Joyce Jamison has provided the following regarding the Center for Transitioning Veterans, a local partner of the People’s Community Center (PCC), which is a Community Development Corporation founded in 2022 launching programs to address the neighborhood’s most critical problems. The PCC currently consist of four centers:
- Center for Neighbors in Need
- Center for Community Health
- Center for Children and Youths
- Center for Transitioning Veterans
I met the Director of the Center for Transitioning Veterans, Frances Perry in late 2023 at a veteran’s event in which our discussion was about homeless veterans. I reached out to Ms. Perry this summer to learn more about the Center and inquired if she had any need of financial assistance. She was very humble and stated that any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
So, I followed up with Ms. Perry in September to get a better insight of the Center. During our meeting, I asked how was the Center for Transitioning veterans established? She shared this story, “After volunteering with the homeless veterans during winter 2021, and with her success of assisting homeless veterans into permanent housing it just started to bloom.” The People’s Community Center asked if she could establish a resource center for veterans on the 3rd floor in 2022 and Janie’s Hands Veterans Transitional Housing Program Inc. was established in 2023 with their first house in Cheswold, which was sold in August 2024. The current home is located on Bradford Street in Downtown Dover.
As Director, she and her staff works with the Veterans Administration to address the needs of community members who return to the neighborhood after military service and in need of support to successfully re-integrate into civilian life, heal from the emotional traumas of war, and prevent homelessness. These are some of important services the center provide:
- PTSD Support Groups
- Individual Counseling
- Family Systems Counseling
- Housing & Work Referrals
- VA Systems Help
- Partners with local organizations to provide a series of integrated programs for case workers to help veterans access the resources they need to rebuild their lives.
The home itself provides:
- Housed Veterans at Janie’s Hands
- Presently 10 veterans in the housing program
- Average 10-15 male veterans
- Provides Hot meals
- Veterans have breakfast at the center and dinner is served by Center for Neighbors in Need
- Normally 40-50 meals are served during off-season
- During winter months (December – April) 50-70 meals served daily.
The Center for Transitioning Veterans is an excellent candidate for our annual donation project. I highly recommend our support.ndence.