San Francisco, CA, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, hundreds of veterans are expected to visit the Veterans War Memorial Building in San Francisco for Veterans Connect: a one-stop event offering Bay Area veterans access to a variety of free and essential resources. Organized by Swords to Plowshares and sponsored by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, the resource fair will bring together over 30 local service providers who are committed to supporting veterans facing homelessness, poverty, unemployment, and disabling health conditions.
“We aim to create a Bay Area where no veteran is left behind,” says Tramecia Garner, executive director of Swords to Plowshares. “For 50 years, Swords has continually stepped up to address the unmet needs of generations of veterans. Thanks to the many partners showing up today to inform and support veterans, Veterans Connect allows us to go beyond our everyday services and offer a unique opportunity for veterans to experience the wide range of community-driven resources available to them.”
Veterans Connect aims to reach veterans who may struggle with navigating social services. According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Counts, 587 veteran households experienced homelessness in San Francisco (7% of the total unhoused population), and 661 veteran households experienced homelessness in Alameda County (9% of the total unhoused population). A huge majority of these veterans experienced unsheltered homelessness – 81% in San Francisco, and 74% in Alameda County.
“New this year, we introduced our Community Engagement Grants to support local events organized by Got Your 6 Network partners and that bring veterans and military families together to foster connection and impact,” said Deirdre Armstrong, director of partner engagement at the Bob Woodruff Foundation. “We’re proud to support partners like Swords to Plowshares, who help connect veterans to local resources and who share our mission to ensure veterans, service members and their families have stable, successful futures.”
Resources provided are free of charge and include onsite enrollment in housing services, job trainings, legal assistance, and healthcare; appointments with VA Mobile Medical Unit; haircuts and dental screenings; hygiene items and clothing; an e-bike give-away; counseling and mental health resources, including connection to service animals; and more. For the full list of participating providers, visit: https://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/vc25
Veterans Connect
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
10:00am to 2:00pm PST
Veterans War Memorial Building
401 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
About Swords to Plowshares
Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-rooted nonprofit that provides wraparound support for veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. Each year, Swords to Plowshares supports 3,000 veterans as they navigate the challenges of post-military life so that they can achieve health, housing, wellness, and stability. This nationally recognized veterans service organization also advocates for the rights of veterans through community education and partnerships with local, state, and federal changemakers. Learn more about the work of Swords to Plowshares and discover how you can help by visiting www.swords-to-plowshares.org.
Katie Ettl Swords to Plowshares 530-218-2147 katie.ettl@stp-sf.org