San Diego Habitat recently hosted Winter Ops, a training conference for 11 affiliates adopting the Veterans Build program (VB), organized by Habitat for Humanity International’s Veterans Build team. Six legacy VB affiliates joined the new affiliates and national partners — including The Home Depot Foundation, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Wells Fargo Foundation, Bank of America Foundation, Owens Corning Foundation, National League of Cities, Housing Assistance Council, and Purple Heart Homes – to share resources and best practices to better understand military culture, what it means to serve veterans, and how to collaborate with federal, state, and local governments and organizations whose values align with serving veterans. The discussions helped to unlock new advocates, partners, and resources that expand Habitat’s mission.
During the two-day conference, affiliates learned to use data to identify gaps in service, about housing solutions for service-connected disabled veterans, how to access national resources and grants, practices for aging in place programs, and to forge alliances for affordable housing. In addition to the learning opportunities, a team of 22 worked together on a home preservation project at one of San Diego Habitat’s Veteran Repair homes in the College Area. View photos here.
