National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
VHA Community Partnership Challenge
One Durham Community Partnership helps formerly homeless Veterans furnish their new homes
The Durham VA Medical Center HCHV Program partnership with The Green Chair Project of Raleigh, N.C. ensures formerly homeless Veterans can start life in their new homes with furniture and essential household items.
The partnership is important because it gives Veterans an opportunity to live their lives with dignity and peace of mind, said Dekevias Atkinson, licensed clinical social worker at Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC).
“We recognize that many Veterans who have been homeless for many months or years may have little to nothing to furnish or beautify his or her new home,” said Atkinson. “This opportunity increases the Veteran’s self-worth and pride, knowing that they will start lives over again in a home that is fully furnished.”
Over the last 18 months, the Durham VA staff, Veterans, and the staff at The Green Chair Project had to adapt to ensure everyone remained safe while service delivery and support continued.
Prior to the pandemic, Veterans visited a showroom to pick out their furniture. Now, Veterans “shop” online and choose their packages remotely, with assistance from their assigned Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) case manager. From a clinical perspective, the HUD-VASH staff met the Veterans where they were to make sure their needs were met.
So far, close to 60 Veterans have benefitted from the partnership. The story of a Veteran and his wife especially stood out to Atkinson. He met them after they had been sleeping on the porch of an abandoned home in Raleigh during a cold spell. They both had health issues.
“During the entire process, the Veteran could not stop crying. The Veteran was so thankful and appreciative that he hugged almost everyone who was present. Everyone was positively affected by that because everyone knew what was taking place at that particular time had a huge impact in a very positive and meaningful way to the Veteran,” said Atkinson.
When Atkinson visited the Veteran’s new home, “he gave me a full tour of his home and pointed out every single item that was donated to him. The bottom line is their home was fully furnished and they were even given small appliances for their kitchen. I have had some wonderful interactions with Veterans who have tangibly benefited from this partnership.”
The Durham VAMC HCHV Program shared this amazing partnership during the 2021 VHA National Community Partnership Challenge (CPC). The CPC is an annual event recognizing outstanding partnerships that help Veterans and their communities. The competition is managed by the VHA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) for the Office of the Under Secretary for Health and facilitates partnerships advancing the health and well-being of Veterans.
This team’s work fit the CPC’s theme this year, which was “Adaptability in a Changing World.” Partnerships that were submitted to the CPC focused their work on helping diverse populations of Veterans, especially in times of uncertainty, such as during the coronavirus pandemic.
For more information on HAP’s partnership work and CPC, including this year's top-three winners, please visit: https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/updates.asp and click on the “2021 National VHA Community Partnership Challenge” tab.
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Posted September 27, 2021
