November 11, 2022 – It was announced that the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has partnered with the New England Patriots Foundation, in a joint match grant in support of the build for Soldier On’s Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, located in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Soldier On is dedicated to providing and coordinating an extensive continuum of housing and support services for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.
SOLDIER ON HOLD GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR PERMANENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR AT-RISK AND HOMELESS VETERANS
TEWKSBURY, MA (July 13, 2023) – Elected officials, community partners, and supporters gathered in the Town Common to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Gordon H. Mansfield Veteran Community.
TEWKSBURY, MA (June 2024) Soldier On is beginning to accept applications for apartments at the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community. Throughout the summer, Soldier On will be scheduling informational and application sessions to provide more details and assist applicants in the process.
TEWKSBURY, MA (December 2024) We are projected to start moving veterans into their new homes at the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community by December 2024.
Soldier On, based in Pittsfield, MA, is dedicated to providing and coordinating an extensive continuum of housing and support services for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. The project, the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, will be the organization’s eighth permanent housing facility for veterans since it was founded in 1994.
The community is named for the late Gordon H. Mansfield, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who served as Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as well as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equality Opportunity at the Department of Housing & Urban Development. During his military service, Mansfield earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Soldier On became the development lead for this project at the invitation of Tewksbury Home Build, a local housing nonprofit that gained control of the site through a town-supported process of creating affordable housing. The development is located at 1660 Main Street, adjacent to Heatherwood Gracious Retirement Living. The new four-story,18,565 sq. ft. building will provide 21 units of affordable permanent supportive housing for veterans who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. All units will be fully furnished and include internet, cable, utilities and one meal per day. The facility will have a “Let’s Talk Interactive” telehealth kiosk and transportation provided to bring residents to appointments. Each veteran will have a case manager to ensure they receive the wrap around services they need.
About Soldier On
Soldier On is a private, nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness. Soldier On was organized in 1994 to provide a continuum of programs to ensure that homeless veterans and their families have access to immediate and long-term housing with an array of support services delivered directly to them where they live. The ultimate goal is to provide formerly homeless and at-risk veterans with permanent, supportive, sustainable housing. For more information, visit www.wesoldieron.org.
About The New England Patriots Foundation
Robert Kraft established the New England Patriots Foundation in 1994 as a way to give back to the communities the Patriots call home. The mission of the foundation is to aid individuals and families that are often marginalized in today’s society. Through the implementation of year-round programming and support of philanthropic agencies, the foundation is building stronger communities throughout New England. For more information about the New England Patriots Foundation, visit www.patriots.com/community.
