An Akron non-profit is making some headway in its efforts to help homeless female veterans transition back into society.
The group Women Mentoring Women is currently looking in and around the Firestone Park neighborhood in Akron for a home to transform into a safe place for homeless women veterans.
Founder Charlotte Cross says they’re working with the Summit County Land Bank to find a property, and hope to have it open early next year. She says the goals are to provide a place to live and also a way to start a new life outside of the military.
“We’ll train you and we’ll teach you and we’ll make sure you have a plan and help you to transition from transitional housing into your own.”
Cross' sister, Cheryl Moorer, says they’ll not only house the veterans, but also plan to work with them on job and life skills.
“You have veterans that went in at the age of 18. They stayed with their parents before that. They didn’t know anything about paying bills or anything, and then they go in and the military takes care of them. And then they’re grown when they come out, but they still don’t know what to do.”
The group – which was founded in 2014 -- is in the process of moving into a space at the Waterloo Community Center, and hopes to start offering classes there on job training and life skills before the end of the year.
