Our current Board President Frank A. Valenti Jr., while Director of Carroll County Department of Human Services (DSS), conducted an interview with Carroll County Times regarding his position. In the interview he shared that he was a veteran who was interested in veteran issues. When the newspaper article was released a man by the name of “Mad Dog” (Mike) Sater, who happened to also be Veterans Service Officer (VSO) reached out to Frank to talk about how they could come together and support veterans in Carroll County. Mike and Frank formed a friendship. Out of that friendship and through a desire to support veterans, Frank offered Mike a space to work and help veterans at DSS, especially in the area of VA claims. As veterans’ health care needs became more apparent, they set up a meeting with VISN 5, the VA Capitol Health Care Network, to hopefully bring health care services to Carroll County. Unfortunately, this fell through. Even with this bad news, they did not give up on their vision to help veterans access health care. With the help of commissioners Doug Howard and Louise Tinker, they established three main objectives for helping veterans in the area. They were the Carroll County Veterans Transportation Shuttle to help veterans reach health care facilities, hiring part time VSOs to help veterans with their VA claims, and to create the Carroll County Veterans Advisory Council (VAC) which would meet monthly to discuss issues affecting veterans in the community. With these new objectives Mike and Frank went to VISN 5 once more but were again declined assistance. They did not let this prevent them from remaining determined to find a solution.

Upon Mike’s death in July 2015, Frank became more determined than ever to make their vision a reality. In July 2016, the Veterans Advisory Council was shown the old USAR building in Westminster where they could have temporary and transitional housing through the means of tiny homes.

Carroll County Veterans Independence Project (CCVIP) was born. It was at this time that Frank became the president of the CCVIP board of directors. Although CCVIP made many efforts to obtain the land, it did not work out. Again, veterans needed help and Frank and the board stayed determined to find a way to do it.

A space for CCVIP was found at 95 Carroll Street, Suite 104, Westminster, MD. With a facility came new responsibilities in the delivery of services to the veterans of Carroll County.

The CCVIP Board of Directors, brought Jason R. Sidock on as the Executive Director.

Although the current facility does not have space for housing, CCVIP opened its doors to the public and started delivering services and programming to the veterans and their families in Carroll County and surrounding areas.