Coming Home Benefit 2012

May 5, 2012
7:00 pm until 10:30 pm

Offering Home and Hearth to Female Veterans

NORWALK, CT – On May 5, 2012, Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes will host a fund-raising event to support Connecticut’s first community-based transitional housing dedicated exclusively to female veterans and their children up to five years of age. Opened in October 2011, the PFC Nicholas A. Madaras Home, located in Bridgeport, offers temporary housing and transitional services for up to 15 female veterans.

The home is named for Connecticut soldier Nicholas Madaras, a Wilton High School graduate, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2006. His family, along with local volunteers, launched an effort in 2007 to establish this facility to serve the growing population of female veterans. Connecticut currently has insufficient transitional beds to meet the needs of returning female veterans who are temporarily homeless. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that there are between 200 and 300 homeless female veterans in Connecticut.

The “Coming Home” benefit, to take place on May 5th at 7 p.m., at the St. Ann Society, 16 Hendricks Ave., Norwalk, will feature silent and live auctions, and include cocktails and hors d’oeurves. The Connecticut Army National Guard and Base Color Honor Guard Team will participate in the ceremonies. Event sponsors include Nestle Waters North America and Linda McMahon. All monies raised will support the operational costs of the home and the programing provided to the residents, which supplements a per diem rate from the Department of Veteran Affairs. 

Residency at the PFC Nicholas A. Madaras home is limited to two years, during which time the veterans receive health care, case management services, gender-specific counseling, assistance to find permanent housing, and training in vocational skills, both in-house and through collaboration with community partners. The program is designed to enable the veterans to again lead independent, productive, and meaningful lives. 

The community-based Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes project became a reality thanks to a government VA Per Diem Grant, the financial support of private citizens and local businesses, and the efforts of the organization’s volunteers. Female Soldiers: Forgotten Heroes is a program of ABRI/Homes for the Brave, a Bridgeport-based 501c(3) non-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.kickfornick.org and www.homesforthebrave.org. For ticket information, please contact Amanda Teti at ateti@homesforthebrave.org.

St. Ann Society
16 Hendricks Ave
Norwalk, CT
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