By Mike Nelson | Photos courtesy of Gold Coast Veterans Foundation
It’s enough of a tragedy to be hungry, homeless and hopeless. But when you’ve served in the U.S. military and have placed your life on the line to defend American freedom, it is an even greater injustice.
Which is why, for nearly 20 years, the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation (GCVF) has worked tirelessly to address and assist those military veterans in Ventura County who have struggled to re-enter civilian life. Launched by a husband-wife attorney team with direct ties to military experience, the nonprofit foundation has become an essential resource for the 45,000 military veterans in Ventura County — too many of whom need assistance for food, shelter and rehabilitation after having served their country with honor.
“Our focus,” said Bob Harris, GCVF executive director, “is on helping vets who are suffering get healthy, and giving them the tools and skills they need to contribute to society.”
Addressing re-entry ‘shock’
The GCVF was founded in 2006 by attorneys Ron and Lisa Greenwood. He was a wounded-in-combat Vietnam U.S. Army veteran; she was the daughter of a World War II combat pilot. For 20 years, Greenwood & Greenwood was the pro bono law firm for the Association of Service Disabled Veterans, and their efforts resulted in the enactment of the Federal Service Disabled Veterans Owned Business legislation.
The Greenwoods then started a successful logistics company, and used their own funds to establish and operate GCVF. When they stepped down from their leadership roles in 2018, they invited Harris — an experienced nonprofit executive whose father, a military veteran, had died of PTSD complications — to lead the foundation.
With the help of Board Chair Dennis Murphy, a retired U.S. Navy submarine commander, and a dedicated squad of volunteers, the foundation has taken significant measures to address homelessness among veterans, and what leads up to it.
“In the service, vets have been conditioned to fight adversity, to be strong, to self-repair and self-heal,” noted Harris. “But when they exit through that gate into civilian life, it can be a shock. All the peer connections and support mechanisms that gave them strength and resiliency are gone; they are among a civilian population that doesn’t know them or their story. They aren’t used to asking for help to deal with challenges.”
And if they struggle, it can lead to any number of problems, including depression, drug use, mental illness and suicide, all rooted in hopelessness.
“Hopelessness takes over,” explained Harris. “So we need to give them not just food and shelter, but hope.”
Immediate attention to needs
Veterans also need services that don’t rely on cutting through government program bureaucracy. Around 60-70% of GCVF funds are raised through private foundations, another 30% comes from individuals, “and we receive two small local government grants,” said Harris.
“We keep overhead low, we have dedicated volunteers, and we get tremendous help from businesses and organizations throughout the county who are happy to provide services that veterans need. As a result, we’re able to act and serve more quickly than government-administered programs.”
Among GCVF’s programs is Mobile Veteran Outreach, headed by two formerly homeless volunteers with military backgrounds and connections. MVO locates and engages veterans living on the street or in homeless camps. According to Harris, within nine hours, a vet can be fed, bathed, clothed, housed and supplied with essentials like food, hygiene products and bedding.
“In these situations,” said Harris, “time is of the essence to get these veterans the care they need. To date, we’ve taken 300 homeless vets off the streets.”
GCVF also offers a food program in conjunction with Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank. Donated trucks and cars, courtesy of local businesses, enable vets to have year-round access to Manna’s food pantry.
Veterans Connection is a walk-in, no-appointment service center that provides individual case management and personal assistance with benefits and claims assistance, job and career training, financial planning, and restorative and wellness care.
GCVF also helps through free wheelchairs and motorized scooters, which assist vets (many on fixed incomes) in getting around town for shopping, doctor’s appointments and more.
“We’ll get a call from a veteran, or a friend or family member, telling us of a need,” said Harris. “Within 20 minutes, we can get a wheelchair or scooter to that vet’s door…Now they can shop at the nearby store, or see their grandson play in the park, or watch their granddaughter graduate from school. They can experience and share those special moments that most of us take for granted.”
‘Integrated care model’
GCVF’s most ambitious plan to date is Veterans Village, a housing project to create a community of support for homeless veterans, providing them with shelter, food and counseling in a safe, camp-style environment. Its target location is the now-closed Ventura Youth Correctional Facility in Camarillo, a 20-acre site that will provide housing, job training and counseling services for veterans.
“Veterans Village is an integrated model of care,” explained Harris. “It’s not just throwing money at the problem, but rather giving veterans more life skills to produce the best possible outcome for each. All of its components are designed to heal, repair and restore broken lives, not just ‘check the boxes’ and send them out the door as a ‘program completion.’ Studies have shown that when you render care in a safe environment, it sticks.”
Already, more than half of the projected $10 million cost to establish the facility has been raised through local businesses and private donations.
“We don’t need government money because this is entirely privately funded,” said Harris. “But we have many, many local government leaders from throughout the county supporting this project, which we hope can become a new national blueprint for serving veterans in need.”
Making lives better
Statistics on veteran homelessness in Ventura County are improving. In 2024, the Ventura County Continuum of Care Alliance reported that 60 veterans were unsheltered countywide, a 49 percent drop from 2023, in part due to the work of GCVF.
“More vets are aware of our services,” said Harris. “And the public is more aware of what vets have endured and the help they need. But there are still vets out there who don’t know about the help they can receive to reduce or eliminate suffering, frustration and hopelessness, and improve their quality of life. That’s our top priority.”
Gold Coast Veterans Foundation
4001 Mission Oaks Boulevard, Suite D, Camarillo
Volunteers are needed to serve a variety of needs, and donations of money, gift cards for stores, restaurants and gasoline, furniture and household items are always welcome.
For a complete list of opportunities and additional information, call 805.482.6550 or visit gcvf.org.
