Originally Published as: Making a Difference in the Lives of Veterans: Veterans 1st of Northeast Wisconsin (NEW)
With so much that is negative going on in the world, it is revitalizing to stop and take stock of some of the good things happening. Veterans 1st is definitely one of those good things.
The organization’s mission is to help area veterans who are underserved in the Green Bay, Wisconsin, community. Many are housing insecure and struggling to keep roofs over their heads. While working at the Brown County Veterans Service Office, Gail Nohr noticed that the resources to help these veterans were insufficient to deal with the numbers who needed help. Her job was to connect veterans with the resources they needed, and sometimes the best she could do was send them to a local shelter. While it was good that they had someplace to go, Gail, a former Navy Corpsman (medical specialist) wanted an alternative for them; she wanted to send them somewhere they could have their own space and receive the other help they needed.
Veterans 1st Gets Started
Gail is a resourceful woman. She has served on the Housing and Homeless Coalition for a long time so she has connections in the community, and because of her previous employment she is a resource navigator. She is also a substance abuse counselor in training. Her partner, Kim Nohr, is a retired carpenter and homebuilder. In 2022 the two decided to create another resource to help the veterans who need it…