For Veterans experiencing homelessness, connecting to housing and other resources often starts with something simple: knowing where to find help.

In Ramsey County, MACV’s outreach work at the St. Paul Opportunity Center and Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities creates consistent places where Veterans can connect with multiple organizations, access resources, and begin working toward greater stability.

This outreach’s strength comes from collaboration. MACV works alongside the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Ramsey County, and other community partners to make it easier for Veterans to navigate services and connect with the right resources.

At the St. Paul Opportunity Center, operated by Catholic Charities Twin Cities, that collaboration happens in a place many people experiencing homelessness already visit. People staying in shelters or encampments may come to the St. Paul Opportunity Center for breakfast and other resources, creating an opportunity to connect with Veterans who may not yet be on the Homeless Veteran Registry or connected to Veteran-specific services.

MACV, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Ramsey County are regularly at the St. Paul Opportunity Center to make those connections. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also brings its mobile medical unit to the St. Paul Opportunity Center, allowing Veterans to connect with health care while also learning about benefits, housing resources, and other services in the same place.

That consistency is an important part of outreach. Veterans know where and when they can find providers, and repeated interactions give relationships and trust time to develop. Even Veterans who have moved into housing continue coming to the St. Paul Opportunity Center to maintain connections with providers and other Veterans.

That same emphasis on consistency and relationships carries into MACV’s outreach at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities.

Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities operates a Veterans’ Housing Program that bridges Veterans experiencing homelessness to stable housing. Veterans in the program have access to safe housing, meals, clothing, mental health care, life skills and financial education, community support, and other resources as they work toward permanent housing.

Through regular outreach at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, MACV works alongside the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Ramsey County, SOAR, and other partners to connect directly with Veterans staying in the program.

The approach is proactive. Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities staff help connect Veterans with the outreach team, including going to their rooms to let them know providers are there. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs mobile medical unit also visits Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities regularly, giving Veterans another opportunity to address health needs while connecting with housing, benefits, and other resources.

Whether outreach happens over breakfast at the St. Paul Opportunity Center or with Veterans staying at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, the goal isn’t to wait for someone to find the right door. It is to bring organizations together in places Veterans already know and make those connections easier to access.

For someone experiencing homelessness, circumstances can change quickly. A Veteran who is not ready to talk with an outreach worker one week may be ready the next. Someone who first comes for breakfast or medical care may eventually ask about housing. A Veteran staying in the Veterans’ Housing Program at Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities may need different resources as they move closer to permanent housing.

That is why showing up consistently matters.

The St. Paul Opportunity Center and Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities provide reliable connection points for Veterans and the organizations working alongside them. No single organization holds every resource or solution. By showing up together, sharing expertise, and building relationships over time, MACV and its partners are creating stronger pathways for Veterans in Ramsey County to connect with resources and move toward long-term stability.