A Place to Begin Again: CORD Helps Veterans Find Their Way Home

At 85 years old, one veteran came to CORD looking for something most of us might take for granted: a place to get back on his feet and the chance to live his remaining years in peace and quiet.

His journey into homelessness wasn't the result of one bad decision. In fact, there is rarely one reason a veteran becomes homeless.

Kerry McEwen

“It’s a person-centered program because everybody comes from a different background,” said Kerry McEwen, Program Manager for CORD, Valley Residential Services’ transitional housing program for homeless veterans.

For this particular veteran, homelessness came after years of caring for his ill wife. As he aged, he was no longer physically able to provide the level of care she needed. The couple ultimately divorced so she could qualify for additional assistance. After briefly staying with his brother, he found himself without a home.

Then he found CORD.

Today, his goal is simple. Save money, find an apartment of his own and live independently.

And at CORD, he has the time and support to do it.

More Than a Place to Live

CORD stands for Corps of Recovery Discovery, and provides transitional housing and case management for veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.

Kerry has worked with the program for 18 years and became Program Manager in 2023.

CORD currently has the capacity to house 37 veterans in 11 homes. Most veterans have a private bedroom while sharing common areas, and sometimes bathrooms and refrigerators, with other residents.

The homes intentionally look like any other home in the neighborhood.

“You may see a flag flying on the front, maybe no different from the neighbors, but they don't stand out in any way,” Kerry said. “They're just in a house and they're living, taking care of the house as they should, preparing to move out and take care of their own place.”

Veterans can come to CORD from across Washington and even from other states. Some are referred through the VA following inpatient treatment. Others may come directly from homelessness.

While many veterans entering the program have experienced substance use disorders, treatment is not a requirement for every participant. The common denominator is homelessness or being at risk of becoming homeless and a willingness to work toward stability.

For veterans in CORD's clean and sober housing, that also means committing to remaining clean and sober.

Building a Life That Lasts

Housing is only part of what happens at CORD.

Veterans meet regularly with case managers and work toward becoming self-sustainable. That can mean finding employment, saving money, addressing legal debts, improving credit, attending recovery meetings, learning computer skills and participating in financial education.

Community partnerships are an important part of that process. CORD connects veterans with organizations that can provide financial education, mental health resources, housing assistance and other services.

Veterans in CORD's longer-term transitional programs may remain for up to 24 months, although Kerry said around 14 months can often be a good timeframe for someone who is actively working toward independence.

The opportunity is significant. Veterans generally pay only a small program fee while participating, giving those with income an opportunity to save money and prepare for the expenses that come with living independently.

“It’s a gift, really, for these veterans to come in and just really put a lot of money, if they have it, into savings, find jobs if they're looking for a job,” Kerry said.

CORD also operates a lower-barrier Bridge Program designed for a shorter stay of up to 90 days while veterans work toward housing.

The goal in every case is not simply to get someone housed. It is to give them the tools and stability they need to stay housed.

Sometimes It Takes More Than One Chance

Recovery and stability don't always happen in a straight line.

Kerry sees veterans who successfully leave CORD and never need the program again. Others may return a year or even several years later after a relapse, legal problems or another life crisis.

Veterans can be considered for the program again, but returning means another interview and another commitment to doing the work.

“They can't come back and do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome,” Kerry said. “They have to come in and say, ‘I want to change. I know these things need to change.’”

Kerry doesn't turn many people away.

She also knows firsthand that success can be fragile.

Recently, CORD staff learned that a 38-year-old veteran who had successfully completed the program and moved into his own housing had died by suicide following a relapse. He had worked hard while at CORD, saved money and successfully transitioned into housing.

His death hit the staff hard.

“You become a part of their journey,” Kerry said. “You become a part of what they're trying to do to become self-sustainable.”

And that relationship doesn't necessarily end when a veteran moves out.

“We don't stop helping them,” she said. “We're still a voice for them, or a referral for them. If they need and are struggling finding information somewhere, we'll help them still, even though they're not in the program, because they're a veteran.”

From CORD to Home

When veterans are ready to leave CORD, they aren't simply handed a key and wished good luck.

CORD works alongside the VA and community partners to help veterans secure permanent housing and connect with ongoing case management and support. Other programs can help provide the practical necessities of starting over, from beds and dishes to household items.

Mental health services are also an important part of the network. While CORD itself does not provide clinical mental health treatment, staff help connect veterans with the VA, community care and other resources when those services are needed.

For Kerry, the best days are the ones when she gets to watch a veteran leave ready for the next chapter.

“Seeing the joy on their face when they make all these accomplishments and have this nest egg and their bills paid off, and that they've got their own housing,” she said. “That is the best part, seeing them succeed, and them not knowing that they could have succeeded before our program. And now they see they could. It's beautiful.”

After 18 years, at age 66, Kerry says it is hard to imagine simply walking away from the work.

She explains why through the story of a man walking along a beach covered with sand dollars washed ashore by the tide. There are thousands of them. The man begins picking them up, one at a time, and tossing them back into the ocean.

Someone asks why he bothers. There are far too many. He can't possibly make a difference.

The man picks up another sand dollar, tosses it into the water and points out that he made a difference to that one.

For Kerry, that's CORD.

“If I can affect one person, I know that that one person also is going to affect many more on his own,” she said. “But that one person was worth the whole program to me.”

Thirty-seven veterans can call CORD home at any given time.

Thirty-seven people, each with a different story.

And thirty-seven opportunities to make a difference to that one.