A deserted building in Auburn, Wash., will be the future home of a veterans services center composed of nonprofit veterans assistance groups, KING 5 News reported. The site was acquired from the state six months ago. Now, Auburn city officials are working to get the center running within the next six months.
"We'll make a world of difference in the lives of so many who live on the edge," Michael Hursh, human services manager for the City of Auburn, told the news source.
Hursh added that while Auburn has a number of nonprofits that assist veterans with military benefits, the organizations are currently scattered across the city and King County. The goal of this new project is to bring those groups together so veterans have a one-stop center for all their needs.
The Auburn-Reporter previously noted that the 33,000-square-foot facility is expected to cost between $6 and $7 million. It will house local organizations such as the Auburn Food Bank, and receive assistance from the nearby Valley Medical Center-University of Washington.
According to the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington is home to more than 600,000 veterans and 60,000 active-duty servicemembers.