A $2.25 million federal investment will help Alpha Omega Veterans Services continue renovating its Jackson Avenue campus and make needed repairs at its other Memphis properties.
But the money will not fill the gaps that have strained the nonprofit’s day-to-day operations or eliminate the uncertainty surrounding federal housing programs on which many of its veterans depend.
That distinction came into sharper focus after U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen toured Alpha Omega’s Jackson Avenue facility Friday July 17, and highlighted funding he helped secure through the congressional appropriations process.
“The work Albert Edwards and his staff are doing for homeless veterans is inspiring, and I am pleased to be able to strengthen its outreach,” Cohen wrote in his weekly newsletter. He also credited the late Cordell Walker, Alpha Omega’s longtime executive director, with drawing his attention to the organization’s needs.
Alpha Omega moved into the former Marine Corps Reserve Center at 3114 Jackson Ave. in January 2024. The organization launched a $10 million capital campaign to renovate the property and turn it into a campus serving veterans experiencing homelessness and other challenges.
Executive Director Albert “Al” Edwards said Cohen’s office helped Alpha Omega secure a $2 million grant for the Jackson Avenue work, along with another $250,000 that will reach the organization through the City of Memphis.
“(Cohen’s) office approved it, and we ended up getting that money,” Edwards said. “We’re currently using that money to do some much-needed renovations that were still needed out here.”
Cohen’s July 17 newsletter described the full amount secured through the annual appropriations process as $2.25 million.
Edwards said Cohen has also submitted Alpha Omega for an additional $1 million that, if approved, would support repairs at the organization’s two other properties.
“The properties are older properties, and they are in desperate need of some work,” Edwards said.
Capital funding and operating needs
The new capital investment arrives after a difficult period for Alpha Omega and other organizations that depend on grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In January, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism reported that two of Alpha Omega’s three housing programs were sustained through HUD grants and that delays in the federal funding process could force the organization to rely more heavily on community support.
Edwards said two HUD grants expired earlier this year, leaving Alpha Omega with a roughly two-month gap before the replacement funding began.
“We were out a considerable portion of our funding over those two months,” he said.
The organization also faced the prospect of having to quickly change some of its housing from a permanent supportive model to transitional housing because of proposed federal policy changes. A judge blocked those changes at the time, Edwards said.
However, he said Alpha Omega is preparing for the likelihood that one of its facilities will have to shift from permanent supportive housing to a transitional model during the next grant cycle.
“At least this time, we have more time to do it,” Edwards said. “It’s not so much of a crunch.”
Permanent supportive housing is generally designed to provide long-term housing and services to people with disabilities or other barriers to independent living. Transitional housing typically places a limit on how long a resident may remain in the program.
‘It makes a world of difference’
Founded in 1987, Alpha Omega has helped veterans move out of homelessness, recover from addiction and work toward sobriety and independent living.
Edwards said grants remain crucial, but unrestricted donations from individuals and the community give Alpha Omega flexibility that government funding does not.
“Over the past couple of years, that unrestricted donor funding has been dwindling,” Edwards said. “It has been making it difficult for us to do our mission, which is caring for these veterans.”
He said supporters may contribute money or in-kind donations through the organization’s website, alphaomegaveterans.org.
“We’re only able to do the work that we do because of grants,” he said. “But even more importantly, because of funding that comes from the community.”
While unrestricted donations have declined in recent years, Edwards said the organization welcomes support in many forms. Community members can contribute financially, donate needed items or volunteer their time by sharing talents and simply spending time with veterans.
“We have people who come out and teach them how to play guitar, teach them how to paint, or things like that,” Edwards said. “Just having that type of engagement with people in the community lets them know that people still care about them. It makes a world of difference.”
Edwards hopes Cohen’s recognition will introduce more people to Alpha Omega’s mission and inspire others to get involved.
“We’re looking for any kind of involvement with us,” he said. “However someone’s heart is moved to engage with us, we welcome it all.”
Cohen’s visit came as his office also announced another federal investment in local veterans’ services. The Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers Jr. VA Medical Center will receive $8,302,004 in infrastructure improvements during the third quarter of the federal fiscal year.
The funding includes upgrades to X-ray and MRI technology, improvements to food-service capabilities and new roofs for Buildings 1, 1A, 5 and 7.
“Our veterans deserve the best,” Cohen said. “These investments in preventive maintenance and high-tech diagnostic equipment will improve the treatment the facility can provide, and I look forward to seeing these improvements implemented later this year.”
The commitment is personal for Edwards, who served 25 years as an Army combat veteran.
“This is a mission for me,” he said.
