Thanksgiving meals delivered to Veterans previously unhoused
By Hannah McDuffie, Public Affairs Officer
More than 3,400 pounds of turkey were hand-delivered this Thanksgiving season to Veterans who were previously unhoused in middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky.
“One of the things I was worried about was how am I going to afford Thanksgiving,” said Army Veteran Jose Correa. “She [Correa’s social worker] told me she may have a resource for that.”
Each year, VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) social workers deliver turkeys to Veterans enrolled in the Housing and Urban Development – VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. This year was no different with more than 433 turkeys and side dishes, donated from non-profit YAIPAK, going inside the homes of Veterans and their families across 73 counties.
“There’s something about, especially in the south, being able to give someone food. I think food and eating is a great way that we can all come together,” said Nicole Payne, TVHS HUD-VASH Social Worker.
The HUD-VASH Program, part of VA’s Homeless Veteran Program, is a collaborative partnership between VA, HUD, and local rental and real estate properties that aims to permanently house Veterans while receiving VA health care services.
In fiscal year 2025, TVHS secured permanent housing for 824 Veterans, a 20% increase from fiscal year 2024. Nationally, VA permanently housed 51,936 homeless Veterans, which was an increase of 4,011 from last year.
Correa and Payne both agreed that a common challenge with homelessness is accepting help from others. Payne shared that many Veterans she’s worked with often believe they don’t need the resources available to them. She has observed it can be hard for Veterans to ask for assistance.
“There is pride, especially with men, who tend not to want to ask for help,” said Correa. “I know a lot of people who could or would get more help if they could just articulate that. It hurts me to see there’s so much more homelessness out there, you know. We still got a lot of work to do.”
The TVHS HUD-VASH Program will soon participate in the annual Nashville Point-in-Time Count where federal, state and local organizations canvas the city late at night to collect data on individuals experiencing homelessness. Through these efforts, TVHS can better understand how many Veterans are unhoused and in need of VA resources and care.
Veterans experiencing homelessness can call the TVHS HUD-VASH Program directly at
“We’re there and we’re happy to help support and give back,” said Payne. “We appreciate all that they’ve given, right, and a turkey and some sides are the minimal that we could do.”
Click here to watch the TVHS HUD-VASH team in action.