‘Game-changer’ grant supports homeless veterans

Vasey RSL Care will buy new vehicles for a wrap-around mental health support program after being awarded $142,000 through the federal government’s Veteran’s Wellbeing Grant 2023-24 round.

Not-for-profit organisation Vasey RSL Care will be purchasing a bus and utility vehicle, allowing for a better delivery of their V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program.

The program, based in Ivanhoe, Victoria, offers transitional, supported accommodation for up to 12 months to veterans experiencing homelessness, or those at risk of becoming homeless. This accommodation is combined with wrap-around services tailored to boost participant mental wellbeing and assist them in building healthy routines.

As noted in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, veterans are almost three times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population and are twice as likely to die by suicide. Additional vulnerabilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder, relationship breakdown following transition from deployment, or financial strain are all additional vulnerabilities that create a higher risk of homelessness and are frequently experienced by veterans.

Through the program offered by the V Centre, participants can access a range of therapeutic activities, including equine therapy, outdoor adventure sessions, vocational education and opportunities for community volunteering and engagement, while having a safe place to live.

Thanks to the $142,439 grant from the 2023-24 federal government Veteran Wellbeing Grant, V Centre program manager Deb Fraser said veterans can now have much easier access to these life-changing activities.

Vasey RSL Care chief executive officer Janna Voloshin said the grant has been a “game-changer.”

“The vehicles will provide opportunities for V Centre participants to fully engage with activities that promote mental health, wellbeing, and community connection. We are deeply grateful to the Federal Government and to Ms [Kate] Thwaites for recognising the significance of this work and the positive impact it has on our veterans,” she said.

Since the V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program first commenced in February 2024, Vasey RSL Care has invested $11 million into it. They have forecast the benefits to the government at more than $18 million in savings over the first three years and expect these savings to grow exponentially each subsequent year.

Vasey RSL Care also offers broader residential, home and respite care with a focus on supporting veterans and war widows and will be lodging a funding submission to the federal government for the 2025 budget.

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Tags: community-care-review-slider, Deb Fraser, disability, Janna Voloshin, kate thwaites, Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, V Centre Veteran Empowerment Program, Vasey RSL Care, veteran support, Veteran Wellbeing Grant, veterans,

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