Veterans 101 CEO Gladys Krasicki: Turning a Vacant Motel into Housing for Homeless Veterans
The Big Idea:
● Veteran Gladys Krasicki is continuing a lifetime of service in her community as CEO of Veterans 101, a nonprofit she formed to help create housing for veterans in need.
● Gladys purchased a vacant motel near Atlantic City with personal funds and community donations, and is transforming the building into a housing village for homeless veterans.
● Nine veterans have already moved in at the former Crest Motel in Absecon. Gladys and her team of volunteers will continue to renovate rooms through September to accommodate up to 26 veterans in need.
● Veterans 101 has connected residents with local food banks and plans to expand wrap-around services to support community needs, including transportation, financial management, case management and more.
Background:
● Gladys is a true leader stepping up with an innovative idea to address the persistent and tragic problem of veteran homelessness. Through her nonprofit, Veterans 101, Gladys is putting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Housing First approach into action – providing homeless veterans with a key foundation to living a healthier, better life – a home.
● Veterans are only 7% of the U.S. population yet are nearly 13% of the nearly 13% of the homeless population. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that veteran homelessness rates are consistently higher than nonveteran homelessness rates.
● Lack of affordable housing adds to the challenges leading to homelessness for many veterans such as mental health, substance use, and difficulty entering the civilian workforce after serving in the military. Gladys understands these challenges and has worked with veterans to overcome them for more than two decades.
● According to nonprofit Monarch Housing Associates, a point-in-time estimate last year showed 454 homeless veterans in New Jersey. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there are only about 31 affordable apartments for every 100 extremely low-income renters in New Jersey.
Fun Fact:
Gladys served in the Army for 13 years from 1979 to 1992. She is a graduate of Millville High School in Cumberland County and earned her undergraduate degree from Rowan University in Glassboro after serving our country.
Their Take:
Gladys Krasicki
“I’m in it to give back to the veterans that are less fortunate than I’ve been,” said Gladys. “I tell everyone, if we all just give a little, no one’s got to give a lot. We want to make it a community for veterans, a place they can remain as long as they need. We want it to be like their home.”
