Heat for Heroes and KWW/CF Staff members Noel Ayala and Terry McGraw standing near the Heat for Heroes banner at one of the many events attended to raise awareness for the plight of Veterans in need across Wisconsin.
Since its inception, KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes has continuously grown its relationship with countless businesses, organizations and the surrounding community to aid in the mission of helping veterans who need assistance.
For the past two years, its relationship with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and its Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program has been the catalyst in reaching thousands of in-need veterans each year.
“The VORP was one of the first programs or organizations that we built a solid bridge on. That relationship has been significantly enhanced with Secretary Daniel J. Zimmerman’s leadership. He along with his staff team places a special emphasis on providing the support and assistance necessary to veterans who are the most vulnerable,” KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes founder Tim Bruer said. “I think we’ve built a survival safety net that’s timely and predictable and that focuses on providing a hand up and empowering that individual or that veteran in crisis.”
The WDVA’s VORP works to connect veterans to community services and provide case management and support with a special focus on treatment and recovery. The program started in 2014, covering 49 counties in the state. Because of its success in identifying veterans in need and providing them with resources to get back to a sustainable lifestyle, the program was expanded earlier this year to cover all 72 counties in Wisconsin.
“This has been a huge asset for our veterans,” VORP Program Manager Lori Kirchgatter said of the program’s relationship with Heat for Heroes. “(Heat for Heroes) has a slightly higher income threshold for assistance, so vets who get denied utility assistance by their county may still qualify for utility assistance through Heat for Heroes.”
The WDVA’s VORP team consists of 11 outreach and recovery coordinators, each covering specific counties and working to provide essential resources to in-need veterans and their families.
Whenever a coordinator identifies a veteran who needs help that KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes can offer, the organization is at the top of the list for referrals, WDVA Division of Veterans Services Administrator Ken Grant said.
“Throughout Wisconsin, we have so many veterans who are dealing with utility and rent concerns,” Grant said. “Heat for Heroes will respond immediately and has, with its donor dollars, the resources often to prevent a veteran from being homeless. In many cases, they are able to stop utilities from being disconnected or provide the funding necessary to keep a struggling veteran safely in their homes.”
Bruer said the mission of KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes has always been to form and expand relationships with initiatives that already exist to better assist veterans and their families. The work of the VORP often works hand-in-hand with KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes to accomplish that goal.
“We’ve always wanted to compliment, not duplicate or compete with other efforts on the grassroot level,” Bruer said. “We look to organizations and programs like the VORP to guide us and take ownership over our mission and purpose.” “
We like exhausting every possible opportunity to work collaboratively and together, and the VORP’s ability to get into thousands of doors and areas that other organizations can’t is very important.
The bond doesn’t end there, as KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes has expanded its program to help with housing for veterans in crisis. Grant said that KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes has been instrumental in ensuring veterans and their families have a roof over their heads.
“Of all the categories of needs that veterans have, housing has continued to be the most important issue,” he said. “Heat for Heroes helps to fill that void by providing the first month of rent and the security deposit when appropriate.
“The importance of this organization is huge in the state of Wisconsin, and that’s reflected by the continued number of veterans they assist each year.”
Kirchgatter said the support and response she’s received from KWWCF/Heat and Housing for Heroes time and time again has gone a long way in serving veterans and their families, saving many lives and hardships in the process.
“They understand that we are not just talking about heat and housing, but peoples’ lives,” she said. “They care about those they serve, and they go above and beyond on tough cases to find unique ways to help them out.”
