Local Nonprofit Helps 1,000th At-Risk Veteran, Raises Funds

Wisconsin Veterans Network (VetsNet) reached two major milestones in 2018, making it a landmark year for the organization. This year, VetsNet served its 1,000th Wisconsin veteran in need of aid or emergency services and was awarded $150,000 in grant funds to continue its critical work in supporting the most vulnerable veterans – including those experiencing homelessness, health crises or employment struggles – in the Wisconsin community.

Since its inception in 2015, VetsNet has reached more than 1,000 veterans, including more than 442 in 2018 alone. The assistance it provides ranges from helping veterans qualify for healthcare, and find emergency housing to assisting with emergency home repairs. VetsNet continues to assist the veteran community by connecting them to resources that are not typically provided by traditional service organizations like the Veterans Administration.

One of the veterans served this year, Quentin D., is having a happier holiday season with his wife and infant son after VetsNet helped the family escape homelessness. The family moved to Wisconsin earlier this year to follow an employment opportunity for Quentin. Before receiving his first paycheck, the family’s housing situation fell through, and they spent several days living out of their car before finding VetsNet. Staff found emergency housing for the family and furnished a permanent home where Quentin, his wife and son remain to this day.

Funds from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, WaterStone Bank, Laureate Group, Wisconsin VFW Foundation, Brewers Community Foundation, Waukesha County Community Foundation and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County all contributed to a milestone year for VetsNet and enable the organization to continue aiding Wisconsin veterans, like Quentin D.

“To veterans in need, the support of these organizations means more than I can say,” said Quentin Hatfield, Executive Director of VetsNet. “This funding will allow our staff to continue reaching out to the most vulnerable veterans – the homeless, the jobless, those who are not being served elsewhere in the system – and connecting them with the help they desperately need.”

Awards from these organizations provide funding to ensure that VetsNet staff can continue guiding veterans through the complex and often confusing benefits system, immediately connecting veterans in crisis with emergency services, and providing veterans with the resources they need to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

To learn more about Wisconsin Veterans Network, visit WisVetsNet.org.