KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. She also focuses on issues regarding scams. Share your story idea with Megan.
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The Veterans Community Project completed its new outreach center in Kansas City, marking the latest milestone for the organization that began in 2016 with a vision to address veteran homelessness.
Brandonn Mixon, chief project officer and co-founder of Veterans Community Project, said the growth reflects the support of the local community.
"Going back to this just kind of a vision in 2016 with a group of combat veterans, to literally changing what veteran's homeless looks like on a national scale, but it's literally because of the Kansas City community," Mixon said.
Mixon said the new building is already fulfilling its purpose of bringing veterans together.
"That's what's been great about this, Mixon said. "We're seeing a big influx of veterans coming in and saying,'Hey I'm a veteran, how do I get involved? What can I do in KC? I want to be around other veterans."' And that's really what this building is doing," Mixon said.
The new outreach center evaluates and helps veterans with many things, including help at the center with military documentation, commissary, rent and bills, bus passes, resume writing, education, a Medicare broker and a workforce representative. In just a few months, the organization has helped 35 people find jobs.
Air Force veteran Terrion Lacy is a veteran with a new job. Lacy served from 1987 to 1994 as a radio communications analyst specialist.
Veterans' Community Project helped him with his home and bills, a new car, and stable employment.
"I needed help with my rent," Lacy said.
Since starting his new job, Lacy has earned a role connected to the World Cup.
"Since I have been in my job, I've gotten two promotions," Lacy said. "That extra boost of confidence continues to help me keep the optimism I already have."
Lacy encouraged other veterans to seek out help through the organization.
"I am always optimistic, and even if you're not as optimistic as me, I'm going to tell you, you need to come down here, because they will help you find some," Lacy said. "If the walk leads you here, you can really believe you're going to get help."
The organization also is planning a $2.5 million expansion of its headquarters, which had been operating out of a former auto shop garage.
"When it gets hot in there, its 90 degrees," Mixon said.
Mixon said the space has become inadequate.
"To be honest with you, we outgrew our original building a long time ago, but at the end of the day, it's about serving veterans," Mixon said.
The expansion, funded through donations, will repair the roof and HVAC system and create new offices to support the organization's continued national growth.
"We have to expand before we keep going into other markets," Mixon said. "Thank you for believing in us, thank you for giving us the opportunity to change lives and have these stories and I look forward to doing more in the future."
Lacy said the outreach center offers something essential for veterans looking to rebuild.
"Any veteran that wants to better themselves, wants to find the community, this is where you get that at," Lacy said.
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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