The Circle of Veterans and Families

The origins of The Circle of Veterans and Families, Inc., (COV) is rooted in assisting veterans and military families with mental health, advocacy needs, housing and finding jobs.  In November, 2016 COV was awarded a contract with the Veterans Administration to provide transitional housing and supportive services to homeless and at-risk veterans.  Despite the very narrow scope of the “bare bones” contract, we do much more than simply providing shelter.  Because our clientele is so diverse, we believe that treatments should be individualized for all our veterans and their families who have been hit with service related injuries and disabilities, along with severe traumatic disorders that adversely affect the children, youth and entire families. 

Treatment methods we provide outside our VA contract range from:  Rapid Resolution Therapy, to Accelerated Resolution Therapy, to Equine (Horse) Therapy, Eye Rest Yoga, or Meditation and Individual or Group Therapies, among others.   

We have been told by VA personnel that our program is the only one of its kind in the country.  COV is founded by a veteran for veterans, and is staffed by all post 9-11 combat veterans.  Currently, COV can house 8 males at our Dade City/Lacoochee Ranch in Pasco County, FL.  Our facility is on a 10-acre property, however, it only has 8 beds and we have to turn veterans and their families away far too frequently.  We would like to build a small village of tiny homes on the property, so that we can begin to work with women and children.  We had a 10 by 34 foot room set aside for children and visitation.  The VA contract required that we have an office with locking door, so that room had to be converted into an office.

The Transitions Program for Veteran and Families would provide lodging, case management and mental healthcare, while locating permanent housing.   We provide temporary housing for approximately 156 veterans per year.   But too often we must to turn homeless veterans away due to lack of space.  COV is requesting donations to purchase 2 tiny homes to place on our ranch.  We could house 4 more homeless individuals or 2 veteran families per day for approximately $24,000.  We could also provide jobs by employing our resident veterans as they construct the tiny homes.   Will you help us raise $24,000, so that four (4) less veterans per day must sleep on our streets or be homeless?

In partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay, for every $5,000 raised by COV this will sponsor a $500 mobile food pantry that will feed up to 200 families.  This is how you can become a part COV’s plan for feeding  up to 800 families in 2017.

Support COV, so we can be there and continue to assist our veterans and their families plus the community 365 days a year! 

Tice Ridley Major (Ret.) US Army  

Founder/CEO and OIF/OEF Combat Veteran

“Not All Wounds Are Visible”

Tice@thecircleofveterans.org

(352) 608-8898