MORE RESOURCES
Recommendations straight from our Resource Navigator - find helpful organizations that provide support outside of Swords' scope and region of services.
Recommendations straight from our Resource Navigator - find helpful organizations that provide support outside of Swords' scope and region of services.
Resource navigator & US Army veteran
Gabe first came to Swords to Plowshares as a client and has since spent more than a decade on our team helping veterans navigate housing, legal issues, benefits, and everyday challenges. Along the way, he has picked up some useful tips for fellow veterans on their path to stability, income, and healthcare.
His Triple Play Tips are based on the fact that many obstacles - homelessness, unemployment, and struggling to meet basic needs - are interconnected.
For transitioning out of homelessness and connecting to resources that address your needs. If outside of the Bay Area, we encourage you to utilize the VA's updated housing resources to find the nearest support.
Free, confidential support 24/7.
Calling the National Call Center can help you beyond housing — it is also a starting point for income, healthcare, or VA benefits support.
Taking care of your mental health is vital to overcoming obstacles like unemployment and homelessness. Asking for help is not a weakness, it can turn your life around.
For physical health, mental health, or substance use support. If you are in an immediate crisis, call 911.
A free and confidential 24/7 crisis hotline - any time for support through emotional distress, suicidal ideation, or loneliness.
Begin your enrollment with VA Healthcare online, on your terms.
Understand your mental healthcare options through the VA here.
Visit Vet Centers for confidential counseling, find one by you here.
Contact the Woman Veteran Call Center for confidential support navigating VA healthcare and services.
Swords to Plowshares only provides legal assistance for veteran-related issues to those residing in Northern California. Here are resources for legal help beyond what we do.
If you are outside California, click here to find a VA-accredited legal representative.
Bay Area Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to low-income Bay Area residents.
Legal Assistance to the Elderly provides free services regarding elder abuse, scams, healthcare, housing, and more for San Francisco residents above the age of 60 or who are adults living with a disability.
You can file discharge upgrades, VA benefits claims, documentation updates like name changes, and more on your own. Check out our legal self-help guides to get started.
If you're in San Francisco or Oakland, our centers provide meals and free food daily. Check out location and hours of operation here www.swords-to-plowshares.org/visit-us.
Here are some recommended community-based resources for food access, financial support, education, and social services.
211 is a 24/7 national hotline that connects you to resources and services local to you – from utilities support to food access, call them to see what's out there for you.
You are able to file for SSI and SSDI benefits, understand how to here.
The Federal Benefit Finder is a great tool to customize and search for the general benefits you qualify for.
The SF Marin Food Bank is a local resource for grocery delivery for seniors; emergency food access, and help applying for CalFresh.
We do not help veterans in finding or purchasing homes. However, there are a lot of resources out there for those on the hunt.
For veterans in California, we recommend working with CalVet to secure a home loan. Because they're not a bank or a mortgage company, CalVet's team is veteran-centered and able to work quickly with you.
Visit the VA's Home Loans website for more information on the specific benefit.
Swords does not provide direct support for veterans' loved ones and dependents. Here are some organizations that do:
See what's available to you locally through the National Resource Directory for families and caregiver support.
If you’re the spouse, dependent, or survivor of a veteran who meets certain service-connected disability requirements, you may qualify for health care benefits through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). Learn more about that here.
Family members are entitled to education and career benefits, check out the VA's guidelines on those.
TAPS is a nonprofit that supports those grieving the loss of a servicemember or veteran
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