Harrison Swift, a veteran of the Marine Corp, struggled with his transition from Military to civilian life. After the deaths of too many Brothers and Sisters, which he served with, desperation took hold. He conducted research at the University of Northern Colorado under Dr. Rena Kirkland, and concluded that there is a solution to the confusion and disarray Veterans can experience when exiting the Service. It became apparent that peer support, purpose, and perceived stress were significant factors impacting a Veteran’s move from the Military to Civilian life. And once the research was complete, it was taken to the next step, implementing the change.
The Northern Colorado Veterans Resource Center (NCVRC) was founded and began operations out of Swift’s home. Instead of expecting our Veterans to wade through the plethora of Veteran Organizations, the NCVRC took it upon themselves to be that first place our Veteran's can contact.
NCVRC is now a 501c3 nonprofit located on the West end of Greeley. The NCVRC provides Veteran peer support navigation to Veterans and their families. The Veterans served at the NCVRC span all age groups and service types. A few of the areas the NCVRC can provide support is housing, employment, education, Veteran Affairs advocacy, and guidance to Veterans ready to join the civilian workforce. The NCVRC will work with any Veteran regardless of their discharge status as they know the discharge status can be an issue that needs to be addressed.
The NCVRC provides a community where our Veterans know they can turn. The Veteran Navigators (which is their term for case managers) are Veterans themselves who have had to deal with many of the same issues. The shared experiences and the Military's bond allow the NCVRC to be even more proactive in their support. Through conversation with a Veteran, other areas or issues may come up that the Veteran had not realized could be resolved. That is the goal of the NCVRC, to be proactive in the services and support provided to Veterans and their families.
If you are a Veteran, wondering what options are out there for you, or you know a Veteran who could use some support. Please let them know about the NCVRC. The NCVRC can be contacted by calling (970) 888-4249 or at their website, NocoVRC.com.