October 26, 2024 • 10 mins
The transition back to civilian life can be rocky for some veterans. It's critical to ensure they have a dedicated support system in place to help, but, unfortunately, many fall through the cracks. There's a brand new veterans center in Plymouth where veterans can access comprehensive services to help them address their unique needs and get set up for success. Charles Gagnon, President and CEO of Volunteers of America Massachusetts, talks with Nichole this week about their work with the state to get the center up and running, and everything they have to offer.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England
Weekend where each week right here we talk about all
the topics important to you and the place where you live.
It is great to be back with you again this week.
I'm Nicole Davis. From many veterans, not just here in Massachusetts,
but all over the country, the transition back to civilian
life can be tough. It is critical to make sure
they have a dedicated support system in place to help,
(00:30):
but unfortunately, many veterans simply fall through the cracks. As
of earlier this month, there is a brand new source
of help for veterans on the South Shore. Volunteers of
America Massachusetts just opened up its brand new Veteran Center.
They've got all kinds of comprehensive services to help veterans
address their needs and get set up for success. Charles
Gone you was here. He is the President and CEO
(00:51):
of Volunteers of America Massachusetts. Charles, I'd love to learn
a bit more first about what VOA does and your
mission here.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Sure. Volunteers of Massachusetts is a nonprofit charitable organization and
our mission is simply to dedicate our service to those
in need and particularly the hardest to serve in those
facing multiple challenges. You know, our work touches mind, the body, heart,
and ultimately the spirit of those we serve. We really
(01:20):
try to provide people opportunities and the care they need.
Our tagline is Care today, Opportunity Tomorrow. And we serve
a variety of different folks, and that includes folks coming
from all four corners of the community, including our veterans
that we're talking about today. We also help thousands of
people with people living with mental health and subtu disorders,
(01:43):
Folks experiencing homelessness or housing in stability, joblessness or underemployed,
folks that have involved in the justice system. And we
also serve a variety of older persons. We own and
manage three large assistant living communities and provide care so
be's going to age and dignity, safety and respect.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well. You definitely have your hands in a bunch of
different communities, which is great because these are all communities
that could use a little bit of uplifting. But you know,
especially as we make our way toward Veterans Day and
we are focusing on our veterans, give us a bit
more information about what you do to help our local.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Vets Sure, so our veterans organizations, we have a significant
service portfolio and nical that really helps veterans across the board. So,
for instance, we operate the Supported Services of a Veterans Family,
which is the VA flagship on homeless prevention and making
sure folks won't become homeless. So we're helping veterans in
(02:40):
their families achieve permanent, decent, affordable housing. We also operate
the Mass Bay Veterans Center in the city of Summerville.
We have an excellent partnership with Summerville. We operate of
twenty four beds of transitional bets for homeless vets and
seven and seven units of permanent housing. We have twenty
four to seven care including folks on our clinical and
(03:01):
medical teams. The VA said that some of the more
challenging clients. We had two homeless veterans last month over
the age of seventy, and that disturbed me and say
we must do more. We can do better, and the
only way to get at these root causes of veterans
homelessness and the challenges is really to identify them and
work together to meet those community needs.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yes, it's really overwhelming to me how many veterans are
experiencing homelessness, especially after they've given so much to our country.
So what is really important is for them to find
a sense of community, and that's what I feel this
new center in Plymouth is hoping to do exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, you know one of the main objectives of the
community center, and I give you Secretary of John Santiago
of the Executive Office Veterins Services, all the credit. He
identified this gap of services and connections for the veterans
community all throughout the south coast southeast Massachusetts, and he
(04:00):
came to me and our team said, listen, we'd like
to set out a comprehensive community care center, a resource
center for veterans, based in Plymouth, but serving the entire region.
And we want someone to approach our work with the
veterans holistically and on a comprehensive level. And if our
(04:21):
model is well known, we actually look at everything to
call through a whole person care model. So when we
go to help a vet, we look at their primary
health care needs, their mental health, subdew disorder, housing, employment.
So we take this holistic view that's trauming forward to
make sure we identify the root causes in a path
towards self sufficiency, and that's exactly what we're going to
(04:43):
do in communities in downtown Plymouth to help the riveter
and centers feel connected, connect them to peers, connect them
to services, and provide opportunities through local businesses.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
So then how say a veteran shows up and or
calls you and says, you know, I need some help.
