Mayor Ruais Makes Major Announcement

See all of the photos on the blog.

Manchester, NH – More than 200 veterans, community partners, and supporters gathered last Friday at Eversource Energy Park for the 21st Annual New Hampshire Veteran Stand Down, hosted by Harbor Care in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Labor, and more than 50 community organizations.

The event, modeled on the military tradition of a temporary base camp, provided veterans with direct access to housing, healthcare, employment, benefits, and other vital services. Fifty-six community partners were onsite, serving more than 100 veterans in need of assistance.

Mayor Jay Ruais updated attendees on the city’s initiative to end veteran homelessness, launched at Stand Down in September 2024.

“Since launching our initiative last fall, 62 veterans have been placed in permanent housing, with dozens more prevented from falling into homelessness. For the first time in five years, our city is housing veterans faster than new cases are emerging,” said Mayor Ruais. “I am incredibly proud of this progress and deeply grateful to Harbor Care and all of our community partners for their leadership and collaboration. Together, we will finish the job and ensure every veteran in Manchester has a place to call home.”

Henry Och, President & CEO of Harbor Care, added:
“Manchester is proving that ending veteran homelessness is possible. Harbor Care is proud to partner in this effort to ensure every veteran has a safe place to call home.”

Governor Kelly Ayotte praised the collective effort:
“Our veterans are the reason we enjoy the freedoms of our great nation every day, and it’s critical that we ensure they have the best quality of life after their service. It was an honor to be a part of the 21st Annual Stand Down and call attention to this important issue. I am so grateful to Harbor Care for their efforts, and I look forward to continuing to work together to support our veterans and ensure they have a safe place to call home.”

Bob Coates, President of NH Electric Operations, Eversource

“We’re proud and honored to once again host Harbor Care’s NH Veteran Stand Down at our Energy Park headquarters in Manchester. Here at Eversource, we have a strong culture of corporate citizenship and giving back to the communities where we work and live. Our support for our military veterans runs deep—they make up a significant part of our workforce, and the skills and dedication they bring to the job have a large impact—especially during emergency restorations. Veterans’ causes are important to all of us, and this event is just one of the many ways we’re actively showing our support to our service members, veterans, and their families.”

Kevin Forrest, Director of the Medical Center at Manchester VA Health Care, and Major General David Mikolaities of NH National Guard also welcomed the crowd. Alan St. Louis performed the national anthem. 

Sponsors and Partners

Eversource served as the lead sponsor of this year’s Stand Down. Other major sponsors included AEG, Bank of America, Bank Prov, Clark Insurance, Enterprise Bank, M&T Bank, New England Finish Systems, and Republic Building Contractors.

Additional support came from Coca-Cola Northeast, Marquis Management, The Select Group, Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire, Sunbelt Rentals, Taylor Rental, Avenues Recovery, NH Patriot Guard Riders, Delta Dental, Gilead, Eastern Bank/Cambridge Trust, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, and WFEA Radio as media sponsor.

Harbor Care is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness through housing, healthcare, and veteran services. As an innovative nonprofit organization, Harbor Care assists more than 5,000 adults, children, and families in New Hampshire each year, offering solutions to some of life’s most challenging issues. The organization provides transitional and permanent housing; medical, dental, and mental healthcare; substance use treatment; HIV/AIDS support services; and veteran services for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Learn more at www.harborcarenh.org.

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