Manchester Mayor Pledges to End Veteran Homelessness at Harbor Care’s NH Veteran Stand Down
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais and Henry Och, President & CEO of Harbor Care.
MANCHESTER, NH, September 23, 2024 – Friday Mayor Jay Ruais kicked off the 2024 NH Veteran Stand Down at Eversource Energy Park with a pledge to end veteran homelessness in the city. At the event hosted by Harbor Care, he said, “My pledge is this: we will effectively end veteran homelessness in the City of Manchester within my term as mayor. This is a fight worth fighting. This is a hill worth taking.”
See Photos & Media for Stand Down.
With lead sponsor Eversource NH, Harbor Care presented its 20th Annual NH Veteran Stand Down in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Labor. More than 150 veterans, non-profit and government service providers from throughout the state attended the event, an expo for former service members experiencing homelessness or in need of assistance. The vendors offered access and resources for housing, employment, pension claims, heating and energy, healthcare, financial assistance, food, clothing, and more.
“The journey into homelessness is often dark and complex, but through our collective efforts, we can offer a beacon of light and hope to Veterans in need,” said Henry Och, President & CEO of Harbor Care. “Success in this impactful initiative requires strong partnerships and collaboration, with every service organization and every city and state agency playing a vital role. The Stand Down is a great example of our community in collective action towards a shared purpose."
“Eversource is proud to partner with Harbor Care to host the NH Veteran Stand Down, connecting veterans with a wide range of services and supporting their mission to break the cycle of veteran homelessness,” said Tom Davis, Eversource Director of Electric Transmission Field Operations and Distribution Projects and co-chair of the company’s Veterans Business Resource Group. “Our veterans and their families have selflessly sacrificed in defense of our freedoms, and the NH Veteran Stand Down is a great opportunity to ensure that they have access to the critical services and support that they have earned and deserve.”
Mayor Ruais expects the initiative to end veteran homelessness will be applicable to assisting the general homeless population in the near future. “Lessons learned from the success of this initiative will be scaled up to address homelessness on a broader level,” he said. “We are already well underway. Over the last few days I’ve been on the phone with Harbor Care and a number of landlords that are in this city, applications are being submitted, veterans are already visiting apartments, and we’re just waiting for those final determinations. We’re looking forward to getting that first veteran housed.”
The ambitious project has the support of state and local government leaders, veteran groups, landlords, and all three Continuum of Care organizations in NH.
For more information, visit Veteran Services at www.harborcarenh.org.