PROJECT HONOR
The Exchange Club of Gilroy Believes That
VETERANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
In collaboration with the Gilroy Veterans Memorial Hall in Gilroy, CA, we are organizing a fundraising campaign to support our military veterans who have made significant sacrifices and served our country.
What is our Mission?
The mission is simple: Help our Gilroy Veterans Memorial Hall which offers a one-stop approach that is simple, friendly, and easy.
At the Gilroy Veterans Memorial Hall, they are there to serve our community. Our services, partners, and resources in the community can meet any and all of the Veteran’s unique needs. All of their services are provided to the Veterans and their families at no cost in the areas of Employment, Housing, Education, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Finance, and Legal.
No Veteran should go without the help they need.
PROJECT HONOR IS HERE TO HELP!
Legal
Legal service providers support Veterans and their families with legal advice, issues such as housing discrimination cases, bankruptcies, warrants, evictions, consumer fraud, guardianship, legal documents preparations such as wills, trusts, power of attorney, and other legal support.
Housing and Emergency Services
Our Partners provide a range of housing options to Veterans and their families, including emergency shelter/housing, transitional, supportive, and independent housing.
Our organization has partnered with some of the best agencies in our community to deliver a wide variety of services. These services include assistance with developing a plan to sustain permanent housing stability, housing search and placement assistance, follow-up, and more.
Our goal is to help Veterans and their families find the right housing option that meets their needs and provides them with the support they need to achieve long-term stability.
Employment Services
Veterans employment service providers aim to support Veterans and their families in achieving economic well-being and self-sufficiency.
They offer a wide range of employment services, including vocational counseling, skills assessments, resume preparation, job readiness training, occupational skills training/courses through affiliated and referral organizations, employment networking activities, focus groups, job search, advocacy and placement assistance, promotion of military acquired skills for civilian career advancement, and more.
These services are provided by experienced employment counselors and job developers who are committed to helping Veterans find the right job that meets their needs and provides them with the support they need to achieve long-term stability.
Education Services
Education service providers aim to support Veterans and their families by offering an understanding of the educational resources available to them and acting as an “education mentor”.
They assist participants on their individual paths to further their education by providing a range of services. These services include filling out education benefits applications, exploring career goals, selecting appropriate colleges and majors, financial aid planning and GI Bill, and supporting the transition to college.
Education services are integrated with employment counseling services, building an educational component into the participant’s personalized plan.
Veterans Advocacy Groups
Veterans advocacy is the act of supporting and representing the rights and interests of veterans and their families.
National Exchange Clubs
Exchange Clubs promote pride in the country, respect for the flag, and appreciation of our freedoms are the primary purposes of Exchange’s Americanism programs.
The tumultuous struggles of world powers in the twentieth century have done little to guarantee a peaceful future for the majority of the world’s people. However, there’s one country in modern times that people flock to for safety, freedom, and opportunity — the United States of America. It is hard for Americans to imagine the horrors of modern struggles over religious and ethnic differences, the very differences we embrace.
Exchange’s Americanism programs were born in the aftermath of World War II. At that time, patriotism was unquenchable, and Exchange Club members joined veterans and other civic groups in heralding the rich blessings of democracy.
Mental Health
Today’s Mental health challenges and our well-being aim to support Veterans with therapy and counseling services to address mental health and chemical dependency needs.
They focus on a variety of behavioral and mental health resources that evolve based on the participant’s needs and strengths. These services are designed to complement, not duplicate, other quality community-based resources available to Veterans and their families throughout the broader continuum of care. Some of these services are provided by in-house service provider partners, while others are met through referrals to outside agencies or VA services.
Our partner providers also offer well-being classes such as Yoga classes, alternative healthcare benefits lunch and learn, fun activities, games, and much more.
Financial Services
Service Providers offer unique financial services counseling and coaching services to Veterans and their families.
These services aim to help participants manage their finances effectively and access community resources that promote financial stability. The key features of our financial well-being services include:
1) Financial literacy education,
2) Tax preparation assistance,
3) Asset building assistance,
4) Group support,
5) One-on-one money management education,
6) Government-provided benefits.
Our goal is to empower Veterans and their families to achieve self-sufficiency and maintain long-term financial well-being.
Hero Story: A Veteran and his family housed through support from Exchange Club
Phil is a formerly unhoused Navy Veteran from South Carolina: “My family and I (including my 3 daughters) have been homeless since the beginning of Covid. Last couple of years we have been in and out of hotels. As expensive as hotels are it seemed what money we did get would be gone because of the hotels. Hard to find any place because of Covid going on. Knowing if we did, how would we get an apartment of our own, because of the cost of these hotels. At times thinking we were in this never-ending cycle and were never going to find a place. At times I felt it was too much and thought about giving up. Moving forward, your organization has meant the world to us. We are finally in our home, we are finally not homeless. We feel there is hope and we thank you all so much for that. This could have not happened without your help.”25% of the Veterans Veterans Matter houses have children. Thousands of children are now able to sleep in their own bed, attend school, have clean clothes, and be proud of their new home. Youth of today need security. Having a home and family around them provides this element of love and warmth.
How can you Help?
Commit to The Exchange Club of Gilroy as a member and join us on our Project Honor Veterans Campaign for our community.
Our collaboration with local Veteran Centers encompasses a range of initiatives aimed at supporting Veterans in managing their finances effectively and accessing community resources related to financial stability. These services include financial literacy education, tax preparation assistance, asset-building guidance, group support, and confidential one-on-one money management education.
About Gilroy Veterans Memorial Hall
THE DISTRICT
The South Santa Clara Valley Memorial District (SSCVMD) was formed as an independent special district on August 26, 1946, to recognize and serve the veterans of Gilroy and South Santa Clara Valley. There are 27 memorial districts in California, but the SSCVMD is the only memorial district in the Bay Area.
The District was formed under and operates pursuant to the provisions of Division 6, Chapter 1 of the Military and Veterans Code of the State of California. Through the principal act, the District is empowered to provide and maintain the hall for use by veterans, as well as non-veteran individuals and organizations.
The District provides support for veterans of the US Armed Forces by connecting veterans with government agencies and nonprofit organizations at the federal, California state, and Gilroy levels. These services include veteran benefits assistance, services for veterans with disabilities, and information about medical care, insurance, and education benefits.
How It All Started
In 1945, members of the community service clubs met and decided that “something should be done for local veterans” and a 12-member committee was formed to develop a plan. It was decided a building should be dedicated to veterans and they set out to secure property.
