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This VCP alum went from experiencing homelessness to owning two homes

Jesus sits in the study room at VCP Village

With the help of our tailored case management program, Jesus transformed his life in eight months while living at VCP Village.


U.S. Army Veteran and Veterans Community Project alum Jesus is thriving.


He owns his own home as well as a rental property. He earned a bachelor’s degree and will graduate with a master’s degree in two months. He’s an active community member who attends civic meetings.


But Jesus is quick to point out just how close his life was to going a very different direction.


“I would have died if I was still sleeping in my car,” he said, reflecting on the freezing cold winter during which he moved into his 240-square-foot tiny home at VCP Village in 2020.


He continued, “VCP was a gift from God.”


Not long beforehand, Jesus was medically retired from the Army and was recovering from two leg surgeries following injuries sustained during active duty. He was still using a walker when he went to the VA for help, with his personal finances dwindling and disability benefits delayed by paperwork processing.


The resource officer at the VA referred him to VCP, which was able to welcome him into a tiny home within a matter of days.


“In my tiny home, I had my own bed, my little TV and a desk to study,” he remembers. “I was just so happy. It was like that feeling of being able to go back to your parents’ house. That comfort, you know. I felt safe.”


Jesus says he felt gratefulness and hope, and also knew that he had a lot of work to do.


His primary goal was to enroll in college. He accomplished it in short order, getting accepted into University of Missouri-Kansas City. He chose the school in part because of its diverse student body, having grown up a racial minority in his neighborhood but later appreciating the diversity of his platoon.


With the help of his VCP case managers, who focus on education and training as one of five key areas of support for residents, Jesus utilized the VA’s GI Bill and vocational rehabilitation programs. That helped pay for tuition and books, as long as he maintained a strong GPA. He went on to be a regular on the Dean’s List while earning his business degree. Now, he’s set to graduate with an MBA this December.


It’s been a journey to this point in his education, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalls, with a laugh, “So, I had just gotten out of the military and had started school, and the world ends.”


Nonetheless, Jesus made the most of his time in VCP Village. In between his courses on Zoom, he tapped into his pre-military interests. Like his culinary school training and time as a sous chef at Disneyland.


“I wanted to connect with the other Veterans at VCP, and one way that I reached out was with food,” he said. The go-to out of his tiny home: taco nights with Mexican corn on the cob.


Another interest? The stock market, which was core to another pre-military role of his as a credit analyst in the banking industry. When Jesus received his backpay and upgraded disability benefits, he invested a modest amount when the market dipped during the pandemic.


When it rebounded, his investment gains helped him buy a fixer-upper house and move out of VCP Village in the summer of 2020. Now four years later, that fixer-upper is fixed up and has been converted to a rental property. Jesus says the rental income is helping to build the safety net he lacked coming out of the Army.


In a full circle moment, Jesus recently visited VCP Village and talked with staff about any ways he could now help current residents – something he’s wanted to do since living there. He encourages others in his community and across the country to show support as well.


“As a donor, you’re supporting an organization that’s helping people educate themselves and contribute to society,” he said. “And as a volunteer, you’re going to be making a hands-on impact.”


That impact is, of course, something Jesus can speak to as well as anyone.


He added, “I mean, where would I even be without this place?”

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