PHOENIX — A team of volunteers spent their Saturday ahead of the Fourth of July preparing a new facility that will soon house more than 100 homeless veterans in Phoenix.
A former hotel off the I-17 and Cactus Road is being converted into a comprehensive resource center by U.S. Vets Phoenix, offering transitional housing with over 180 rooms.
"It's an undertaking. We can't do it without the help of our community," Michelle Jameson of U.S. Vets Phoenix said.
Volunteers worked throughout the day unpacking boxes, hanging shower curtains, and checking smoke detectors to prepare the rooms for their future residents.
"Last year we served over 1,300 veterans, our goal is to get a veteran from homelessness to housing and everything in between," Jameson said.
Samuel Markle, one of the volunteers, knows firsthand the importance of this facility.
"I spent a period living on the streets, in and out of hotels," Markle said.
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After receiving help from U.S. Vets to find stable housing and employment, Markle now volunteers to support other veterans facing similar challenges.
"I'm on a great path, and now I am just here to give back," Markle said.
Many of the volunteers at the event are veterans themselves, understanding the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life.
"When they get out, they don't have that structure anymore, and some of them get lost," Jerry Creekmore, a volunteer, said.
Creekmore emphasized that providing wrap-around services at the new U.S. Vets complex, rather than just a place to sleep, makes the biggest impact for veterans.
"A lot of veterans are too proud to take handouts. They won't do it. But if you give them opportunity, they'll take it. Because they know it will better themselves and their country," Creekmore said.
The multi-year project is expected to welcome its first veteran residents in August. If you’d like to help in the final push to open the new facility, you can find ways to volunteer or donate on the U.S. Vets Phoenix website.
