Hawai‘i to Receive $637,000 to Provide Homeless Veteran Job Training

Sen. Mazie K. Hirono announced on July 12, 2018, that Hawai‘i’s U.S.VETS and Catholic Charities will receive a total of $637,258 in 2018 grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) to provide on-the-job training, occupational skills training, apprenticeship opportunities, job placement, and follow-up assistance after placement.

The program funding currently serves more than 300 homeless veterans in Hawai‘i.

“The staff at U.S.VETS – Barbers Point and Catholic Charities are working hard every day to end veteran homelessness in Hawaii, and this grant will help them continue this important mission,” Sen. Hirono, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said. “I remain committed to fighting to protect critical federal programs like HVRP that help our veterans transition to civilian life, end homelessness and secure jobs.”

“U.S.VETS is the nation’s largest homeless veteran service provider that commits itself to reintegrating homeless and at-risk veterans and their families in to the community,” Darryl Vincent, U.S.VETS’ COO, said. “It is our mission at U.S.VETS to work for the day that no veteran who has given their life to protect our freedoms suffer the indignity of homelessness. The grant from the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program helps bring us closer to the goal of ending veteran homelessness in Hawaii by supporting our efforts to provide comprehensive workforce development and reintegration services to the nearly 250 veterans we served last year in our transitional housing programs. We greatly appreciate Sen. Hirono’s longstanding support and her leadership in securing HVRP’s reauthorization.”

“Catholic Charities Hawaii is grateful for Sen. Hirono’s efforts in securing us federal funding for the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program, which assists homeless and at-risk veterans in finding employment and rewarding careers,” Catholic Charities Hawaii President & CEO Terry Walsh said. “These brave men and women who have served our country deserve a place to call home and secure good jobs when they leave the service. The grant funds will help ensure 95 veterans will be served by our HVRP program.”

As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Hirono authored and passed the bipartisan Keeping Our Commitment to Ending Veteran Homelessness Act which prevented HVRP and other programs from expiring on Sept. 30, 2017. The bill, enacted last year as part of the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act (Public Law 115-62), reauthorizes HVRP and Department of Veterans Affairs programs that provide health care, housing and support services for homeless veterans and their families.