Veteran Village
The James A. Peterson Veteran Village and SC Johnson Community Center are located at 1624 Yout Street, Racine, WI 53404. We house homeless veterans while supplying them with all the tools needed to break the cycle of homelessness and help them to, once again, become productive members of society.
James A. Peterson Veteran Village
We offer a welcoming, warm environment with all the amenities they need including a full-sized kitchen, recreation area, showers, bathrooms, and a laundry room. In addition, they have their own unique tiny home which has a bed, small storage areas, a microwave, Keurig machine, refrigerator, and a television.
As the first and most successful project of its kind in Wisconsin, VOW has been recognized nationally as a model for other communities. Building tiny homes is simply the foundation of the program. Once a resident no longer has to worry about their immediate needs, they can start building for the future. Veteran residents will have the support to hope, plan, and dream for the next chapter of their lives. In addition, our program includes services such as financial literacy, veteran peer support groups, weekly wellness activities (meditation, yoga, field trips), job facilitation, and service hours. This helps our residents engage with the broader community. Finally, program participants will have the stability to know their foundation is more than just one paycheck away from a return to homelessness.
SC Johnson Community Center
The SC Johnson Community Center is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to veterans living in the James A. Peterson Veteran Village. The facility includes a laundry room, two multi-stall restrooms, four showers (two are handicap accessible), a full-sized kitchen built by Milwaukee Tool, a dining space, and a recreation area with a pool table and a spacious entertainment center.
The SC Johnson Community Center provides a safe and comfortable space where veterans can interact with each other which helps with healing and advancement. In addition to this, Veterans Outreach provides a program unique to each resident.
VOW Receives $5,000 Grant from Homes for HeroesThe Homes for Heroes Foundation awarded the Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin (VOW) a $5,000 grant to help veteran homelessness and offer support to at-risk veteran households. Founded by community members who recognized a local need, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin specifically works with veterans in every community across Wisconsin and offers a food market, trauma-informed programming, and 15 tiny homes. The grant check presentation interview was conducted by Homes for Heroes Foundation Director, Jay Flynn and local Homes for Heroes Mortgage Specialist, Kevin McSwain. They interviewed Michael Rembalski, Executive Director for Veterans Outreach for Wisconsin, and veteran hero, Kenneth Carter. They spoke about how Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin supports local veterans and helps them get back on their feet. The Homes for Heroes Foundation grant will specifically go toward restocking and replenishing furnishings needed for their village of tiny homes used to accommodate homeless veterans, or those living in at-risk households. |
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