Visit our new dedicated website: http://www,PassportInn.org

PASSPORT INN - A Pink Passport Society Community Program

Background-
As an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Air Force, the Executive Director Larisa Troche spent several years in the military, serving in Korea and stateside. Additionally, her father retired after 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, including time in Viet Nam during which he was (most likely) contaminated by Agent Orange, which led to his untimely death at age 63 from lung cancer. A true military family, an older sister served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has been very much “unsettled” ever since. Passport Inn is dedicated in part to this sister, who, out of respect for her privacy, shall remain unnamed.

According to the U.S. Inner Council on Homelessness, the Veteran’s Administration estimates that there were approximately 107,000 former service men and women experiencing homelessness on a given night in 2009. The number of female Veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts has increased, as has the number of Veterans with dependent children. As it turns out, generally speaking, Veterans have high rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury, and sexual trauma, which has led to a higher risk for homelessness. Studies show that about half of homeless Veterans have serious mental illness and 70 percent have substance abuse problems Half of homeless Veterans have histories of involvement with the legal system. Veterans are more likely to live outdoors – unsheltered – and experience long-term chronic homelessness.

Our Progam-
Passport Inn will provide supportive transitional housing for homeless women veterans. The program will focus on personal development with an end goal of permanent self-sufficiency. Care will be taken to supplement, not duplicate, existing services for homeless women veterans. Our focus is on providing safe, quality transitional housing with supplemental support services.

 As an added program component, an Escrow Account will be established for each participant who has successfully completed the compulsory coursework. For the final six months of residency, a portion of the participant’s income will be put into a conservative, interest-bearing account (i.e. money market account or Certificate of Deposit). Passport Inn will match the funds and the combined funds will be used to help the veteran move into permanent housing and potentially provide start-up funds for her small business.

NANCY BRANA, RN
A long time emergency room nurse in the San Francisco Veteran's Memorial Hospital, Ms. Brana developed an empathy for the patients she served. It's this empathy and first-hand experience that is deemed invaluable to the Board, in particular as it relates to our community program, Passport Inn - a transitional supportive housing program for homeless women veterans. Nancy Brana is also a Lt. Col, U.S. Army, retired. We are thrilled with her interest and support.

Want to help? Seeking qualified Community Partners (paid services). Volunteers also needed. Yes, you can DONATE - it's easy through PayPal!