Community Hope is awarded a $20,000 grant from The Cestone Family Foundation
Community Hope is awarded a $20,000 grant from The Cestone Family Foundation to improve the health outcomes of homeless veterans struggling with post- traumatic stress and other mental illnesses at their 95-bed Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing Program
Parsippany, NJ – The Cestone Family Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to Community Hope to enhance and improve the health outcomes of homeless veterans at their Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing Program located in Somerset County and serving veterans throughout New Jersey.
The Foundation’s grant will support the “Veterans Mental Health Initiative” at the Hope for Veterans Program serving 95 homeless veterans daily, suffering from conditions such as post- traumatic stress, depression, night terrors, addiction and chronic pain. The Initiative’s aim is to improve veterans’ recovery by providing early intervention with a licensed clinician to veterans in the Hope Veterans Program, enabling them to establish trust and receive regular, onsite clinical treatment. Veterans in the program receive a range of other support services as well, including case management, employment training and transportation so that they can recover and develop the skills to ultimately move on to independent living and permanent housing.
“The Veterans Mental Health Initiative was launched as a pilot program three years ago with a small group of high-risk veterans at our Hope for Veterans Program”, said Carmine V. Deo, Executive Director of Community Hope. “Based on its success, with support from our partners including The Cestone Family Foundation, two years ago we rolled-out the Initiative to full-capacity so that all 95 veterans in our Program could reap the benefits and re-claim their mental and physical health”. Deo reported that last year’s outcomes showed improved recovery rates and positive outcomes for all veterans.
“As a result of the positive outcomes we experienced, we aim to sustain this critical Initiative so that all veterans can benefit”, said Deo. “The Cestone Family Foundation has been an essential partner to Community Hope and with this grant has renewed its commitment to making a significant impact on the veterans we save from homelessness and despair. This year’s grant will make it possible to continue addressing the invisible wounds of war veterans often struggle to live with –the scars of their sacrifice for our country.” This year alone, Community Hope estimates that through their through their programs and services more than 1,000 veterans and family members will be saved from living on streets and overcrowded shelters. In addition, each day 150 individuals reside in Community Hope supported housing in their mental health residential recovery programs.