EDMONTON, Alberta, Nov. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today dignitaries from across Canada gathered in Edmonton for the opening of the second Homes For Heroes village. ATCO Veterans’ Village is a Homes For Heroes Foundation initiative designed to support military Veterans who are experiencing homelessness. ATCO Veterans’ Village, in Edmonton, features 20 tiny homes, a resource centre, a counsellor’s office, recreation space, and community gardens. The key to the project is the full wrap-around social support services offered to all the tenants, which is supported by Veterans Affairs. Homes For Heroes Foundation plans to build villages across Canada and are currently working on Veterans’ Villages in Kingston and Winnipeg. The ATCO Veterans Village came together with support form Canadian Mortgage and Housing, The Province of Alberta, The City of Edmonton and major sponsors ATCO, CP Railways, PCL Construction, and the Brick.
“Our government is committed to providing affordable housing solutions and supporting Canada’s veterans. We are proud to partner with Homes for Heroes on this project, which is the second Homes for Heroes village in Alberta. This program is a step towards ending the issue of veteran homelessness in Alberta,” noted Premier Jason Kenney.
“This is an exciting time for our charity (www.h4hf.ca) and the entire Veterans’ community. We have been successful in bringing together all levels of government, corporations, social clubs, and individuals whose support helped to make today a reality. Today is proof that all Canadians love and respect those who have served,” stated David Howard President and CEO of the Homes For Heroes Foundation. “The Edmonton community has been absolutely fantastic. From the day we announced our building plan they have been supportive of the ATCO Veterans’ Village,” stated Howard.
Homes For Heroes mission is to integrate all homeless military Veterans across Canada into their community through the provision of housing and support services. They are doing so by building tiny home villages, with full wrap-around social services, in major cities across Canada where homeless Veterans will be able to successfully integrate back into civilian life.
The land for the ATCO Veterans’ Village in Edmonton, in the community of Evansdale, was donated by the City of Edmonton. “The City of Edmonton is proud to partner with the Homes For Heroes Foundation in building the ATCO Veterans Village. This housing program offers social support services to those Canadians who fought for our freedoms. Our government is committed to supporting these Veterans in their time of need,” noted Amarjeet Sohi; Mayor of Edmonton.
Nancy Southern, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of ATCO, was on hand at the event to speak to the over 140 dignitaries in attendance. “In this volatile era, the courageous service of our military and its veterans has never been more crucial in preserving security and freedom. They have done everything asked of them in service to Canada, and it is now our sincere honour to support them as they reintegrate back into civilian life—and to provide a home from which they can realize their potential and achieve their dreams!” stated Southern.
The Canadian government estimates that there are up to 5,000 Canadian military Veterans experiencing homeless and who have not been successful in transitioning from their military career to healthy and productive civilian lives. “In starting the charity, our team met with more than 200 Veterans to understand what they wanted to see in a Veterans’ housing program. We built our charity based on direct feedback from these Veteran interviews. Our Canadian Veterans’ are proud, they want a hand-up, not a hand-out. We listened to what they had to say, and we designed our villages around meeting their needs,” noted David Howard.
One of the first companies to come onside to support the charity was CP Rail. CP holds an annual event called “Spin for a Veteran” which is a 24-hour stationary bike race that has raised more than $1.5 million over the last five years for the Homes For Heroes Foundation. “CP has a long history of supporting the veteran community and understands the challenges veterans face when transitioning back to civilian life,” said Chad Rolstad, CP’s Vice-President Human Resources and Chief Culture Officer. “We are proud to work with the Homes for Heroes Foundation and the creation of the Edmonton village to provide much needed assistance for veterans experiencing homelessness."
ATCO Veterans’ Village is a unique tiny home village that offers a solution to the homeless crisis facing our Canadian military Veterans. Each home within the village has been named after a Canadian Armed Forces member who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Honour Plaques are placed outside of each home that will serve as a permanent tribute to our fallen and offer a unique means to educate our youth about the sacrifices made by so many of our Canadian heroes.
It Takes A Village To Build A Village
Media Contact
David Howard
President and CEO
Homes For Heroes Foundation
dave@h4hf.ca
403-620-4255
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e399dd1b-2e9e-495b-9e3d-e5456f357250
