Many veterans may need financial help and other assistance once they are done with their service, and a large and growing number of organizations now exist to help them in this regard. One such group operating in Ohio is specifically focused on helping former servicemembers find reliable housing.
Iron Soup Historical Preservation is a group that renovates abandoned homes in Northeastern Ohio into multi-unit apartments, and allows veterans to live in them rent-free while they get back on their feet, according to a report from WKBN. Right now the organization is working on two homes in Campbell, Ohio – about halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland – but has a goal of renovating as many as 160 apartments for veteran use.
The group has also received significant donations from outside parties, including those of furniture, cabinets, tiles, and other home necessities, the report said. Further, all the work on these properties is done by volunteers. Therefore, the cost of renovating each unit often doesn't get to be much more than a few thousand dollars.
"There are all kinds of units around here," Iron Soup Historical Preservation Executive Director Linda Gens told the station. "They can all be rehabbed and it doesn't take much money. Our veterans are fighting, dying, getting maimed and everything for us, and they're homeless? They should be in a home. They should not be on the street somewhere."
This type of organization is always looking for two things: Veterans to assist, and volunteers. Being one or the other – or even both – can go a long way toward helping these groups reach their goals, which is to provide as much help as veterans need whenever they may need it.