Veterans Community Project

05/29/2026

U.S. Army Veteran Kelly spent most of his 20 years of military service as a recruiter. Along the way and across the country, his pitch to potential recruits was consistent.

“'I saw you looking—and I’ve got a uniform that’s just your size,'” he grins. "I must've said that thousands of times."

But after retiring as a Sergeant First Class, life took an unstable turn. Following the passing of his parents and sudden medical crises—a heart attack and a stroke—Kelly found himself unable to work, unable to survive on his pension alone, and living in a homeless shelter.

“It was destitute—better than the streets, I guess, but not by much,” Kelly remembers. “I started to have those feelings of hopelessness. And there were times when I’d thought about throwing in the towel.”

Last September, everything changed. At a career fair, Kelly met Ian, a VCP Case Manager and fellow Army Veteran. He shared his story, and the pair jumped into action.

By October, Kelly traded his shelter bed for a key to a fully furnished, affordable apartment—one of 425 veterans helped by VCP of St. Louis last year.

Today, Kelly remains focused on health and housing. Between doctor and physical therapy appointments, he relaxes watching old Westerns with his Shih Tzu, Buddy. He still comes by our Outreach Center, too, sometimes for assistance and other times just camaraderie.

“I owe a lot to VCP... it has been a godsend,” he says. “As I tell other Veterans, if you are honest and forthcoming about what you need, this place will help you get it.”

To that end, as Kelly looks to his future with newfound hope, he also thinks back to that moment in September. The former recruiter says that it was a pitch of just five words—delivered from one retired soldier to another—that has changed the trajectory of his life:

“How can I help you?”

05/27/2026

Today, our mission to fix Veteran homelessness across this country took a big step forward.

Or, perhaps you even could say, a Texas Two-Step forward.

Introducing: Veterans Community Project of Dallas.

Following a successful Dallas City Council vote this morning, VCP is officially beginning the process to bring our nationally recognized transitional housing model to Dallas. As our seventh nationwide location, this Village will expand our 85% success rate to Dallas Veterans.

VCP of Dallas will feature:

50 transitional tiny homes ranging from 260-square-foot individual units to 360-square-foot family units. The homes—designed to promote safety, healing, and dignity—will be arranged in a familiar barracks-style layout, will be pet-friendly, and designed using PTSD-informed principles.

A 7,000-square-foot community facility built to deliver comprehensive on-site support. That includes full-time case managers to help Veteran residents address housing barriers, develop personalized goals, and work toward sustainable permanent housing.

“Communities reveal what they value by what they build,” said Bryan Meyer, VCP CEO, Co-Founder, and USMC combat Veteran. “This project represents that Dallas stepped forward and decided that Veteran homelessness was its problem to solve. This Village will be a visible reminder that this community values its Veterans and is willing to invest in them.”

Shaped in close collaboration with local leaders, VCP of Dallas will be strategically located directly across from the Dallas VA Medical Center and adjacent to a major light rail hub—giving future residents immediate access to healthcare, transit, and employment.

Today marks the starting point. In the coming weeks, we will establish local fundraising and construction committees to guide the four-phase project with quality and discipline.

Now, we need your help to build it. If you or your company want to help bring this project to life for Dallas Veterans, drop a comment below or hit us up in our DMs.

Because together, Dallas, we can fix Veteran homelessness.

Welcome to the mission.

05/25/2026

Today on Memorial Day, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. At Veterans Community Project, we honor their memory by upholding their legacy of service and ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten.

05/22/2026

U.S. Navy Veteran Holli is leaving Veterans Community Project with a smile on her face.

And although the dental work is the most visible change, it represents just a small part of a complete transformation while rebuilding her life in a tiny green home at VCP Village.

Over the past eight months, she has also gotten connected to healthcare and improved her mental health, stabilized her income by accessing the VA disability benefits earned through her service three decades ago, and recently celebrated two years of sobriety.

So, yeah, Holli says, “I have a lot to smile about these days.”

This past week, she took that newfound confidence on the road. She packed up her 240-square-foot home—including loading up her beloved 14-year-old pit bull named El Chapo who lived with her inside—and moved into a new apartment to start her next chapter.