I don't really feel like myself, or maybe they say
I need a job opportunity, or just whatever it is
that they need help with. What sort of resources are
you going to be able to help them with at
this Plymouth center.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Great question, Well, the good news is that we do
have a comprehensive team. As I mentioned, we're an integrated
care organization that looks at a whole person. So we
have already identified our clinical team to provide both mental
health and substitute disorder at the center upon walking or
by apployment. We have housing employment specialists that focus on
(05:36):
identifying housing opportunities in the region, doing really the review
to make sure it's a portable, sustainable same thing working
with the maths Hire career centers and other employment A
lot of our veterans need to find a better job
that pays a living wage with benefit, ideally a job
that's in demand that provides really a career ladder. And
(05:59):
if we cannot provide the services on site with those
core items, we can refer them to local organizations. Vessin's
Legal Assistance Corporation. We have faith based partners, and the
Town of Plymouth has just been fantastic. They have rolled
off the red carpet and we're going to work directly
with the towns of Commissioner of Health and Human Services.
So no veteran in Plymouth or in the region is
(06:22):
disconnected from care. That's our core plan.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I love that. And then how is the state helping out?
You mentioned that John Santiago was there for this ribbon cutting.
There were plenty of local officials and notables there. Tell
us about what the state is doing to make this
a success.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Well, I'm not sure if you know much about Sextor
of Pantiago, but he is a person that has both
vision but a practical passion to get things done. He's
an er dar doctor, he's a decorated veteran. He's been
an elected official, he was in the Peace Corps. So
he brings as the first Secretary of Veterans Service, a
(07:00):
completely different prism of how to approach both healthcare, housing, employment,
and he stepped up and he's been the primary funder
to launch this. He has our organizations show but private
resources and we have a variety of other resources that
we can leverage and we open up the center in
(07:21):
less than one year. It's state of the arts center.
And there's no way we could have done it without
the support of both Secretary of Santiago and I also
say Derek Brindisi, who's also an active reservist and a
military person. He's the town manager, and he said, we
want this to happen in our town, big hearted town
like Plymouth, right in the downtown, so it's very visible,
(07:44):
easy to get to, and we're going to connect the
folks of Plymouth to this center. And that includes the
police department, the fire department. At the press conference, Nicole
I got approached by two elders in their seventy The
Pine Hills Community Senior Community has over fifty veterans. They
want to join in and join partnership. But when that
(08:05):
just touches my heart.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
That's amazing. And you're already making such a huge difference
and I feel like a lot of veterans once they
come home, they just want to find a purpose, right,
They want something to do, They want to make sure
that they are still giving back. That's why I absolutely
love talking to veterans working with veterans, because they are
some of the most selfless people I know. And this
(08:27):
is just so heartwarming and encouraging that you're already connecting
with so many around the South Shore and making sure
that they have what they need to live a happy
and fulfilled life.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yeah. Well, I appreciate that. I mean, I'm a big
believer in the collaborative partnership model and leadership. So think
about what we've been discussing. You have a private organization
like DOI math taking the lead, taking on the risk.
You have a public partner with the executive Office of
Bethment Services the Town of Plymouth. We have local stakeholders
with the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, Fire Police.
(08:58):
We have faith based partners, we had retired Pine Hills residents,
and we have volunteers. But that's the kind of coalition
that's going to move the dial to uplift every veteran
in their family. Are certain veterans that they significant challenge.
Think about the challenges the veterans are seeing in Iraq
and Syria compared to Vietnamics. So our care plans have
(09:21):
to be customized for this specific veteran, their age, their experience,
and once we identify the root causes, we have a
care plan that moves them forward.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
So if somebody is hearing this and thinking either A
they're a veteran and want to get involved, or be
they want to volunteer or maybe help this coalition in
any way they can. Are you looking for volunteers? Do
you need financial assistance? How can people help?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
You? Know? We are and I will send you to
our website when you will make sure that you can
see that on our website and there's a number, but
I will give you my cell phone. If you have
anyone who wants to talk to me, who wants to
be connected to volunteer partner with the new Plymouth Area
of Vepmins Center, please call Charles Gane you at five
oh eight six five four four eight five six Once
(10:10):
again that's five zero eight sixty five four four A
five six and my email is see gan you DGA
g n O N at BOAMAS dot org.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
You know, Charles, I really appreciate your assistance with our
local veterans. This is going to be such a great
resource for them as you move forward. And thank you
so much for all you do for our local vets,
and I am happy to have you here on the show.
