We had the good fortune of connecting with Leo Cuadrado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leo, how does your nonprofit organization help the community?
New Directions for Veterans (NDVets) was established in 1992 and inspired by a defunded U.S. Veterans Administration drug-rehabilitation program, New Directions. NDVets was created to assist the large number of homeless veterans in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles has the highest number of homeless veterans in any metropolitan area (7,947 as of February 2020), nearly 2.5x more than the city with the second highest number of homeless veterans (San Diego, 3,277).

In 2020, NDVets:
• Provided a safe place to call home for over 650 veterans in our transitional and permanent housing
• Prepared and served over 60,000 veteran meals
• Offered counseling and life skills classes to 900 formerly homeless veterans
• Opened 2 new permanent supportive housing sites, adding 60 units for homeless veterans
• Helped 70 veterans suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) through a state-of-the-art Neurofeedback Clinic

New Directions for Veterans offers a wide array of resources to help veterans who are struggling to regain their lives. We hope that you would be interested in purchasing a sponsorship in support of helping our homeless veterans.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your nonprofit? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The New Directions for Veterans (NDVets) history was once a VA program, but became defunded, and it took our founders multiple attempts and an act of a congressional woman to revive NDVets. We have grown from one house for homeless Vietnam veterans into the 501(c)3 nonprofit we are today, with 13 sites that provide both transitional and permanent supportive housing across Los Angeles County and its surrounding areas. We wanted a program that would not only help get homeless veterans off the street, but also one that offered them the wraparound services needed to stay in housing. This includes not only a clinical program, where veterans can get help for substance-abuse, but also case manager assistance, mental health treatment, and financial literacy workshops. For those interested in being involved, we invite everyone to connect with us via social media, organize fundraisers, gather a group for a volunteer day, and/or be a sponsor for our annual Honoring Our Heroes Gala in November.

What are some of the local spots you take veterans in your program to?
We enjoy taking our veterans out on excursions throughout the city whenever possible. This includes exploring the nature that Los Angeles has to offer, such as days at the park playing baseball, deep sea fishing trips, and hikes. Additionally, we partner with local businesses and corporations to give our vets the opportunities to go to Dodgers games, visit themes parks such as Knotts Berry Farm and Six Flags, attend outings to local museums like LACMA and the Hammer Museum, and go on harbor cruises. We have even had our local restaurants, such as the Duarte Elks Lodge #1427 and West Covina Elks Lodge #1996, provide activities and meals for veterans at various permanent supportive housing sites. For those who are looking to support us directly, we have also collaborated with restaurants to create fundraisers, where a portion of their proceeds on a specific night would be donated directly to NDVets.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I was a child, my family experienced a period of homelessness and to this day, I still recall the look of despair in my parents’ face. That experience was imprinted in my mind. I joined the Marine Corps to gain structure and discipline in my life. I can honestly say my Mother’s grit and will coupled with the guidance of my superiors made me who I am to this day.

Website: https://ndvets.org/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/newdirectionsforveterans

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardocuadrado

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndvets

Facebook: https://facebook.com/ndvets

Image Credits:
All images can be credited to New Directions for Veterans

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.