Search & Rescue Program
Search and Rescue Outreach is our primary and most unique program, with its entire goal being to transition homeless veterans into housed veterans. Our Search & Rescue Street Outreach Teams physically go out into the forests, parks, and streets to locate and make contact with the homeless veterans that live there. Once they find them, they provide basic necessities such as clothing, outdoor equipment, and food in order to ensure the veteran’s survival until they are able and ready to be housed.
Community collaboration is key to the success of the program, as we work with any organization that offers a service that is beneficial to our clients. When our clients are ready to move out of the woods, we rapidly connect them to programs that have space available and fit the needs of our clients, whether it is a transitional group home or a permanent home with a lease. From there we focus on developing their income through VA Benefits and employment opportunities.
Through Search and Rescue we offer a number of additional services to our clients. Through Seasonal Support we provide holiday meals and Christmastime hotel stays and gifts, as well as hotel stays during inclement weather. The annual Stand Down event is a one day event designed to provide homeless and low-income veterans, and other individuals with access to dozens of community services all in one day. Many homeless and low income veterans do not have transportation, which makes this event a critical access point in successfully transitioning them to self-sustainability.
NVHS Search & Rescue is the only program of its kind in the State of Florida. We find this program to be the primary catalyst for making a difference. We do not wait for our clients to find our office, we go and find them. Please click “2013 Fact Sheet” to see our 2013 Impact Study on the Homeless Veteran Population of Brevard County to learn how Search and Rescue has impacted our local community.
Volunteer Recognition- Bill Breyer
One of our very own volunteers, Bill Breyer, has been recognized in the Senior Life section of the Viera Voice for outstanding efforts and results in helping us work to end veteran homelessness in Brevard! "Bill Breyer likes to hang around local church food pantries. No, he is not caging [...]
Vietnam War 50th anniversary to be remembered at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery
Vietnam War 50th anniversary to be remembered at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery Rick Neale, Florida Today Published 4:26 p.m. ET March 27, 2019 | Updated 5:23 p.m. ET March 28, 2019 Many U.S. troops were teenagers when they were drafted to serve during the Vietnam War. Conversely, today's teens might [...]
2019 Homeless Census (PITC)
Volunteers Needed!!! The Brevard Homeless Coalition will be conducting our annual Point in Time Count on January 28, 2019 throughout the entire county. An accurate Point in Time Count is important for Federal, State, and local Agencies’ planning and decision making. The goal of the Brevard Homeless Coalition is to [...]