Nearly 15 years ago, Swords to Plowshares began offering services in Oakland and the surrounding communities to respond to the needs of younger veterans returning from military service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, the profile of who we serve in the East Bay and the landscape of available services and service providers have changed. In response, the scope of our services continues to evolve to address the unmet needs of veterans. We are excited to offer additional services to underserved veterans in the East Bay.
For five years, U.S. Navy veteran David McKnight was living out of his car and motels in Livermore with his wife and two sons. In December 2022, David’s wife, Timina, was introduced to Swords to Plowshares through our partnership with CityServe. Swords was able to get David and his family emergency housing to keep them safely housed while they began their search for a permanent home. Swords staff helped them find an apartment in Fremont and assisted with their move-in. David and Timina both work night shifts to support their family, and he says having reliable housing has been a blessing for each of them. “We hustle hard for our kids. Now they are relaxed and can focus on school.” Swords also helped furnish their apartment, and David looks forward to maintaining his new home and raising his family there.
