Quandrea Patterson
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Staff Sergeant Quandrea Patterson is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, where she served in various roles during her 20-year tenure. Staff Sergeant Patterson worked directly with homeless Veterans during her time in the Marine Corps as a recruiter and her work for the American Legion. In her current role at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, her focus is advocating for access to disability assistance and memorial affairs for all Veterans. The brave men and women who served in dignity should have access to the benefits they earned that will help them to live with dignity and be laid to rest with dignity. This is especially true for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Staff Sergeant Patterson has a Bachelor of Science in human relations. While completing her degree, she volunteered at a homeless shelter, serving and assisting homeless men with addiction and a history of incarceration. She also volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in foster care, which connected her with homeless Veterans. Staff Sergeant Patterson worked for Troops to Teachers, where she advocated for students with different learning abilities in a Title 1 school. Additionally, she served as a member of AmeriCorps, where she worked alongside community organizations to address illiteracy and end homelessness.
Shortly before the pandemic, Staff Sergeant Patterson worked for the VA Transition Assistance Program, where she gained a strong understanding of homeless prevention programs. She assisted with counseling transitioning service members to ensure they had awareness and education of the benefits and services available at VA.
Staff Sergeant Patterson is passionate about serving our Veterans, as she has rich experience working alongside homeless and at-risk Veterans. In 2022, she worked as a policy analyst at the American Legion in the National Veterans Employment and Education Division in Washington, D.C., overseeing the homeless Veterans and incarceration program. Additionally, she was responsible for managing the American Legion’s Homeless Veterans Task Force, which ensures local services and resources are available to homeless Veterans and their families. As an associate director of national legislative services with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, she continues to advocate for Veterans by staying engaged in policy and events that facilitate the well-being of Veterans and their families.
Currently, Staff Sergeant Patterson resides in Arlington, Virginia.
