This is not nonprofit! This is a homeless transitional veteran program! But all of the veterans have to pay rent! What are the donations going towards when you have 67 males in one building and 16 females and another?! And that’s not the condos. I was attacked when I lived at Soldier On by another resident. That resident had attacked someone weeks prior who was in a wheelchair. She did not get kicked out of the program and then I got attacked and ended up with 12 staples in my head! I do not blame the veteran. She was mentally ill. I blame the program! All of the female counselors and the males get brand new Toyota SUVs in order to help the veterans and bring them to appointments and grocery shopping. That doesn’t happen! They gave us all lockboxes to lock up for the weekend to all of the boxes! My assigned “counselor” told the court (after I had gotten in trouble) that I had FAILED A pee test and that I had been kicked out of the program. I had called the court and they told me I had a warrant and I had to get down to the courthouse. My counselor refused to bring me so I ended up getting arrested at the VA! Not only that but I lost 75% of my belongings. They threw them all in the dumpster! Everything I owned! They also put cameras up that were recording audio because we would be out smoking cigarettes talking about things and then when we had a house meeting things that the counselors should not have known were brought up , do not donate the money does not go to the program.
It’s funny- I just read other reviews and I agree
Our nonprofit has a partnership with Soldier On and we love working with them! Our partnership was featured in a news segment last year by our friend, consumer reporter Heather Sullivan at FOX26 Houston: https://www.fox26houston.com/news/program-helps-veterans-with-credit-counseling-to-avoid-homelessness
The heart and soul of Soldier on is not the people you see talking in articles, on the news, or social media. The “upper management” is only worried about making money, the veterans are the heart and soul and the residents that live there who are the ones making sure the veterans needs are being met, they’re making sure veterans aren’t relapsing or picking up, they make sure the veterans are safe at night, the staff lives there and someone is in the office 24 hours a day, they are a brotherhood looking out for each other, the higher ups don’t give a flying F*** about the veterans as individuals…they just want a body in a bed so they can collect more money. In my opinion the president, VP, and a woman that I will not name should not have anything to do with this “program” their own President has never served in the armed forces, he doesn’t even come from a family with a military background! Yet these people who have the final say in a persons life are the ones in charge of homeless veterans, how can you relate or understand the needs of someone in your program if you never walked their shoes? This program is a scam, employees that work there lie about how they help people to achieve their goals so they can get more grant money. I was part of this years ago (four to be exact) and I can tell you that there are just as many corrupt people in this organization as there are corrupt politicians, they prey on the elderly in hopes that they will donate to a good cause but the veterans never see any of that money.
Maybe The president, VP, and the unnamed female employee should give up half of their 100K a year salary and do something with it to show the veterans that they actually care.
My name is Jeffery Snyder, USAF Security Forces 1991-1995. I served and was discharged Honorably.
I want to give you a brief history about what brought me to Soldier On and my recovery. Each veteran at Soldier On has their own story and not one is the same.
My wife and I married in 2008. We had known each other since elementary school. Our marriage was ok from the get go. She had both physical and mental issues. We worked together to help her/us threw rough times.
I was diagnosed with Appendiceal Cancer in November of 2015. During this time my wife was acting strange. She was going out with her sister and coming home late. She was gone for three days just before I was heading to Worcester for surgery which I didn't think she was going to go. The day I left she cried and said she wanted to go. She had a lame excuse as to where she had been, and I was in denial.
Jump to after my surgery, I was in recovery and my wife drove from Worcester to Pittsfield to see her BOYFRIEND. She was using her sister as an excuse to see him. Come to find out she was having an affair for 6 months. Our families found out about the affair before I did. I was heavy medicated from surgery.
Once I got back home, she was taken care of me (3-month recovery for my surgery). After 5 days she abandoned me. I had no help at the house which left me alone and lost. I had to keep going to the ER for panic attacks, pain relief & depression. I was drug seeking ATIVAN.
I used to be able handle high stress situations in my life (USAF Police, EMT 17 years, 911 Dispatcher 4 years, Hillcrest Educational 4 years), but my body and mind were past it limits. I fell into a deep horrible depression. My family didn't know how to help me, nothing like this ever happened to a family member of ours. After 5 days in a row of going to the ER, Berkshire Medical Center and Sweet Brook Rehabilitation and Nursing Center agreed to have me admitted to into the center for treatment. One word “NIGHTMARE”.
After about a week there my sister came to get me and took me to LEEDS (Veteran Affairs Hospital). They started me on a treatment plan as I was still in a deep depression and still having attacks. They were good people. After two weeks there, they decided to send me to SOLDIER ON in Pittsfield. I had been going through treatment for healing of my body and mind.
Since day one at Soldier On, I’ve been treated with care and kindness. Not from just the staff, but from my fellow veterans. I attended groups to talk about what I was going through where I received wonderful feedback. I slowly started with being more social. The staff felt I was doing well and asked if I would like to help with working the front desk which led to working on the computer and scheduling and transportation.
To my surprise I was offered one of the condominiums here in Pittsfield where I now reside. Not only that, I was asked if I would consider a Peer Support Specialist position at Soldier On. The job entails helping my fellow veterans and speaking to the public about preventing Veteran Homelessness which is a fulfilling opportunity.
In two and a half years I went from being destroyed to a better person than I ever was. I forgot to mention that I’ve always been very close to my family, but after all that happened, we are much closer. Because of my family, friends, Soldier On, fellow Veterans, treatment teams I’ve got a new lease on life.
Review from Guidestar
As a combat veteran myself, I understand how hard it is to readjust to civilian life after leaving military service. I have been fortunate to have a great support system around me including my family and some close friends, however many veterans are not so lucky. The Veterans Affairs Department has fallen short of helping those it trained to defend this nation learn how to be a civilian once again and contribute to society, just as they had contributed to their county while in service. Soldier On has stepped in to fill that void and because of them the many veterans they have helped have avoided becoming statistics in a sad story, and instead have learned that they are not alone in their struggle to regain their sense of selfworth. Soldier On's vision of helping their fellow countrymen is what this nation is all about and is the reason the veterans they serve joined the armed forces to begin with.
Fellows from Soldier On in Pittsfield have helped the volunteers at the Berkshire Athenauem who put on book sales 3 times a year. We've asked the guys to help with set up, clean up and to help during the sale to carry books to cars. It really helps us to sell more books when they help us. So far, the fellows have been wonderful and very willing to do whatever has been asked. Thank you. Nancy, booksale chair
Soldier On goes above in beyond in serving veterans in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. Soldier On's treatment and advocacy for our nation's homeless and struggling vets goes unmatched. Thanks for all of your hard work and determination for those who have served.
Soldier On "sets the pace" for care within the Captial Region. They are willing to go where the need exists and they don't force homeless and at-risk Veterans to come to them. They have broken down our siloed system and introduced a model which cuts through the barriers. Veterans are now a priority within the Capital Region (NY) and as a fellow provider, I am thrilled to see Soldier On expand its presence. Liz Hitt
I see day in day out this orginazation kicking veterans out of thier building due to drug abuse It would be one thing if it was a policy but they play favortism with thier clients some of them can have daily medical evals due to being intoxicated but then others one time they drink they are kicked out. they promise veterans that they have great programs but all the programs they have are VA programs that they make the veterans attend they recently had 2 deaths due to herion overdoses that they said were due to heart attacks in the news do not donate to them jack downing is not intrested in veterans they have changed thier name to soldier on