 seconds to take his picture, got his license, and actually drove for us for a period of time until his health caught up to him. So, that's just one of literally thousands of stories that all the staff has a bunch of those. And, uh, that's really what we do every day.

[16:44]  I love these conversations. I feel like we don't know what we don't know, right? We live in this world and sometimes don't even know what's happening around us. So just you kind of talking about that, Bruce, and just that whole male voice that could trigger, you know, because trauma could trigger, you know, because trauma, it could be a smell, a voice, a thought that triggers these things. And to just have people alongside you that is willing to help you is always so crucial. And that you guys have given up 25 years to kind of be in this space, like kudos to you. That talks about passion and purpose work. I love it just listening to some of these stories on how your cups get filled but also how people's lives have been changed as well through this organization. I didn't realize that you guys were in so many different locations. Like, that's amazing. What does the trajectory look like, I would say, Casey, if you could have a magic wand to just kind of fix something and say, "Hey, we want to implement this today," what does that even look like? It seems like you guys are already doing a lot.

[17:39]  Well, I mean, our goal is to end veteran homelessness, right? Like essentially, we want to lose our jobs, I guess you could say. Um, because then our work is done. But as you can see, as Bruce said, there's wait lists everywhere. Um, and Bruce will attest to this. We don't go anywhere where we're not invited. So, an organization will call myself or Bruce to have a conversation to see if we mesh really well together and we can work together. Um, but we won't go into just anyone's backyard without being invited.

[18:14]  Okay, I love it. Um, and for the veteran that is listening, Casey, right now who is struggling and doesn't even know where to turn and doesn't even believe help exists for them, what do you say directly to those individuals?

[18:42]  Call us at 866-406-8649. Again, 866-406-8649. I think I just messed that up. That second one.

[18:45]  The first one, guys. The first one.

[18:43]  The first one, guys. The first one. Um, but you know, reach out. We're there. Reach out on social media. We're on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and our website, wesoldieron.org. There's a contact button and you can email us right there.

[19:05]  For sure. I love it. I love what you guys stand for. I love what you guys have been able to do and continue to do, as you mentioned. Uh, so Casey and Bruce, I really appreciate the conversation. I know Casey, you dropped some of that where we can find you. Did we miss anything? Like I know you mentioned the URL, the socials. Is there phone numbers? Anything else that we should know on where people can really find you or if they're looking for anything?

[19:29]  The website is probably the best location, which is wesoldieron.org because all the information and all the various programs that we provide can be located there.

[19:40]  I love it. Well, Bruce and Casey, it's been a pleasure talking to you guys this morning. Thank you.

[19:44]  Um, you guys continue to do some amazing work. Bruce, 25 years, man. We have another conversation and you'll still be kicking it, man. More homes, more things in place, man. You can't go nowhere.

[20:06]  Okay, guys. My name's Ben Era. This is Casey. This is Bruce. Make sure you guys check them out. We'll catch you on the next one. Latest.

[20:06]  Thank you.