Looking ahead, Holli is especially excited about her job at a local homeless shelter. It is a full-circle moment: this is the same shelter where she once received help of her own, and where a community partner first introduced her to VCP. Now, she is paying it forward.

“It’s very uplifting to have been there and now be able to return the favor,” she explained. “I get to put my knowledge and experience to work. It’s good for my soul.”

Before heading out, Holli shared another message—one of gratitude for the VCP supporters who gave her the chance to reset. With a subtle flash of her new smile, she said simply:

“Thank you for believing in me—in all of us.”

05/20/2026

Through personal growth and adversity, Bill and Elizabeth Malzewski have worked steadily to help turn Veterans Community Project of Milwaukee from a vision into a reality.

Bill and Elizabeth Malzewski have rallied their community behind this mission to fix Veteran homelessness

05/18/2026

05/14/2026

05/11/2026

Although we’ve not exactly been tracking this statistic, we think that Fluffy and her 1.97-pound frame might be the tiniest-ever Village dog at Veterans Community Project.

So, of course, a quick photo shoot was in order when the four-month-old Coton de Tulear came by the office last week with VCP Co-Founder Brandonn Mixon and his family.

As many of you know, Mixon and his fellow Co-Founders made an intentional choice when they started VCP a decade ago: pets are not only allowed, but welcomed with open arms.

They’d known that pets could be an emotional support system for Veterans. However, they also learned early on that they could actually stand as a barrier to housing. Because many shelters can’t allow pets in group living situations, they’d met a lot of Veterans who’d previously chosen to stay on the streets rather than abandon their companions.

Our individual tiny home unit approach was designed to solve that problem—not to mention the on-site dog park and dog washing station made possible by donors and the volunteer veterinary services provided by community partners.

“Pets were always going to be part of the plan at VCP,” Mixon says. “Because animals show affection without strings attached—and sometimes, that kind of unconditional love is what we need to break through in other aspects of our lives.”

Mixon credits his own old dog as a mental health support during his transition from the military to civilian life 13 years ago. That effect continues with Fluffy, as even when she aggressively nibbles on his beard, he says, “I mean, come on, you just can’t help but laugh around her.”

P.S. If you’re in Kansas City, our Veterans Community Project of Kansas City team is hosting its Battle Buddies Yappy Hour this Thursday, May 14, from 5-8 p.m. at City Dogs KC, 2401 Summit St., Kansas City, MO. We’d love to see you and your pooches there! Learn more and grab a ticket at the events page on our website.

05/06/2026

05/01/2026

Three weeks ago, U.S. Army Veteran Neil, his partner Carie, and their dog Bella were living on the street outside a homeless services center.

“It felt like we were in a horror movie,” Neil says.

He remembers sleepless nights standing watch beside Carie, followed by mornings trying to catch a few hours himself in a corner of the center. But on one recent morning, he was interrupted by Carie saying, “Hey, wake up! There's someone who wants to talk to us.”

It was a case manager from Veterans Community Project. A community partner, knowing Neil was a Veteran, had made the introduction. After a conversation that morning, our team arranged a temporary hotel stay and began preparing a tiny home.

Last week, Neil, Carie, and Bella moved into a 320-square-foot family unit in VCP Village.

After moving in, Neil says he crashed on the bed and later woke up unsure where he was. He smiles, “I had to tell myself: ‘I’m home... I’m home... I’m home.’ It’s an amazing, surreal feeling.”

Now, in the safety and stability of that home, the couple is beginning to look ahead. Their goals include reestablishing identification, returning to work, and paying down debt.

But in this moment, they’re taking a deep breath together—and that, they say, is what matters most. Previously, they couldn’t access shelter together because they aren’t legally married and have a pet.

At VCP, however, we believe family is defined by the Veteran, not paperwork. And in the Village, pets are part of that family, too. In turn, that intentional choice by our leaders opened a door all three of them could walk through—together.

As they begin to rebuild, Neil reflects on the determined attitude that drew him to Carie in the first place five years ago: “She's someone who knows what she wants—and goes after it.”

To that end, Carie doesn’t hesitate when asked what comes next: “I want our life back.”

That process begins today.

Welcome home.