Season 242 Episode 8301
S1 E51 - Developer Builds Nonprofit Housing for Veterans
"Dana Spain Founded the Nonprofit Veterans Villages to House Unsheltered and Impoverished Veterans http://s4g.biz/01feb24 AI Episode Summary 1. Devin introduces the show ""Superpowers for Good"" with the guest Dana Spain, founder of Veterans Village, which is aimed at supporting veterans through housing and community. 2. Veterans Village was born out of Dana's experience running a homeless shelter for female veterans, where she saw a need for better housing solutions after transitional programs. 3. Dana’s father, an army veteran, proposed building a respectful, safe and affordable housing project for veterans, which led to the founding of the first Veterans Village, named the Bernard Spain campus. 4. The project was funded privately through corporate and foundation donations, grants, and traditional financing without relying on government funding or tax credits. 5. Key supporters of Veterans Villages included Saint-Gobain's Certainteed, Dow Tile, Amira Vets, Quatro Capital, and First Citizens Community Bank. 6. Dana's professional background includes a career as a developer after working in various fields, such as translation for a French bank, retail with Hallmark stores, publishing, and commercial real estate. 7. Transitioning to veteran-focused charity work, Dana identified a lack of safe housing for female veterans, particularly those suffering from military sexual trauma. 8. Dana describes her leadership style as direct and results-oriented, with a propensity to surround herself with expert teams and adapt plans as needed. 9. A past accomplishment highlighted by Dana was the successful fundraising campaign for the Philadelphia Police Foundation to reintroduce the mounted police, a project initially deemed too expensive. 10. Dana invites listeners to visit VeteransVillages.org to learn how to get involved with the initiative, highlighting the variety of ways support is welcomed, including donations and volunteering. http://superpowers4good.com "
