Worcester organization offers financial assistance to veterans in need during COVID-19 crisis

WORCESTER, Mass. — Just being at her home in Oxford brings incredible joy to Nicole MacRae.

“I’m literally on cloud nine everyday when I wake up,” she told Boston 25 News Thursday.

MacRae, 45, is a U.S. Army veteran and lives with two of her three children and her boyfriend, but it was a tough go for a number of years. But thanks to the help of Veterans, Inc. she’s now back on her feet with a roof over her head.

“I was homeless they gave me a place to call home a safe home for me and my kids,” McRae explained.

The Worcester-based non-profit provides all sorts of services to eliminate homelessness among veterans. They recently received money from Washington to help.

“We have a grant from the federal government. The VA that will actually allow us to write checks to those eligible families to help them with their rent, with their utilities, with their mortgage, with their food. If you needed to get your car fixed so you can go to work, we can fix that car,” said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Vincent Perrone, CEO and President of Veterans Inc.

Perrone said his organization can help hundreds of veteran families financially right now, but the COVID-19 pandemic has kept away many that are in need.

“People are afraid to go out. They’re afraid to reach out. So what we’re trying to tell them is that it’s OK, we can take care of you. We are protected. We will protect you,” Perrone said.

Just like they protected Nicole MacRae and her family.

“It was a huge deal for me. Without them we would have been living in my car,” MacRae said.

If you are a veteran or know a veteran in need of financial help in New England you can contact Veterans Inc at (800) 482-2565 x1169 or their website http://www.veteransinc.org/.

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