Santa Clarita couple runs nonprofit for veterans

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) -- Since 2015, Judith and Elliott Wolfe have dedicated their lives to helping veterans. They started Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative.

"I was seeing what's happening to the veterans who were returning and we're out here in Santa Clarita, and there really wasn't a central place to get resources. It's such a hard thing to navigate the system that they give up and say, 'Oh, forget it,'" said July Wolfe, one of the founders of the nonprofit.

The Wolfe's brought together other nonprofits that help veterans and employers looking to hire them. There are 12,000 veterans in Santa Clarita, and the collaborative helps any veteran regardless of where they live.

"If a veteran comes into our place and he's in need of money or medical attention or an attorney, we can get them together right now and take care of the problem. All of the members of our collaborative do work to help the veterans pro-bono," said Elliott Wolfe, the other founder of the nonprofit.

David Jackson, who served 27 years in the Army and suffers from PTSD, needed help and said the collaborative has changed his life.

"You're used to serving, right? And then when you get into the private sector, it's a whole different world, right? By serving your fellow veterans and advocating for them, it makes you feel like you never left the service," said Jackson.

"If the world's been good to you, and you've been successful, it's important to give back, and I can't think of anything more important than helping out veterans," said Elliott Wolfe.

The collaborative has operated this veterans center for two years, but says they've run out of room. They're looking for financial support from the community to help secure a larger facility. If you'd like to donate, you can visit their website: www.scv-vets.org.