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A transitional home for veterans in Kansas City, Kansas, officially celebrated its grand opening Friday after three years of operation, providing housing and support for 14 veterans who were previously experiencing homelessness.
The Footprints: Heroes Home Gate transitional home currently houses 12 men and two women veterans, offering them structure through chores and curfew while also providing free time and a supportive community environment.
The program has housed 37 veterans over its three years of operation, with no time limit, but allowing residents to stay up to two years.
It's the organization's first location in Kansas.
"Most of us don't have anything anymore,” said Richard Curtis, one of the residents. “I lost everything I had. Hitting a rock bottom, so to speak, a couple of years ago, it was an eye-opener, and I was lost until I found this place."
Curtis, who served in combat engineering starting in 1990 and later in the National Guard, experienced homelessness for about two years after legal troubles led to losing his house and car.
He slept in his car for about a year and a half before finding the transitional home through the VA hospital.
"I didn't know about most of these programs that they have," Curtis said. "I'm not on the streets anymore. They're helping me through my legal stuff. They're helping me every step of the way."
Curtis, who suffers from PTSD and anxiety, is now taking classes in software design and development and hopes to earn his IBM certification within three months.
He also plans to pursue his bachelor's degree.
"More than likely, I'll still pursue getting my bachelor's degree,” Curtis said. “I’ll be pushing 60 by that time, but hey, it's never too late.”
His roommate, Tommy McLaughlin, served as an Air Force air traffic controller from 2001 to 2012.
The Pittsburgh native has been at the transitional home for about two weeks.
"It was a really good time,” McLaughlin said about his military service. “It wasn't even like a job. It was fun all the time meeting new people. It felt good serving my country.”
However, the transition to civilian life proved challenging.
"It really doesn't prepare you for how unstructured the real world is compared to the military," McLaughlin said. "You're just not prepared for that, you just don't know which direction to go."
McLaughlin also found the home through the VA.
"When I got here, it was just like coming home," McLaughlin said. "You walk in the door, and everybody's watching TV, and someone just scoots over on the couch and doesn't even say anything."
The veterans appreciate the structured environment that mirrors military life, with required chores, bed-making, and weekly meetings, while still maintaining independence.
"Being around other folks who are going through a similar situation really helps,” McLaughlin said. “It's almost like being in a group therapy session sometimes.”
Co-Executive Director Joel Bailey, whose mentor founded the organization, said they started the KCK housing project three years ago with five veterans and have grown to serve 14.
Bailey, the son of a veteran, said the founder was a Vietnam veteran who struggled with addiction.
Bailey also lived in KCK when he first moved to the Kansas City area.
"I noticed there weren't enough services being provided in Kansas City, Kansas, for homeless veterans," Bailey said. "We want them to be able to have longevity in their independent living."
They partnered with Build WyCo to open the new home located on Ann Avenue.
"We went through a lot of barriers with getting permits, going through different guidelines," Bailey said. "It’s motivation for people who have lost trust in the organizations that are doing things in the neighborhood."
Both residents acknowledge the ongoing need for veteran services.
"I don't think there's enough help for veterans,” McLaughlin said. “I mean, there are so many homeless veterans, and there are so many that don't know about the benefits they could have," McLaughlin said.
Heroes Home Gate plans to open a state-of-the-art veterans agency in the coming weeks, which will operate 24 hours a day.
For now, both Curtis and McLaughlin are focused on their immediate goals of securing independent housing while appreciating the support they've found.
"It's a great place to be,” McLaughlin said. “It's really helpful mentally and physically to have a roof over your head. I’ve never seen a place where they feed you, and they give you a place to stay."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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