Oklahoma Veterans United (OKVU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting veterans across Oklahoma with housing services, suicide prevention resources, and employment opportunities. Built on an 80+ year legacy, OKVU officially transitioned from Community Service Council to Oklahoma Veterans United in 2024.
OKVU serves 56 (of the 77 statewide) counties across Northeastern, Central, Western, and Southwestern Oklahoma. Their goal is to empower veterans and honor their service
and sacrifice through compassionate care, personalized support, and advocacy tailored to individual needs. While they cover an extensive range of initiatives, there are two primary areas of impact; the SSVF and SSG FOX SPGP programs.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) is a rapid re-housing program funded by a Department of Veterans Affairs grant.
Using the Housing First model, temporary intervention and short-term assistance is provided to low-income veterans and their families who are homeless or facing eviction.
SSVF Outreach staff conducted 1631 outreach engagements from October 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. These engagements ranged from individual outreach to homeless veterans on the street, to large veteran focused events across the state. Nearly 40% of outreach engagements targeted rural veterans with limited access to resources.
797 (49%) of all engagements focused on identifying and screening veterans through visits to encampments, street outreach or local partners/drop-in centers. 719 veterans experiencing homelessness or facing eviction secured safe housing through the SSVF program.
The SSG FOX SPGP is a Department of Veterans Affairs funded grant connecting at-risk veterans to upstream suicide prevention tools. These tools include targeted outreach events, warm hand-offs to VA clinical and administrative staff, connection to local community resources, and individualized programs to help reduce the risk of veteran suicide.
While a smaller program, the SSG FOX SPGP initiative had equally impressive outreach efforts to connect to veterans who may be at risk or contemplating suicide. From October 2025 through March 2026 the program highlights include:
• 487 veteran outreach engagements
• Collaboration with 13 organizations and partners in March 2026 alone in support of veterans needing assistance
• 47 new veterans spoke with the team regarding personal concerns
• 52 people actively participated in case management
• 99 referrals were made to local partners including Veterans Health Administration providers and local community organizations based on specific interest and needs
OKVU also has a veteran employer network that was established in 2019. The OKVU Veteran Employer Network proudly has 200+ members representing 100+ employers and distributes an annual state-wide survey to identify and recognize “Champions” who actively recruit, hire, develop, promote, and retain veterans in the workplace. At its inception, a Veteran Employer Champion Survey was established to identify and recognize businesses in Oklahoma who showed their commitment to being a veteran-ready place of work by meeting specific benchmarks.
In 2025, nineteen new employers joined the network and nineteen were awarded the employer championship badge and recognized by the mayors of Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Veterans most often connect with OKVU by calling the Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices. However, the outreach team meets veterans where they are by connecting with them directly at encampments, veteran events or through referral partners.
OKVU is dedicated to empowering veterans as they navigate the transition to civilian life. By recognizing the strengths and experiences individuals bring, they provide the tools, resources, and opportunities needed to build lasting self-sufficiency and independence – all grounded in empathy, compassion, respect, and dignity.
Per the US Department of Veterans Affairs the following numbers reflect the need for veteran support in the state of Oklahoma:
• 278,538 veterans (as of 2024)
• 18,500 veterans earning below the poverty level (as of 2024)
• 304 homeless veterans (as of 2024)
• 126 veteran deaths by suicide (as of 2022)
OKVU has earned a Platinum Seal of Transparency through
Candid (formerly GuideStar), which reflects their commitment to transparency and accountability. They stand ready to help as many of Oklahoma’s veterans as possible. With many of their staff being veterans themselves, they will do whatever it takes to help a fellow veteran in need.
Federal grants help sustain many of the initiatives OKVU is able to provide, however there are still gaps and barriers that need to be bridged. Private donations help strengthen OKVU’s ability to plan ahead, discern where needs are greatest and to respond to urgent situations.
If you are a veteran in need or know a veteran in need, you
can reach OKVU by using the contact form on their website, calling them at 918-588-8401, 405-724-3360, 580-557-0755 or by sending an email to [email protected].
Tax deductible donations can also be made by following the donation prompts on the website: www.okvetunited.org.
A full list of available services and resources can be found on the website. • Story and photos by Jill Stephenson, Tulsa area staff writer
