Homeless Veterans No More

House calls

At Soldier On, Nash can also get medical, mental health and job-training services. Therapists and other professionals frequently come right to the vets' apartments or the transitional shelter building next door. A local bank sponsors one-on-one money management sessions. When residents need to go for outside help or a job interview, a ride is available.

Since just 17 percent of the residents have driver's licenses, "we deliver all the services they need where they live," says Downing. "They keep their appointments and have continuity in their treatment."

Tough love

The vets say the support they get from one another, not to mention staff, helps them battle their demons, too. "We all care about each other," says Nash. John Woodman, 93, wearing penny loafers and jeans, agrees. "We are all people who have had a hard time in life and are like a band of brothers who have a natural affection for each other. We've seen things nobody should see." A widower with a "Proud to Be an American" blanket on his bed, Woodman served in the Army during World War II and has a daughter who lives nearby. "As far as I'm concerned, this place is magic! It's rehabilitating people who badly need it and giving them a springboard for a new life. There is freedom here and, at the same time, there is discipline."

Residents are held accountable for their actions, but if they don't toe the line, there is collective soul-searching rather than finger-pointing. If they skip their rent payment, for instance, the board of directors and staff will work with them to find ways to catch up and be punctual in the future. That might mean meeting with the local bank to work on their budget or come up with a payment plan or having fellow vets remind them why rent money gets paid before a flat-screen TV purchase. One thing the board doesn't plan on doing is evicting them.

It's a similar philosophy if a vet has an alcohol or drug relapse. Rather than play tough guy and threaten punishment or throw them out, as some programs do, "we say, 'What haven't we done to build a relationship of trust with you?' " says Downing. "We don't see them as failures, but rather take responsibility for their failure. We'll do whatever it takes to make them successful."

Next: Vets run several businesses with support from Soldier On. >>