VILLAGE FOR VETS

The work of Village for Vets is rooted in the personal experience of Founder Marcie Polier Swartz and her family. Marcie’s brother is a U.S. Navy Veteran who relied on her to help him navigate the Veterans Administration (VA) when he returned from service coping with significant mental health challenges. When Marcie watched a VA social worker purchase food out-of-pocket for her clients, she knew she had to help. The organization was founded in 2016 when Marcie delivered a few dozen sandwiches to the VA West Los Angeles and has since expanded to connect transformative services to 2,449 unhoused and at-risk U.S. Military Veterans and their families each year.

Through the delivery of individualized housing-focused case management and supportive services and the coordination of care across Los Angeles County, Village for Vets helps Veterans achieve a greater level of self-sufficiency and we improve housing outcomes. We are unique in our ability to connect services to Veterans who face multiple barriers to care that include significant physical and mental health challenges, substance use, lack of transportation, and years spent living on the street. This includes individuals that are chronically homeless and have the most difficulty engaging in outreach efforts.

We believe that everyone has a path to housing. We consider the individual needs of each Veteran, and we walk with them along their journey. Our unique approach to services is characterized by three guiding principles:

1. We work to remove barriers to care.
2. We operate with a sense of urgency.
3. No door is ever closed.