Homes for the Brave celebrates renovations, invites volunteers to support veterans

Vincent Santilli, chief executive officer and executive director of Homes for the Brave, told the Connecticut Paid Leave podcast that the Bridgeport-based nonprofit'which opened in 2002'focuses on permanently housing men and women experiencing homelessness, the majority of whom are U.S. military veterans. "We opened our doors in 2002 to serve men and women experiencing homelessness," Santilli said, and added the group aims to help clients "not just survive, but to thrive in the communities that they return to."

Santilli said many residents face behavioral-health challenges and addiction: "Seventy-two percent of them are experiencing mental health challenges, PTSD, and their struggle to overcome addictions is quite common in our facilities," he said. The figure was provided by Santilli during the interview and was not independently verified.

The nonprofit recently completed an expansion and renovation of its men's transitional house, Santilli said, including the installation of a new elevator in the 118-year-old building. "We just installed a beautiful new elevator and that's creating a library that we now have on the second floor," he said, adding the project also made room for a music room, reflection room, TV and game room, and an exercise room. Santilli said adding the elevator improved accessibility and enabled referrals from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that previously had been limited by the building's stairs.

Santilli invited the public to visit the facility, volunteer or support fundraising events. "They can volunteer here. Many start by serving meals," he said, and described Thursday-afternoon life-skills workshops that rotate between nutrition, wellness, daily living skills and financial literacy. He also highlighted a recent comedy night attended by roughly 300 people that featured professional comics who are veterans.

Santilli provided contact options for Homes for the Brave, giving a phone number, (203) 338-0669, and encouraging listeners to visit the organization's website. The podcast transcript contained a garbled URL; the organization's correct site is homesforthebrave.org. Santilli also said 11 of the organization's 41 staff members are alumni of the program and that many former residents now work to serve other veterans.

The interview was part of Connecticut Paid Leave's 5 Minutes of Impact series. For more information and additional episodes, the host Nancy Barrow directed listeners to the Connecticut Paid Leave podcast at ctpaidleave.org.