God has blessed me in so many ways and I want to be of service and help those in need. What do homeless veterans need most and how can I find them and provide whatever that is to them in the most efficient way possible? I can rent an apartment in an ideal location to act as a safe place to shower and stay clean, do laundry, stay warm, etc but I’m nervous that it could go sideways if I’m not careful, I don’t know the pitfalls of running a clandestine homeless shelter but I want to make an effective change in the quality of life and help be a stepping stone to lift up the men and women who have taken the oath to protect our constitution. They deserve better and I can’t sit by another day knowing that winter is here and our nations protectors are cold, hungry, stolen from etc. I don’t know where this will lead but I have a burning desire to start this. I don’t want to just donate to a shelter or hand out blankets, I can afford a thousand dollars a month and my first thought is shelter, supplies, home base, internet access, hot meals, etc. I am an IT guy so I have lots of computers printers etc things that can help a person get a job interview and arrive with clean clothes and a home address. Like a we work office like a satellite homeless shelter designed to help lift a person out of poverty and back onto their own two feet. I’m in East TN if there are any patriots out here that want to help hit me up. I’m going to start to plan and I know I’ll fumble in the dark a bit but I’ve never felt an urge so strong within me. I will let the Holy Spirit guide me on this journey and so I know this work will be good.
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While they are there, have them agree to jobs to help build themselves & the house.
Find a social worker/behavioral health professional that is willing to help with your endeavor.
Maybe set this up as a 501c3 (charitable non profit that allows donors to claim contributions on their taxes). Then share your vision with some others and ask if they would be willing to donate some time &/or funds to help cover the costs of lifting up vets into getting jobs & integrating back into society. As a 501c3 you may be able to get some churches/partners to help with counseling or professional behavioral health services.
If you want help learning more with that aspect, I might suggest reaching out to the directors of Behavioral Health Services in a couple of hospitals near you. They can give you a list of great resources & could tell you about conferences you can attend to network locally to get the best help/partnerships for these vets.
Also setting up a 501c3 could help prevent your personal liability if things go sideways (do speak with an attorney).
If you are simply renting, so you can rent to/share with others, you might run into possible sub-lettetting issues. Make sure you are ready for those if there are any legal hassles in TN. Many of the managed properties in my area have a "no sub-lease" & "no sub-letting" clause, this prevents you from allowing others to rent/use rooms in your rented space. I don't know if allowing others to "crash" or "visit" would be an issue, it may depend on that rental agreement.
My little girl is asking/suggesting that you just open your own home up to help. She would open my home to eberything under the Sun if we didn't put limits on this LOL
This sounds like a fantastic endeavor & it is awesome you don't want to just throw money at it, you are really trying to be actively engaged in helping the community.
I hope my ideas help.
edit: typos