On Veterans Day November 11th 2024, at the Windy Knoll Country Club Banquet facility in Springfield, Ohio, the Exchange Clubs of Dayton, and Springfield, Ohio held a fundraiser, Heroes at Home, to address the plight of some 35,000 homeless Veterans on the streets of our nation’s cities and towns. Funds raised will be used to help local Veterans in Clark, Champaign, Montgomery, and Greene Counties in Ohio, providing the deposit for an apartment or home.
The National Exchange Club began partnering with Veterans Matter of Toledo Ohio in 2015. Veterans Matter helped Veterans needing it the most – those homeless Vets living in a shelter, or inadequate housing for their family and having some if not all the funds for rent but not the funds for a deposit. Lacking the funds for a deposit meant a real likelihood the Veteran would remain on the streets, in a shelter, or vehicle, with inadequate housing. A significant number of these Veterans were supporting a spouse/partner and children.
Veterans Matter partnered with local VA Homeless Programs contracted agencies such as Society of St. Vincent de Paul in our region, that helped the Veterans find appropriate housing of their choice, and then helped them to secure long-term HUD VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) housing vouchers. If the Veteran had nowhere else to find a rental deposit when he/she was ready to sign a lease, the VA contracted agency would access Veterans Matter to secure the deposit. This meant the Veteran would be able to rent a home, rather than return to the street/shelter/vehicle. Interestingly most Veterans were/are unaware of the Veterans Matter intervention–the Guardian Angel who answered their prayer.
Within the past year and legally finalized only recently, Veterans Matter merged with Tunnel to Towers (T2T’s). The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is committed to ending Veteran homelessness nationwide. They honor the sacrifice and dignity of the American Service Member by ensuring that no Veteran is left out on the streets of the country they volunteered to defend, and T2T is now proudly continuing the work of Veterans Matter.
Thank you to the Heroes at Home Fundraising Committee:
Chair – Carol Suddath (Springfield)
Dayton Liaison/Ticket Sales – Ted Greenwood (Dayton)
Graphic and Web Media – Andy Kittles (Springfield)
Publicity- Karen Hupp (Springfield)
Print Media – Bill Wild – (Dayton)
Finance – Peg Haemmerle – (Springfield)
Raffle Ticket and Door Prize Sales – Khadijah Ali (Dayton)
Additional Members: Jim Suddath, Joy Dabe, Skip Warner, Larry Sewell, Mark Sullivan (Springfield)
Scouting Liaison – Mike Taylor, (Springfield), Noah Zorbaugh Cub Scout Pack 85 (Beavercreek – St. Luke’s Catholic Church)
Springfield City Schools Marine JrROTC Instructor – Richard McGinn, Master Sergeant, USMC (Ret.): Color Guard – Cadet 2nd Lt Jacob Shellabarger, Cadet SSgt A’Ryah McKinney, Cadet SSgt Joel Blum, Cadet Pvt Guerlancia Notis
The Committee is still tabulating the donations as checks are still arriving. Last year the donation to Veterans Matter was over $3,500, and the hope is to hit $5,000 this year.
Special thanks to Keynote Speaker Al Bailey, President of Honor Flight, Dayton.
Many thanks to our donors: VFW Post 1031, Kettering Marathon, Dunkin’ Donuts Kettering, Dayton Masonic Solar Lodge, Huber Heights American Legion, Meijer Kettering, Young’s Jersey Dairy, Schuler’s Bakery, Circle of Visionkeepers, Elizabeth Atkinson, Bushra Shahid, Windy Knoll Country Club, Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun, Cub Scout Pack 85, Beavercreek, Ohio. Thanks to all those who purchased 50/50 Raffle Tickets. Thanks to Dan Charney Trumpeter, and the Springfield High School Marine Corp JrROTC. Thank you to the Masonic Community Springfield Woodshop team who built the six Pinewood Derby Cars representing the Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Coast Guard, USAF, and the Space Force. (Army won the Derby again this year!)