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Well, thank you to Carl and I appreciate you covering
this story. Our vepins deserve it and it takes the
village and we're going to be there to help them out.
So thank you very much and.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Have a great day, have a safe and healthy spooky weekend.
Please join me again next week for another edition of
the show. I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England
Weekend where each week right here we talk about all
the topics important to you and the place where you live.
It is great to be back with you again this week.
I'm Nicole Davis. From many veterans, not just here in Massachusetts,
but all over the country, the transition back to civilian
life can be tough. It is critical to make sure
they have a dedicated support system in place to help,
(00:30):
but unfortunately, many veterans simply fall through the cracks. As
of earlier this month, there is a brand new source
of help for veterans on the South Shore. Volunteers of
America Massachusetts just opened up its brand new Veteran Center.
They've got all kinds of comprehensive services to help veterans
address their needs and get set up for success. Charles
Gone you was here. He is the President and CEO
(00:51):
of Volunteers of America Massachusetts. Charles, I'd love to learn
a bit more first about what VOA does and your
mission here.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Sure. Volunteers of Massachusetts is a nonprofit charitable organization and
our mission is simply to dedicate our service to those
in need and particularly the hardest to serve in those
facing multiple challenges. You know, our work touches mind, the body, heart,
and ultimately the spirit of those we serve. We really
(01:20):
try to provide people opportunities and the care they need.
Our tagline is Care today, Opportunity Tomorrow. And we serve
a variety of different folks, and that includes folks coming
from all four corners of the community, including our veterans
that we're talking about today. We also help thousands of
people with people living with mental health and subtu disorders,
(01:43):
Folks experiencing homelessness or housing in stability, joblessness or underemployed,
folks that have involved in the justice system. And we
also serve a variety of older persons. We own and
manage three large assistant living communities and provide care so
be's going to age and dignity, safety and respect.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well. You definitely have your hands in a bunch of
different communities, which is great because these are all communities
that could use a little bit of uplifting. But you know,
especially as we make our way toward Veterans Day and
we are focusing on our veterans, give us a bit
more information about what you do to help our local.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Vets Sure, so our veterans organizations, we have a significant
service portfolio and nical that really helps veterans across the board. So,
for instance, we operate the Supported Services of a Veterans Family,
which is the VA flagship on homeless prevention and making
sure folks won't become homeless. So we're helping veterans in
(02:40):
their families achieve permanent, decent, affordable housing. We also operate
the Mass Bay Veterans Center in the city of Summerville.
We have an excellent partnership with Summerville. We operate of
twenty four beds of transitional bets for homeless vets and
seven and seven units of permanent housing. We have twenty
four to seven care including folks on our clinical and
(03:01):
medical teams. The VA said that some of the more
challenging clients. We had two homeless veterans last month over
the age of seventy, and that disturbed me and say
we must do more. We can do better, and the
only way to get at these root causes of veterans
homelessness and the challenges is really to identify them and
work together to meet those community needs.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yes, it's really overwhelming to me how many veterans are
experiencing homelessness, especially after they've given so much to our country.
So what is really important is for them to find
a sense of community, and that's what I feel this
new center in Plymouth is hoping to do exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, you know one of the main objectives of the
community center, and I give you Secretary of John Santiago
of the Executive Office Veterins Services, all the credit. He
identified this gap of services and connections for the veterans
community all throughout the south coast southeast Massachusetts, and he
(04:00):
came to me and our team said, listen, we'd like
to set out a comprehensive community care center, a resource
center for veterans, based in Plymouth, but serving the entire region.
And we want someone to approach our work with the
veterans holistically and on a comprehensive level. And if our
(04:21):
model is well known, we actually look at everything to
call through a whole person care model. So when we
go to help a vet, we look at their primary
health care needs, their mental health, subdew disorder, housing, employment.
So we take this holistic view that's trauming forward to
make sure we identify the root causes in a path
towards self sufficiency, and that's exactly what we're going to
(04:43):
do in communities in downtown Plymouth to help the riveter
and centers feel connected, connect them to peers, connect them
to services, and provide opportunities through local businesses.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
So then how say a veteran shows up and or
calls you and says, you know, I need some help.
