The Veterans Transition Center (VTC) is a non-profit 501(c)3 rehabilitation center

Physical therapy

Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...

 and shelter for veteran

Veteran

A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...

s, founded in 1989, in Monterey County, California

Monterey County, California

Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...

. The VTC is located at the site of the former Fort Ord near Marina, California

Marina, California

Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. The population was 19,718 at the 2010 census. Marina is located along the central coast of California, west of Salinas, and 8 miles north of Monterey, at an elevation of 43 feet . Marina was incorporated in 1975 and is the newest city...

. While the program is funded partly by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...

 and United States Department of Veterans Affairs

United States Department of Veterans Affairs

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...

, it largely relies on donations from the public. The VTC seeks a holistic approach to helping homeless veterans that includes community service, life skills classes, sobriety requirements, counseling, and transitional housing. According to the U.S. Army Monterey Presidio Public Affairs bureau:

In general, the mission of the Veterans Transition Center is to provide services for Monterey County's homeless veterans and their families... by providing veterans with transitional housing, emergency services and case-management programs, veterans will once again become employable and productive members of the community.

Currently, the center is looking forward to add a vocational rehabilitation program and more housing units. The vocational rehabilitation program is to include a non-profit store with the express purpose of hiring the most veterans possible while the additional housing units will increase the center's capacity for veterans to rehabilitate. Since its inception, the VTC has served 4,155 single veterans and 351 veterans with families. According to the center:

An estimated 80% of veterans who graduated from the VTC program transitioned into permanent housing for at least one year while 92% of who were in the program for 1 year maintained sobriety. At the time of graduation, 87% of veterans had $700 or more in savings and 75% were employed with a mean wage greater than $9.00 per hour. Among families, 100% of school aged children attended school, 80% of children pursued an after-school hobby, and 100% of all veterans with families enrolled in healthy families insurance.

Starting in June 2011, work has begun on two previously abandoned buildings that are to become a non-profit thrift store and receipt center of veterans.