Vets Helping Vets since 1974
We're a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans as they navigate the challenges of post-military life so that they can achieve health, housing, wellness, and stability.
We're a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans as they navigate the challenges of post-military life so that they can achieve health, housing, wellness, and stability.
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War causes wounds and suffering that last beyond the battlefield. Swords to Plowshares' mission is to support veterans as they navigate the challenges of post-military life, and to prevent and end veteran homelessness through wrap-around care and informed advocacy.
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All veterans will have access to the care and services they need to achieve health, housing, wellness, and stability.
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Our model of care is based on the philosophy that the barriers veterans often encounter - including homelessness and instability - are interrelated and require an integrated network of support.
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Fifty years later, the mission continues.
Swords to Plowshares started with a single grant and a small office on Valencia Street. Now over 50 years later with an annual budget of $30+ million, we're still doing the same thing we set out to do - heal the wounds of military service and end veteran homelessness.
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Swords is established by six Vietnam veterans concerned with the unmet needs of their peers within the community and VA.
Former VA Secretary, Max Cleland, visits Swords.
Swords became the first organization in 32 years certified by the VA to represent veterans seeking benefits.
Encouraged by Swords' advocacy work, Congress established the VA Veteran Centers, which were directly modeled after Swords' community-based inclusive approach to serving veterans.
Swords wins one of the first PTSD cases in the country.
Swords became a significant player in Agent Orange justice work. Michael Blecker served on the Agent Orange Advisory Board, and Swords attorneys developed the Agent Orange Self-Help Guide, which still helps veterans today access lifesaving health.
10 years after the end of the Vietnam War, "Welcome Home" parades began springing up to honor veterans.
Swords began its first transitional housing program with the purchase of a housing site to operate out of in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.
Michael Blecker and other advocates founded the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV).
Watch the video: Swords to Plowshares in the 90s
Stand Downs are organized throughout California, enabling groups like Swords to connect with unhoused veterans and provide a multitude of services in one place with other veterans organizations.
In the news: Stand Down 1993, San Francisco
Swords and four California organizations founded the California Association of Veteran Service Agencies to improve services for California's veterans and educate our communities.
Veteran activists and advocates exposed the military's knowledge of toxic exposure. At the same time, Swords created the Gulf War Self-Help Guide to enable impacted veterans with the tools to access care they deserve.
Swords opened the country's first veteran-specific permanent supportive housing site. Located in the Presidio, the buildings were renovated from Army barracks to hold 108 units for unhoused veterans living with disabilities and PTSD.
Swords' Treasure Island Transitional Housing Program launched as a first step to recovery for hundreds of veterans, and ignited our work to transform Treasure Island from a retired military base to an environment where veterans could heal from their military experiences.
Responding to the needs of Post-9/11 veterans, Swords established a Policy department tasked with increasing awareness of the diversity, experiences, and stereotypes that are connected to the veteran population in the United States.
Swords developed the Combat to Community training to educate service professionals and other advocates on how to better interact with veterans needing assistance. This training enhances awareness of the unique lived experiences of veterans navigating their return to civilian life. Learn more here.
Swords expanded in the East Bay to offer housing assistance services to veterans and veteran families.
Swords launched its Veterans Pro Bono Program, connecting veterans with free and necessary legal support.
Swords expanded its permanent supportive housing program with the opening of another housing site, Veterans Commons, and converting more transitional housing units on Treasure Island.
Former Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis, visits Swords.
Swords continued expanding housing for veterans with a new site in downtown San Francisco, holding 130 studio apartments, and opening a low barrier stabilization program.
Swords launched a national effort to advocate for inclusion of veterans with "bad paper" to gain access to VA healthcare and benefits.
Michael Blecker was appointed by Speaker Pelosi to serve on the Commission on Care to examine the current and future state of the Veterans Health Administration.
In collaboration with Chinatown Community Development Center, Swords opened Edwin M. Lee Apartments for 62 veterans and 56 families.
Swords & NextGen Policy successfully advocated for a pilot program to improve housing stability for aging and formerly homeless veterans in California. The pilot allocated $25 million dollars from the state to support a higher level of services for veterans over the age of 55 with high-acuity and who reside in permanent housing sites across California.
Swords opened the Veterans Community Center, a unique space with extended hours of operation for veterans to connect over meals, attend regular support groups, and access resources at their own pace.
Michael Blecker is honored by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi as her guest at the 2024 State of the Union address, commemorating Michael's lifelong commitment to veterans and decades of collaboration between the Congresswoman and Swords.
Michael Blecker steps down after 45 years, and Tramecia Garner becomes executive director. With more than a decade of dedicated service at Swords, Tramecia has advanced through key roles and knows the organization inside and out.
At Swords to Plowshares, diversity, equity, and inclusion drive our mission. We embrace these values to foster an environment where every story is respected and all individuals can flourish.
Learn more about our DEI initiatives
Our work is constantly evolving and adapting to address the emerging needs of generations of veterans.
units of affordable housing managed
community professionals educated
attorneys trained in VA law annually
hours advocating for veterans' fair share of resources
coalitions led with a focus on solutions
For over 50 years, Swords to Plowshares has been guided by dedicated leaders and trusted as an excellent steward of public and private funds. Thanks to our strong team, diverse funding streams, and generous donors, we continue to serve veterans from all walks of life with the highest level of care and accountability.
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