CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There are several organizations helping veterans. Most help the neediest, but one local group helps just about any veteran in need.
The Resource One Stop Veteran Advocacy Foundation may be a mouthful to say, but the group started from a full heart. It was founded by a veteran who’s seen her share of hardship and is now helping how she can.
“People need, more than ever, to reach out and be that support for one another,” said founder Ellen McClure.
Reaching out and supporting veterans is why McClure started the foundation two years ago out of her Portland home. Recently, she moved into a new office space in Downtown Corpus Christi, provided by Solar Guys.
So, what does the foundation do?
“We provide financial assistance to veterans in need,” McClure said.
The foundation, a licensed 501(c)(3), provides money for things such as housing, utilities, and car payments on a temporary basis. All a veteran must do is prove a hardship, and unlike many organizations, there are no income limits on who she helps.
“That’s our niche, that’s what sets us apart from the other veterans' organizations,” McClure said.
That’s because need can happen to anyone, at any time.
“You can make $100,000 a year and still need help, you can make $20,000 a year and still need help,” McClure said. "Things happen. Bad things happen to good people.”
That’s something McClure knows firsthand. Her own struggles early on during the COVID-19 pandemic changed her path forever.
“I lost my job,” McClure said. “All I was living on was my retirement and VA disability.”
That’s when this 24-year U.S. Army veteran packed up and moved from Indiana to Texas, a state with a high concentration of veterans for McClure to serve.
“I’ve been serving basically my whole life; serving soldiers, military, people, and now veterans,” she said.
Her desire to serve is so strong, McClure made it part of the foundation’s mission statement.
“We support, empower, relate, voice, educate,” McClure said. “We SERVE.”
The foundation can pay for its help through fundraising events and donations. The next event is a Veteran’s Resource Fair on Aug. 15 at the Portland Community Center.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans. Contact Veterans In Focus reporters: Greg Chandler at greg.chandler@kristv.com and Pat Simon at pat.simon@kristv.com
