The Homeless Veteran Crisis

Why Are Our Veterans Becoming Homeless Veterans become homeless for many reasons: the bad economy, unemployment, absence of family and social support, the long-term consequences of trauma and other war wounds, alcoholism and other addictions, little or no money, insufficient affordable housing, and above all - lack of the kind of supportive social services that are necessary to help them recover from their condition and become re-integrated into society
The Cycle of Veteran Homelessness The painful truth is that in Georgia, as in most states, a substantial number of returning veterans are unwillingly channeled into homelessness, due to a lack of Employment, Family Support, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the long-term consequences of war. They reside on the streets, where they can suffer from Sleep Deprivation as well as a whole host of other physical and emotional problems.
Why Can't They Just Stay In A Shelter? Homeless service organizations, particularly emergency shelters, are often the point of entry for people suffering from serious mental illness or substance abuse, which is often magnified (and un-medicated) after the stress of living on the street. This type of environment is not conducive to creating self-sufficiency, and will never solve the problem of homelessness. The top priority for homeless veterans is secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol.
Being Homeless The treadmill of a warehouse shelter, to soup kitchen, to begging for money to get back in line to hopefully get a bed in the shelter leaves the homeless exhausted at the end of the day just trying to survive. This leaves no time or energy to recover mentally and physically from being homeless.
The Homeless Veteran Fight This is a national problem and one that we can tackle and end quickly, if we will just all come together as a nation and recognize and resolve this problem not avoid it. With all of the troops returning now from war zones, the Veterans Administration believes that homelessness among our veterans will substantially rise over the next few years, and this is a fact that we just can not begin to understand. Homelessness in itself is something that we need to all rise up against, but Veteran Homelessness is something that we should not tolerate as a nation.

Success To Succeed Foundation Inc, is an non-profit 501c(3) organization that is dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless veterans, and their family, and the community. Giving our resident veterans, and their family and the community a positive life change focus through structured programs which focus on spiritual growth, education, employment, life management and recovery from substance abuse.

Success To Succeed is a Outreach Center is a developmental community facility complex to house demographically characterized, for homeless veterans and their family, and the community. Through a variety of structured programs, Success To Succeed will presents new opportunities for its residents getting them back on their feet and successfully rejoining the mainstream as productive citizens.

Vision Statement

• Destiny - We will succeed together.


• Leadership - We are here to lead, and to be the best, nothing less. To be thecompany that best understands and satisfies the needs of homeless veterans, and their family and community through service and self-fulfillment.

By providing housing assistance we can eliminate the revolving doors of homelessness, for those on our streets and those who are being released after incarceration, we provide case management, referral services, and life skills, while we encourage our veterans, and their family, and the community to empower themselves by rebuilding both emotionally and physically; realizing their unique potential.

Our goal is to operate a retail location to accommodate the acceptance and re-sale of donated clothes, furniture, appliances and household items. Funds generated will support financial assistance to our participants such as rent, utilities, food vouchers, gasoline and public transportation. We offer additional assistance by facilitating connections with various resources throughout the community.

Meet our Director

Corene Darden-Smith is a native of Athens. She graduated from Clarke Central High School in 1979, and was second runner up for Miss Jr. Black Athens, and crowned Miss Debutante of 1979. After moving to Atlanta, and attending Morris Brown College until 1981, she worked with young teens at the YMCA, at which time she formed a dance group, The Southwest Girls, which appeared on the In The Mixx Show on cable 12 Atlanta. Corene graduated from Gwinnett Neighborhood Institute March 2014, she participate in eighth months of training through a series of comprehensive workshops to address community issues. She distributed over a 1,000 toys to kids in Dec. 2014, toys was donated from Toys for Tots and United Way.
Corene is married to retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Wilford B. Smith Sr., they have two children; daughter-Cristina Smith Colon, and son- Navy Chief Petty Officer Wilford B. Smith Jr.
Corene operate a non-profit 501c(3) organization Success To Succeed Foundation Inc., helping veterans, and their family and the community, which she founded in 2012, and serve as the Sr. Vice Commander for Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary of Gwinnett County Unit 90.

Veteran Stats

• 23% of the homeless population are veterans
• 33% of homeless men are veterans
• 47% served during the Vietnam era
• 17% served in the post-Vietnam era
• 15% served prior to the Vietnam era
• 67% served for 3 years or longer
• 33% were stationed in a war zone
• 25% have used VA Homeless Services
• 85% completed high school/GED, compared to 56% of non-veterans
• 89% received honorable discharges
• 76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
• 46% are white males, compared to 34% of non-veterans
• 46% are age 45 or older, compared to 20% of non-veterans

Overview