Veterans Community Center Opens

On April 11^th, we were proud to host passionate members of our community, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, at the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for the Veterans Community Center (VCC). The VCC, located on the third floor of our San Francisco Drop-In Center, will offer extended opportunities for veterans and their companions to connect with resources and build relationships.

The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony included remarks by Board of Directors member Del Seymour, Swords to Plowshares Executive Director Michael Blecker, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, whose support made the project possible.

“Under the patriotic leadership of Michael Blecker, Swords to Plowshares has long been a pillar of health, housing, and hope for Bay Area veterans,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “The new Veterans Community Center, assisted by Community Project Funding we secured from Congress, will help Swords to Plowshares continue to serve thousands of our most vulnerable heroes. Starting next week, San Francisco veterans in need will benefit from the Center’s expanded hours, nutritious meals, and community-building activities: another important step in honoring our sacred duty to care for those who served our Country.”

The VCC reimagines Swords to Plowshares’ decades-old Drop-In Center, adding an additional 5,000 square feet, evening and weekend hours, and additional programming including daily meals, transportation, support groups, and wellness programming such as art therapy and yoga. The goal of the VCC is to increase critical services and address issues such as isolation and access for senior veterans, unhoused veterans, and those with disabling conditions.

The funding for the VCC was made available thanks to a Congressional Community Project Funding supported by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and contributions from San Francisco Human Services Agency, Bothin Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, and William G. Gilmore Foundation.