Funding Helps Vision for Tierney Center as Central Resource for Veteran Service Providers and Veterans Come to Life
Tustin, Calif. – April 25, 2022 – Congressman Lou Correa awarded the Tierney Center for Veteran Services with $300,000 in community projects funding support to continue growth of the center as a destination for veteran services and community collaboration. A check presentation and celebration was held on April 18 at the Tierney Center in Tustin.
“Even with 107,000 veterans calling Orange County home, our county has historically been a place where veterans are underserved. This funding will allow us to truly start to change that,” said Nicole Suydam, President and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County, operator of the Tierney Center for Veteran Services. “This investment into the Tierney Center for Veteran Services enables us to further develop the center into a collaborative service center for veterans, an all-in-one resource to access the services they need and deserve. From mental health support and legal assistance to job placement and housing services, the goal is that the Tierney Center becomes a well-known destination for veteran services and community collaboration in Orange County.”
Orange County is home to the fourth-largest population of veterans in California, and each year, approximately 6,500 more veterans will settle here as they transition from the military. With no Veterans Affairs locations within county lines, a tough housing market, and a large and growing pay gap between high and low skills jobs, the need for veteran services and collaboration between partners is immense here in Orange County.
“One of my top priorities as a member of Congress is ensuring that our veterans receive the services and benefits they deserve. Although many veterans call Orange County home, there is no comprehensive center in our congressional district. The Tierney Center for Veteran Services provides extensive resources to veterans who have served our country. It gives me great pleasure to deliver $300,000 toward developing a new facility in our community. This funding ensures that our veterans in our community continue to get the benefits and resources they have earned,” Congressman Correa said.
The greater vision for the Tierney Center is to be a destination for community-based, person-centered collaboration for local veteran serving organizations to work together, solve problems, innovate new solutions, and provide veterans and their families with the support and resources they deserve. The Tierney Center gives veterans and their family members a simplified and streamlined process to find and access the assistance they need. No runaround, no extra stops – one place for comprehensive support.
This community projects funding from Congressman Correa will allow for further build out and development of the Tierney Center space to enhance community capacity to better serve local veterans now and well into the future.
Currently, providers housed within Tierney Center include 2-1-1 Orange County, Battle Buddy Bridge OC, Goodwill of Orange County’s Veteran Outreach & Workforce Development, Veterans Legal Institute, U.S. Vets Patriotic Hall, Integrated Recovery Foundation and Strength in Support. Since its inception in 2016, the Tierney Center, with its dedicated partners and loyal supporters, has served more than 32,000 veterans.
For more information about the Tierney Center for Veteran Services, visit ocgoodwill.org/tierney-center.
About Goodwill of Orange County
Goodwill of Orange County helps people who are facing barriers find and keep jobs, which provides purpose, pride and dignity. Since its inception in 1924, Goodwill has supported hundreds of thousands of individuals through its Workforce Development, Disabilities Services and Veteran Services programs. As a prominent social enterprise, the nonprofit operates a collection of 23 secondhand retail venues throughout Orange County, including five OC Goodwill Boutiques and its e-commerce platform ShopGoodwill.com, to support these life-changing programs and services, and continues to play a leading role in county sustainability practices and waste diversion. When you shop or donate to Goodwill of Orange County, it is Good for you. Good for the community. Good for the planet. To learn more about Goodwill of Orange County, visit ocgoodwill.org.
