Statements
Mission
Operation Stand Down Tennessee engages, equips, and empowers military Veterans and their families through crisis, career, connection, and community services.
Background
While our roots are in serving Nashville's homeless Veterans, today Operation Stand Down Tennessee's purpose is to help all Veterans in Middle Tennessee manage their personal, career, and financial needs while creating a life that they find fulfilling. Our Welcome Centers in Nashville and Clarksville support Veterans who may have significant needs like homelessness and addiction to those recently transitioning from military service who need career assistance or connection to a like-minded Veteran community. Our programs include:
• Supportive Services including financial assistance, housing assistance, and limited transportation resources;
• Career Initiatives such as Career Recon, referrals to an in-house DVOP, coaching, financial assistance for equipment and uniforms, and connection to opportunities;
• Case Management Services within an extensive Transitional Housing Program, Operation Commissary food program, and Legal Services;
• Career and Veteran networking events, suicide prevention, and outreach; and
• Benefits counseling and coordination of other agencies' services.
OSDTN is evolving to meet the needs of a new generation of Veterans and their families. Our programs and partnerships continue to grow to meet the needs of the Veteran community.
Impact
In 2023, Operation Stand Down Tennessee served 4,515 Veteran through in person, virtual, and connection events. We covered 20 counties in Middle Tennessee from 3 Veteran Service Centers in Nashville, Clarksville, and Columbia. we are proud of the impact we have, thanks to the support of the philanthropic community, partners, VA grants, and the entire Veteran and Military Community.
Our metrics for 2023 are grouped within Crisis, Career, and Connection.
Crisis:
135 Veterans enrolled in Transitional Housing with an average stay of 169 days. 73% moved into permanent housing and 100% of those seeking employment secured jobs.
34 Veterans graduated from Transitional Housing enrolled in After Care, with 94% maintaining their housing.
21 Veterans were provided with legal representation and advice, at no charge.
631 Veterans were screened for suicide risk and wellbeing and 71 Veterans were enrolled in Suicide Prevention Programs.
544 Veterans in 13 counties received 3,673 food bags through Operation Commissary. 32% of these Veterans also enrolled in other supportive programs or benefits.
602 Veterans received financial assistance for permanent housing, emergency housing, utilities, and other household-related expenses.
Career:
157 Veterans and 6 family members were assisted with obtaining, maintaining, or upgrading their employment. 18% of these Veterans were transitioning from the military.
18 Veterans participated in the pilot cohorts of Career Recon. 72% stated they were more knowledgeable about the civilian industry they wanted to be employed in after their military service.
47 Veterans were supported in their employment through transportation, car repairs, uniform, or equipment assistance.
Connection:
725 Veterans were engaged through outreach and awareness events.
397 Veterans attended LinkedIn Music City events hosted in partnership with OSDTN.
200 Veterans connected with their community through meet-up events.
609 volunteers served 2,099 hours with our mission.
597 Veterans and 12 surviving spouses were assisted with VA claims and benefits.
Needs
More than 128,000 Veterans live in Middle Tennessee and an average of 200 Veterans and their families move or transition to the area every month. Many experienced tremendous challenges with reconnecting to civilian society. If left unresolved, stresses around reintegration can lead to economic disaster, isolation and even suicide. What it means to be a military Veteran in the U.S. is being shaped by a new generation of service members. According to the Pew Research Center, a post-9/11 vet "is more likely than its predecessors to have been deployed, served in combat and had difficulty with the transition to civilian life." Nearly half of post-9/11 Veterans say they had emotionally traumatic or distressing experiences related to their military service, compared with 25% of veterans who served in previous eras. OSDTN works to connect Veterans from all walks of life to the services they need, be it service-intensive like transitional housing or career help, or those that primarily address their social-emotional needs like connection, meet-ups, and transition assistance. With the capacity to house roughly 20% of Nashville's Veterans experiencing homelessness, we have the legacy of serving those most in need and the strategic capacity to serve the newest generation of heroes.
CEO Statement
When I retired from the Air Force after 29 years, I knew my next career would be doing something meaningful and that my husband and I wanted to be closer to our adult daughter in Nashville. After moving here in 2013, I drove past Operation Stand Down's storefront. I believed there was nothing for me here. After completing my MBA at Vanderbilt's Owen School of Business in 2016, I was introduced to John Krenson, the then CEO of OSDTN, by a fellow Veteran who sat on the Board of Directors. Hearing John's vision about where he wanted to take the mission, about how to leverage the campus, and how Veterans like myself could create change in the community, I knew this was my next career. I joined as the COO soon after that first meeting in 2016, and in September 2020, I succeeded John as the third CEO of OSDTN. What began as just a homeless-serving mission is now agile and diverse, innovative and impactful, and it is for everyone. There is literally something for every Veteran or Veteran supporter at Operation Stand Down. Need help with housing or bills? We have that here. Want to find your next career? We have that here. Need a connection to a network of Veterans, either personally or professionally? We have that here. Want to volunteer, mentor, or train? We have that here. Want to rent conference or event space in Edgehill? We have that here. Over the course of seven years, this organization has evolved from a small niche mission in an empty grocery store to the single most comprehensive resource for Veterans, their spouses, and families in Middle Tennessee, operating in state-of-the-art facilities in Nashville and Clarksville. I am proud to be the first Air Force Veteran to be the CEO, as well as the first woman. Along with the Board of Directors and staff, Operation Stand Down Tennessee is diverse, inclusive, forward-thinking, and committed to the mission of serving the Veteran community and strengthening the neighborhood at large with our efforts.
Board Chair Statement
Being a Veteran has become a core part of my identity, but it wasn't always the case. After leaving the Navy in 1988, I hung up my flight suit and moved on with my civilian life. When I was introduced to Operation Stand Down Tennessee, I realized just what an amazing community I was missing out on. The camaraderie, connections, and shared sense of purpose all came rushing back. I realized that my military experience is such an integral part of my role as a small business owner, husband, father, grandfather, parishioner, friend, volunteer, and advocate. The work Operation Stand Down Tennessee does to help Veterans in crisis is well known. But it is within their work in career and connection that I found the most benefit in my life and the lives of the thousands of Veterans like me. I am grateful that we have such an incredible resource right here in Middle Tennessee. And I am proud to lead a Board of Directors who give their time and talent to ensure that Operation Stand Down is a valuable destination for Veterans and those who want to support Veterans.
Service Categories |
|
| Primary Category: | Human Services - Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations |
| Secondary Category: | Housing, Shelter - Housing Support |
| Tertiary Category: | Employment - Vocational Counseling/Guidance/Testing |
Areas Served
OSDTN serves the majority of Middle Tennessee from VA-approved Service Centers in Davidson, Maury, and Montgomery counties.
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lewis |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Stewart |
