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Veterans Matters program celebrates house 2,000 veterans

And of those 2,000 veterans, 250 of them have been local.

LUCAS COUNTY (WTOL) - The "Veterans Matter" program celebrated a major milestone Monday afternoon for housing 2,000 in 18 states. And of those veterans, 250 of them have been local.

The program partners with the VA to find homeless veterans and relocate them to homes.

In Lucas County, the local veterans service commission also finds additional ways to help the veterans through funding.

Keith Bell, a Vietnam veteran, said the Veterans Matter program helped turn his life around in more ways than one.

"I was homeless you know, three years ago and look at me now. I'm doing pretty good, going to school and going to college and trying to educate myself further. Got a job and I'm doing pretty good," said Bell.

"None of this is done alone. It's an incredible community and our funding advocates across the country who are able to make this happen. We've raised over $1.5 million to be able to house those 2,000 veterans and that's a lot of people that care," explained Ken Leslie, advocate and chief of the program.

The program added that it is proud to say they are able to get a veteran from the street to a lease in as fast as 31 days.

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