The North Westwood Neighborhood Council funded a nonprofit organization Wednesday to help veterans experiencing homelessness move into housing.
The NWWNC voted to provide up to $5,000 to Village for Vets, a nonprofit organization that supports veterans in the Los Angeles area, to distribute 160 moving kits to veterans transitioning to permanent supportive housing, said Andrew Lewis, vice president of the NWWNC. The kits will include food and other essentials, Lewis added.
According to the organization’s website, Village for Vets provides services such as the distribution of meals and financial aid to veterans who are at risk of or are currently experiencing homelessness in the greater LA area.
Mary McGuire, executive director of Village for Vets, said the organization’s goal is to address the issue of veterans who are unhoused in LA.
“We believe that our veterans are deserving of all the assistance we can give them. They sacrificed to serve our country and put themselves in harm’s way to protect this country, and they deserve our protection now,” McGuire said.
She added that the NWWNC first funded Village for Vets in 2021 to help the organization provide food for veterans living in tents in an area that would later become a tiny shelter community located at the West LA Veterans Affairs campus. According to Village for Vets, the organization has provided dozens of tiny shelters for veterans seeking permanent housing.