Honoring veterans with love

About Sara J. Harper Village

The new veteran-centric housing is named in honor of U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Clevelander, Judge Sara J. Harper. She believed in her Marine Corps training, and shares her “will to win” with all of us, hoping her story will inspire and change lives now, and well into the future.

We believe home is the foundation of well-being. Judge Sara J. Harper Village is a new affordable housing program of Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana reaching right into the heart of the Cleveland veteran community. Our goal is to support the most underserved segment of the veteran population, homeless and traumatized female veterans. This new, safe, affordable housing is a supportive environment designed to help veterans rebuild their lives and maintain well-being. Being surrounded by fellow veterans and connected to veteran resources and treatment will help them achieve self-sufficiency and thrive.

Help us build housing with love.

Veterans often face many challenges when returning from service, including unemployment, poor mental health, physical injuries, and the need for safe, secure housing. Female veterans may encounter additional hardships, including raising children on their own or dealing with the psychological after-effects of military sexual trauma. If these difficulties go unaddressed, they can lead to homelessness. In fact, approximately one out of every ten homeless people in the United States is a veteran.

Judge Sara J. Harper Village will prioritize serving female veterans, including those with children and/or those who have experienced military sexual trauma, along with veterans who are low-income, formerly homeless, or about to experience homelessness.

Despite veteran homelessness being on the decline overall, female veterans comprise the fastest-growing segment of the homeless veteran population.

In Northeast Ohio, the need for veteran housing—especially housing for female veterans—is clear.

• There are limited emergency and transitional housing options.
• There’s also limited affordable permanent housing options dedicated to the needs of veterans and veterans with families, especially our women veterans.

Kick-Off Ceremony & Blessing

Public officials and community representatives joined together for a construction kick off and blessing ceremony recently for Sara J. Harper Village. Those in attendance included the Honorable Judge Sara J. Harper, along with her children, grandchildren and extended family members. John von Arx III, our very own President & CEO shared how this incredible endeavor came to be and how it will impact the female veterans in the Cleveland area.

Also present to help kick off construction for the facility were Kevin Conwell, Cleveland City Councilman, Ward 9 and Cuyahoga Council Representative, Yvonne Conwell, District 7. Reverend Larry L. Harris, Sr. of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where the Harper-Trumbo family attends mass, shared a very special blessing over the grounds and its future residents.

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