Julia LennipsThanks to the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund, $40,000 will go towards supporting the Fredericton Homeless Shelters’ From Crisis to Home project.
On July 19, 2021, Lawrence MacAulay, minister of veterans affairs and associate minister of national defence, and Jenica Atwin, member of parliament for Fredericton, made the announcement.
The services include support for mental health, addiction, and wellness to support homeless Veterans with finding secure housing.
“Every single person who has served our country in uniform deserves a safe place to call home. From Crisis to Home will provide some much-needed support to Veterans who need it, and I want to thank the team at Fredericton Homeless Shelters for the incredible work they’re doing in the Fredericton area. We created the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund for just this kind of project, and I know it’s going to change the lives of the Veterans who come through it,” Minister MacAulay stated.
Crisis to Home Project
According to a press release, the Crisis to Home project conducted by The Fredericton Homeless Shelters, Inc. was created to identify Veterans experiencing homelessness in Fredericton and the surrounding areas and provide them with temporary housing and case management services.
The services include support for mental health, addiction, and wellness to support homeless Veterans with finding secure housing.
Atwin expressed how pleased she is that the Government of Canada is able to support the project as they provide meaningful supports and services to veterans.
Canada’s Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund
The press release further noted, “the Government of Canada’s Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund provides grants and contributions to private, public or academic organizations to support research, initiatives, and projects that enhance the well-being of Veterans and their families.”
Warren C. Maddox, executive director, Fredericton Homeless Shelters, informed that the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund is an extremely versatile tool for them to be able to support Veterans when they are in their darkest hours.
“The work of Fredericton Homeless Shelters is entirely focused on moving a person from crisis to permanently housed. Our organization and our community partners provide the supports they need to make their journey back from desperation and pain. VAC have been there for us as we help Vets heal and thrive,” said Maddox.
Support Homeless Veteran Pilot Project
In 2019, the Fredericton Homeless Shelters received $59,580 from the Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund to support their Homeless Veteran Pilot Project, which provided temporary housing and case management services to Veterans experiencing homelessness.
About the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund
Since 2018, the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund has helped more than 60 organizations improve the lives of Canadian Veterans and their families in areas like homelessness, mental health, the transition to civilian life, supporting women Veterans, and more.
Starting this year, an expansion and enhancement of funding for projects helping Veterans during the after COVID-19 recovery will take place.
Specifically, an additional $15 million over three years for projects was proposed in the 2021 budget.