I don't really feel like myself, or maybe they say
I need a job opportunity, or just whatever it is
that they need help with. What sort of resources are
you going to be able to help them with at
this Plymouth center.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Great question, Well, the good news is that we do
have a comprehensive team. As I mentioned, we're an integrated
care organization that looks at a whole person. So we
have already identified our clinical team to provide both mental
health and substitute disorder at the center upon walking or
by apployment. We have housing employment specialists that focus on
(05:36):
identifying housing opportunities in the region, doing really the review
to make sure it's a portable, sustainable same thing working
with the maths Hire career centers and other employment A
lot of our veterans need to find a better job
that pays a living wage with benefit, ideally a job
that's in demand that provides really a career ladder. And
(05:59):
if we cannot provide the services on site with those
core items, we can refer them to local organizations. Vessin's
Legal Assistance Corporation. We have faith based partners, and the
Town of Plymouth has just been fantastic. They have rolled
off the red carpet and we're going to work directly
with the towns of Commissioner of Health and Human Services.
So no veteran in Plymouth or in the region is
(06:22):
disconnected from care. That's our core plan.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
I love that. And then how is the state helping out?
You mentioned that John Santiago was there for this ribbon cutting.
There were plenty of local officials and notables there. Tell
us about what the state is doing to make this
a success.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Well, I'm not sure if you know much about Sextor
of Pantiago, but he is a person that has both
vision but a practical passion to get things done. He's
an er dar doctor, he's a decorated veteran. He's been
an elected official, he was in the Peace Corps. So
he brings as the first Secretary of Veterans Service, a
(07:00):
completely different prism of how to approach both healthcare, housing, employment,
and he stepped up and he's been the primary funder
to launch this. He has our organizations show but private
resources and we have a variety of other resources that
we can leverage and we open up the center in
(07:21):
less than one year. It's state of the arts center.
And there's no way we could have done it without
the support of both Secretary of Santiago and I also
say Derek Brindisi, who's also an active reservist and a
military person. He's the town manager, and he said, we
want this to happen in our town, big hearted town
like Plymouth, right in the downtown, so it's very visible,
(07:44):
easy to get to, and we're going to connect the
folks of Plymouth to this center. And that includes the
police department, the fire department. At the press conference, Nicole
I got approached by two elders in their seventy The
Pine Hills Community Senior Community has over fifty veterans. They
want to join in and join partnership. But when that
(08:05):
just touches my heart.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
That's amazing. And you're already making such a huge difference
and I feel like a lot of veterans once they
come home, they just want to find a purpose, right,
They want something to do, They want to make sure
that they are still giving back. That's why I absolutely
love talking to veterans working with veterans, because they are
some of the most selfless people I know. And this
(08:27):
is just so heartwarming and encouraging that you're already connecting
with so many around the South Shore and making sure
that they have what they need to live a happy
and fulfilled life.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yeah. Well, I appreciate that. I mean, I'm a big
believer in the collaborative partnership model and leadership. So think
about what we've been discussing. You have a private organization
like DOI math taking the lead, taking on the risk.
You have a public partner with the executive Office of
Bethment Services the Town of Plymouth. We have local stakeholders
with the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, Fire Police.
(08:58):
We have faith based partners, we had retired Pine Hills residents,
and we have volunteers. But that's the kind of coalition
that's going to move the dial to uplift every veteran
in their family. Are certain veterans that they significant challenge.
Think about the challenges the veterans are seeing in Iraq
and Syria compared to Vietnamics. So our care plans have
(09:21):
to be customized for this specific veteran, their age, their experience,
and once we identify the root causes, we have a
care plan that moves them forward.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
So if somebody is hearing this and thinking either A
they're a veteran and want to get involved, or be
they want to volunteer or maybe help this coalition in
any way they can. Are you looking for volunteers? Do
you need financial assistance? How can people help?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
You? Know? We are and I will send you to
our website when you will make sure that you can
see that on our website and there's a number, but
I will give you my cell phone. If you have
anyone who wants to talk to me, who wants to
be connected to volunteer partner with the new Plymouth Area
of Vepmins Center, please call Charles Gane you at five
oh eight six five four four eight five six Once
(10:10):
again that's five zero eight sixty five four four A
five six and my email is see gan you DGA
g n O N at BOAMAS dot org.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
You know, Charles, I really appreciate your assistance with our
local veterans. This is going to be such a great
resource for them as you move forward. And thank you
so much for all you do for our local vets,
and I am happy to have you here on the show.
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Well, thank you to Carl and I appreciate you covering
this story. Our vepins deserve it and it takes the
village and we're going to be there to help them out.
So thank you very much and.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Have a great day, have a safe and healthy spooky weekend.
Please join me again next week for another edition of
the show. I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.
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