“Access to healthy reliable food, like housing, is critical to health and well-being. For people experiencing homelessness (PEH), access to food can be unreliable and sporadic which further exacerbates health issues and their ability to take care of themselves.” - Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

Introduction:

During the joint opening of the 125th VFW National Convention, Humana announced the expansion of the Uniting to Combat Hunger program to also include Homelessness. The rebranded effort is tentatively known as UTCH - Squared (I don't know how to type the superscript 2, otherwise the new name would look a lot cooler).

This concept came to me at the Convention in Phoenix as I was discussing the link between food insecurity and housing insecurity with the Humana reps in the exhibition hall.

Humana's own data, which they used to initially launch UTCH, confirmed what is apparent to everyone; those who are struggling financially sometimes must pick and chose which bills to pay. When rent is due a family may go without some meals. Likewise, when an individual is already homeless (with no means to cook or store food) eating becomes a primary focus of their daily lives.

So, how could Humana and the VFW find a way to address both issues which are so intertwined?

Homeless veteran Thanksgiving Day feed at VFW Post 1. 👊

NOT Reinventing the Wheel

Uniting to Combat Hunger has been a resounding success. The number of meals provided year after year had made a tremendous impact on all of our communities. I know that in Colorado I have been able to increase Post participation in the grant program by linking existing events that address food insecurity to the grants ((Memorial Day Ruck March, and the VFW Holiday Airlift, for example). However, not every Post has bought in.

Having visited many Posts while going through the Department chairs, I've learned that every Post has it's own "flavor" so to speak. What interests one Post may have no appeal at another Post, so its not surprising some didn't take advantage of UTCH. However, due to the ease in which Posts can receive the hunger grants, I thought using the same process to incentivize Posts interested in addressing homelessness was the path of least resistance.

Marketing the "H"

Clearly there is a big tie-in between the Humana "H" logo and the UTCH acronym and, just like replicating the hunger grant application, I thought it would be great to expand UTCH by giving the "H" dual meanings: Hunger or Homelessness. At least it is a lot easier than coming up with a completely new program name and didn't require securing a new sponsor.

Luckily, Humana was fully on-board with the expansion concept. But none of us knew enough about the measurables initially to come up with a solution. I organized a team of Humana decision makers and the folks from the VFW Foundation, and we started having zoom calls last fall.

Enter Volunteers of America

Several key pieces to the success of UTCH in it's original form was the ease with which impact was measured, and having Feeding America as a national partner. Meals can be counted by actual meals served, or you can calculate meals by converting the number of pounds of non-perishable items that are collected. Whereas Feeding America made it easy for Posts to locate a nearby food pantry that is a part of Feeding America's network.

Meaning the first step of this new working group was to identify a new partner, and rely on the expertise of the new partner to help us come up with quantifiable measurements for success.

Because I have previously worked with the local chapter of Volunteers of America on homelessness issues in Denver, VOA was my first call. It was through these local connections that I was able to bring representatives from the VOA HQ to the table and over the last year we brainstormed ways to work together. Volunteers of America, with a national footprint similar to the VFW, will now serve in the anti-homelessness role similar to Feeding America's role in addressing hunger.

Collaboration

Many non-profits seeking donations sometimes lists a range of donation levels and the equivalent impact those funds can have on their mission. At one point during this process VOA published such a list and the first level, $50, was the value they put on housing someone for one night along with a symbol of a bed next to it.

From there we were off and running, as we have a measurement tool which is as easy to understand as a meal. It was determined that for every $50 raised by a Post, or every $50 worth of in-kind items (gloves, socks, hygiene kits, etc.) that is donated to a local homelessness initiative will count as one bed provided.

Volunteers of America has chapters or affiliates across the country working hands-on with the homeless. When the expanded grant program is officially launched Posts will be encouraged to contact their local VOA and join existing efforts (again, let's not try to reinvent the wheel). Of course, just like on the hunger side we are always encouraged to partner with Humana.

Reimbursement

The homelessness grant will work the same as the hunger grant. A Post will need to provide receipts of at least $500 to seek reimbursement in the form of a non-restricted grant. We will not know the upper limit until the grant season officially opens after the new national budget is passed, but I feel strongly it will be $1500 as in the past few years.

Hopefully, by expanding the definition of the "H" in UTCH more Posts will engage. Just like Humana states on their NVS brochure, we will all be "Doing Well by Doing Good, One Veteran at a Time."