Five STAR Veterans Center, Inc

What is the core mission of your organization? At Five STAR Veterans Center, our mission is simple: make sure no veteran who served this country ends up without a place to call home. We provide transitional housing and a structured path — our Passport to Independence Program — that helps veterans facing homelessness rebuild their health, their independence, and their sense of purpose. We don’t just hand someone a bed; we walk alongside them until they’re standing on their own.

How do you measure impact and success in your programs? We measure it the way the veterans themselves would — by lives that change. The clearest metric is permanent housing: how many veterans leave us with a stable place of their own. We also track employment, income, and whether they’re still housed a year later. As a VA Grant and Per Diem provider, we report our outcomes rigorously — but the number I care most about is the veteran walking out our front door ready to stand on his own.

What are your biggest fundraising or outreach challenges? Awareness is the biggest one. We lean heavily on grants, and we’re working to balance that with individual donors — ideally a 50/50 split. The honest truth is that many people in our own community don’t realize there are homeless veterans right here in Jacksonville, or that a place like ours exists to help them. Closing that awareness gap — and turning one-time givers into lasting partners — is the work in front of us.

How do you build long-term relationships with donors and supporters? By being honest and showing them the return on their heart. We keep donors close to the mission — we tell them the real stories, show them exactly where their dollars go, and invite them onto our campus to meet the veterans they’re helping. People don’t stay connected to an organization; they stay connected to people and to impact. Our job is to make every supporter feel like part of the team — because they are.

What trends are influencing the nonprofit world today? A few stand out. Donor retention is harder than it used to be — people give once and move on, so earning loyalty matters more than ever. Technology and AI are changing how small nonprofits operate, letting lean teams do far more with limited staff. And funders increasingly want measurable outcomes, not just good intentions. In veteran services specifically, there’s growing recognition that housing only works when it’s paired with real mental health support.

Can you share a story that shows your mission in action? I think of a veteran who came to us after getting into a motorcycle accident. The injuries to his body were significant and life changing, so much so that he turned to alcohol and drugs. At a low-point in his life, he became in trouble with the law and then entered the Veterans Treatment Court system. He came to Five STAR while in the court system. You would not recognize this young man today if you had seen him when he walked in here. Once he became acclimated, he quit smoking, started eating healthy, exercising, and getting back in good health. He gained 20 pounds but in a good way. He obtained 100% disability through the VA which led to him buying a new home. He is now a graduate of the Veterans Treatment Court with a clean criminal record, owner of a new home, and is back in Michigan near his parents and friends.

What keeps you motivated in this work? I spent 32 years in the Navy, and the commitment to the people beside you doesn’t end when the uniform comes off. These are my brothers and sisters in arms. When I watch a veteran who had lost all hope walk out of here with financial stability, a home, and his head held high — that’s what keeps me going. We made a promise to take care of our own, and I intend to keep it.