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SHORTCUTS NEIGHBORS 78 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R / F A L L 2 0 1 5 Lending a Hand to Those Who Ser ved W illiam Terry Bare was working on Capitol Hill when he learned of a U.S. Air Force job opening in the Azores, west of Portugal. The appointee would first study at the Presidio of Monterey. "I could not hit the submit button fast enough," says Bare, who followed that job with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assignments in Europe and later served as assistant commandant at the Presidio's Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. He settled in Monterey with his family after retiring from the Air Force in 2012. Today, Bare heads up the Veterans Transition Center (VTC) of Monterey County. The nonprofit connects homeless veterans and their families to housing, health care and help as they work toward self-sufficiency. "The vets we're serving are those who vowed to give their lives to their country, and for a wide variety of reasons have fallen on hard times," says Bare. "They've served and supported us for many years. This is a great opportunity for us to give back and support them." VTC assists nearly 1,000 men, women and children annually. Case man- agers tailor individual assistance, linking vets to medical care, benefits and, if necessary, substance abuse rehabilitation. Participants complete job skills assessments, continuing education and volunteer work, and can access fit- ness, gardening and transportation assistance programs, among others. In July, VTC received $5.9 million from the Veterans Housing and Homeless Protection Program and California Proposition 41, which des- ignates money for affordable housing for vets. The award will fund a new VTC residence. While participants can stay in VTC's transitional housing for up to two years, most get back on their feet more quickly. "We've got some really courageous folks trying to overcome tough cir- cumstances to better themselves," says Bare. "These are great, patriotic Americans, and often they're just looking for another chance." For information on Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County programs, visit www.vtcmonterey.org. Some participating veterans volunteer for commu- nity events; to discuss opportunities, contact Terry Bare at wbare@vtcmon- terey.org or 831/883-VETS (8387). —Renee Brincks William Terry Bare runs the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County, which helps homeless vets find housing and medical care while looking for employment. The nonprofit assists up to 1,000 people per year, and can help with job skills training. Photo: Kelli Uldall