GREENSBORO, N.C. — For many veterans, the transition home is not easy, and some even find themselves without a place to live.
In Greensboro, Army veteran Diane Dunn is now a case manager at The Servant Center, a nonprofit that provides housing and resources for veterans experiencing homelessness.
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The Servant Center offers permanent supportive housing — a program that Dunn said is life-changing. It’s personal for her, because she once faced homelessness.
Dunn said since last year, Servant Center's Glenwood and Haworth permanent housing facility has served 20 veterans and 95% of them remained permanently housed. In the Foxworth facility, Dunn says 34 veteran families were served, 100% of which have remained permanently housed.
Dunn uses her own story of survival to help others find stability after serving their country.
“When I had gotten out of the military in 1997, they didn’t have, of course, any programs like this," Dunn said. "So I was homeless for almost a year."
Dunn served in the Army for 10 years. She said coming home and adjusting to civilian life was difficult.
“You’re with a group of people all the time, and now you have to come home and learn to be a husband, learn to be a wife, you know, and fit into the daily schedule,” Dunn said.
At the time, Dunn said she was "couch surfing" and even "dumpster diving" for food.
Despite her circumstances, she enrolled in college while also working a part-time job. She was homeless for a year and a half. Now, Dunn helps residents with everything from medical appointments to transportation, but she said the most important thing she offers is trust.
Dunn said residents lean on one another like family inside The Servant Center’s supportive housing.
“Everybody in this building watches over everybody’s child, so I’m thankful for that,” Dunn said.
Still, Dunn pointed out that supportive housing options for female veterans are limited across North Carolina.
“The females don’t know where to go, and it’s not safe in the street," Dunn said. "You find a lot of females hidden behind buildings off in the corner until daylight."
That’s why The Servant Center is opening a new building with a women's hall for the first time. Dunn said it’s a mission that’s long overdue.
The North Carolina Point-in-Time Count showed that in 2024 on any given day, 6% of people who were experiencing homelessness were veterans, and out of 11,626 people who were experiencing homelessness that same year, 41% were female.
The Servant Center’s new temporary housing facility will include 21 beds for disabled veterans experiencing homelessness, 22 medical respite beds and office space for staff.
On Sept. 12, the center hosted its 2025 Triad Stand Down event where veterans connected with critical services like health and dental care, employment and housing.