The Veterans Multi-Service Center (VMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free services for veterans including employment, housing assistance, benefit assistance, and access to mental health resources. The VMC is headquartered in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, with three additional locations in the greater Philadelphia area and more in southern New Jersey, Delaware, and central Pennsylvania.

The VMC was founded in 1980 by an act of the Veterans White House Coordinating Committee, along with twenty-two other veteran assistance programs. The organization was originally intended to assist veterans of the Vietnam War in accessing benefits provided by the VA. Over the next decade, the VMC expanded to provide job placement programs, resume assistance, and other employment-related services. Programs were also implemented to support veterans who were suffering from conditions related to Agent Orange exposure.

In the early 1990s, the VMC additionally began providing aid to those who served in the Gulf War. To address the growing problem of homelessness among veterans, the organization created a transitional housing program, offering fifty beds to veterans experiencing homelessness. By 2001, the VMC had created a new facility, The Perimeter, to provide a wider array of services to homeless veterans, as well as expanding the transitional housing program to ninety-five beds. They also began to provide aid to veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2014, the VMC launched a new social media campaign, #RewriteTheCardboard, to raise awareness for homelessness among veterans. The campaign encourages veterans and supporters to write hopeful and inspiring messages on the all-too-familiar cardboard sign, reminding the community of the resources that are available to assist veterans. In their words, “there is a clear, collective urgency to bring the challenges of our nation’s heroes to the forefront and the VMC is devoted to leading the charge. We hope that the “Rewrite the Cardboard” campaign will launch an honest conversation about the real concerns of veterans today and ultimately motivate our community to join in serving those who have served.”

One vital service offered by the VMC is the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox (SSG Fox) Suicide Prevention program. The SSG Fox program offers one-on-one counseling from Veteran Peer Support Specialists who have survived similar trauma and mental health experiences. The program provides support to an average of over 6,500 veteran families each year. SSG Fox, the program’s namesake, was a U.S. Army sniper instructor, known for his kindness and generosity, who tragically lost his life to suicide in 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the VMC continued to provide essential services, while also establishing a 24/7 call center to expand their ability to handle emergency housing situations; this call center was made possible by funding through the CARES act, which also allowed the VMC to expand their legal and financial planning resources. In 2022, Deputy Executive Director of Mission Execution Ryan McGoldrick founded the VMC’s JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) committee to ensure that all veterans, regardless of their background, received the same level of care.

The VMC’s funding is sourced from a combination of individual donations, corporate partnerships and donations, and public grants from local, state, and federal governments. A stunning ninety-two percent of all donations go toward funding the VMC’s many programs, with the remaining eight percent being used for administration and fundraising efforts. In 2022, the VMC’s revenue from donations and grants was over thirteen million dollars.

The VMC has received numerous awards in its more than forty years of serving veterans; most recently, they were recognized in the 2022/2023 Prestige Awards, an international organization that celebrates extremely successful non-profit organizations. The VMC has also been awarded and recognized by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, the Wawa Foundation, the George W. Bush Institute, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Labor, among others. These awards display the VMC’s excellence in providing resources for physical and mental health, as well as improving general life conditions.

The VMC continues to expand to meet the constantly growing needs of the veteran community. On January 1^st, it was announced that three new members would be joining the VMC board of directors, bringing the total number of members to sixteen. This expansion will support the ability of the VMC to provide their critical services to veterans in need, as issues such as homelessness, addiction, and suicide continue to rise. To aid the VMC in this mission, donations can be made through their website at www.vmcenter.org, by mail to 213-217 N. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, or by phone at 215-923-2600.