Welcome to the Michael Blecker Veterans Center

I’m thrilled to share some special news: Swords to Plowshares is naming our center at 1060 Howard St. the Michael Blecker Veterans Center!

This July marked Michael’s 50th year of service at Swords. The naming honors his remarkable commitment to improving the lives of fellow veterans, and for leading our organization into the nationally recognized powerhouse it is today.

Not long after his time in Vietnam, Michael joined Swords in 1976 as a legal intern helping veterans with discharge upgrades, and by 1982, he was leading an organization that was on the brink of closing its doors. In 2024, he stepped into an emeritus role after 42 years as executive director. Everything that came during Michael’s tenure — expanding our work to combat homelessness and carving out our organization’s role in national and local advocacy — grew from the incredible team he helped build and the trust he fostered with fellow veterans.

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A Legacy Worth Learning From

Two years ago, for our 50th anniversary and Veterans Day Celebration, we put together a short film tracing Michael’s career and the history of Swords to Plowshares. If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch it now:

Since I joined Swords in 2010, Michael has been a steady, trusted source of guidance - always reminding me, and everyone who crosses his path, that if you want to actually help someone, you have to sit down, listen, and let them tell you what they need. I’m honored to build on his legacy and carry forward our shared commitment to ensuring every veteran gets the support and respect they’ve earned.

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Michael likes to say that veterans taught him long ago that no one makes it alone. That belief is the foundation of everything we do here, and it’s why I’m so glad his name will now be permanently tied to one of the places where that work happens every single day.