What we do

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Comprehensive services backed by five decades of advocacy and expertise.

Our Dual Role

Service Provider and
Veteran Advocate

We're committed to veteran-centered care. Since 1974, our work has been informed by the needs and experiences of underserved veterans. Our expertise and community of veterans push us to influence systems of care at local, state, and national levels to better serve all veterans.

Our Work

We provide free services directly to San Francisco Bay Area veterans.

Our mission is to prevent and end veteran homelessness through wraparound care and informed advocacy. We understand that the issues veterans face - including homelessness, instability, unemployment, disability, and isolation - are interconnected and require comprehensive support.

Health and Community

Access to healthcare, counseling, food, and a supportive community of peers is vital for health and well-being.

Housing Support

We believe that every veteran deserves a safe and stable place to call home, and we recognize that not every path to housing is the same.

Financial Stability

Securing income through employment or disability benefits is key to restoring independence and dignity.

We educate and advocate to changemakers at all levels.

From the halls of the State Capitol to county sheriff’s offices, we increase awareness of veterans’ issues and promote positive policy changes through education and advocacy.

Teaching from lived experience.

We scale our impact through free training and technical assistance to thousands of providers every year, improving their skillset to support veterans.
Sign up for trainings
Informed by our direct services, we publish essential research to deepen understanding of veterans' issues and military culture.
our research

Veterans at the center of change.

Swords' reputation as a thought leader and trusted source of expertise for veterans' issues reflects five decades of community-based service delivery.

We're closely aligned with the VA in providing direct care to veterans and collaborate with foundations, corporations, providers, and coalitions to amplify our impact.

Interested in partnering with us or have a question about our policy work?

Who we serve

We serve 3,000 San Francisco Bay Area veterans every year. The majority are unhoused, low-income, older than 55, and/or have a disability.

92%
Low-Income

According to federal guidelines, most of our veteran clients are considered low-income.

65%
Veterans of Color

More than half are veterans of color; 40% are Black veterans.

On average, our clients were homeless for 3.7 years before seeking our services. This includes living in a car, couch surfing, and other forms of housing insecurity.

41%
Experience Homelessness
68%
Live with Disabling Condition(s)

This includes post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Our Impact

Each year, thousands of veterans achieve health, housing, wellness, and stability — with support from our programs.

520 veterans

housed in our permanent supportive housing programs.

484 veteran families

secured or maintained independent permanent housing.

$14.3 million

won in direct VA benefits + free healthcare.

109 veterans

secured new jobs with an average hourly wage of $33.60.

3,493 nights

of temporary emergency housing funded.

90,220 community meals

served to veterans and veteran families.