When you see a soldier in uniform, do you express gratitude for their service? Does a tear fall when you watch reunion videos of deployed soldiers returning to their families? Put this patriotism into action when you donate to charities like Opportunity House, which prioritizes helping homeless Veterans in Pennsylvania.
Homeless Veterans come to Opportunity House and find compassion, emergency shelter, supplies for hygiene and self-care, and supportive services for securing and maintaining permanent housing.
Integration of Veterans
Veterans have spent time away from their families, putting themselves in harm’s way on behalf of America’s security. When they return from service, the least we can provide is transitional support, medical care, and sustained housing.
Veterans often return changed. They may have physical challenges caused by service and PTSD, anxiety, or other mental health problems. Returning home can also be quite difficult. Going from a highly disciplined life to home frequently causes family disintegration without help as they adjust. Few Veterans receive all of the help they need.
Help for Homeless Veterans through Opportunity House
Opportunity House offers emergency shelter to homeless Veterans, single men and women, and families with children. Shelter means more than a place to sleep, though. We provide 24-hour housing, accessible at all hours, 365 days a year. Residents also receive three meals and a snack daily, access to shower and laundry facilities, and all the essentials for hygiene and self-care.
How to Support the Work of Opportunity House
Opportunity House needs resources – financial and human – to provide the programs and services needed by homeless Veterans. If you’re interested in supporting our endeavors, you can donate money, time, and goods for use in the shelter or resale at our thrift store OppShop.
Monetary donations – The most straightforward way to contribute to our efforts is to give financially. You can donate online here, mail a check, give at a fundraising event, or drop off a donation at OppShop or the shelter itself.
Service donations – Your time is valuable. Opportunity House welcomes you, individually or as part of a group, with the following volunteering options:
- Preparing and serving meals at the shelter
- Serving on the planning committees for fundraising events
- Creating welcome kits for shelter residents
- Participating in a day of service
- Sorting merchandise and welcoming patrons to OppShop
Product donations – Opportunity House appreciates two types of product donations – new, unopened items for the shelter and gently used, saleable merchandise for OppShop, the retail thrift store location.
The emergency shelter needs undergarments for men and women, toiletries, laundry detergent, cold weather clothing, baby essentials, feminine hygiene and bladder control products, and bottled water.
For OppShop, we welcome all sorts of items that are appropriate for sale in our thrift store. Clothing, media, kitchenware, seasonal goods, furniture, jewelry, purses/bags, shoes, toys, and flatscreen TVs can be dropped off behind the thrift store. Smaller items (that fit within a grocery bag) can be deposited in one of our donation bins, and larger pieces like furniture can be picked up.
Donate to charities like Opportunity House, whose focus remains on helping homeless Veterans in Pennsylvania as a genuine expression of gratitude for their service. Explore a few of our success stories by clicking here.
