Our Story

Dedication and Service

At Veterans Advocacy Council Community Developmental Corporation, our humble beginnings have shaped the passionate, dedicated organization we've become today. Our story begins in 2020 when our founder Christina "Chris' Thomas discovered a shared passion for community development with mental health creating a whole health community for the veterans she served. Serving as the elected Chair to the Veterans Mental Health Advocacy Council a congressionally mandated council under the Veterans Administration which started back in the opioid crisis to advocate for mental health for patients in the mental health programs. She learned more about the internal needs of veterans, families, organizations, providers and community. Her board of veterans representing all eras of war fought to keep the awareness of pathways to hope for veterans. VP and Nevada State Commissioner Mr. Wendell Blaylock and previous Chair Dr. Marvin Carter and Cochair Dr. Perry Paschall with the team worked tireless through the pandemic to serve hiring, housing, healthcare and homelessness plaguing the veteran community with a crisis of mental health across the nation. From this time she recognized she couldn't just serve veterans only, so she began serving everyone that came in need through the councils partners. Recognizing the need for change, she turned her vision into action, and Veterans Advocacy Council Community Developmental Corporation was born. Little did we know that this step would ignite a movement that has since touched countless lives and brought purposeful change to our community.

As a [non-profit/for-profit], Veterans Advocacy Council Community Developmental Corporation has always believed in the transformational power of empathy, community, and action. Our values are deeply rooted in our commitment to whole health and all pathways to healing for veterans, family and community, leading us to focus on best care practices. Over more than 4 years of our existence, birthed from the pandemic we have grown tremendously, expanding our reach to regions and communities wherever our veterans are that need help and significantly increasing the impact of our programs and initiatives. We have been a Golden standard nationally for the incorporation of federal, state and local connection for the inclusion of veteran mental health. Our team of directors will do everything to keep our veterans taken care of in their mission and capacity.

We pride ourselves on the diverse and passionate team of professionals and volunteers that we have brought together under the umbrella of the Veterans Advocacy Council Community Developmental Corporation. Coming from different backgrounds and walks of life, our team members not only contribute their unique skills and experience, but they also share our unwavering dedication to making a difference. Together, they form the heartbeat of Veterans Advocacy Council CDC, fueling our mission with inspiration and resilience.

Over the years, we have had many memorable milestones and success stories in our journey. One such story that continues to inspire us is our project on veteran integration and making history in Nevada for veterans. This project not only veteran inclusion to feed the veteran social economic need, but it also had a ripple effect, helping to create awareness and mobilize our community members to play a part in our ongoing efforts to foster positive change.

At VAC, we understand that our strength lies in the unity and collaboration of our team, partners, and supporters. We recognize that our story is not just about us, but about each and every person who has extended a helping hand or offered their support in any form. As such, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and express our deepest gratitude to every individual who has been part of our story thus far - we couldn't have made it here without you!

As we continue to write our story, we remain steadfast in our mission to be whole health best care practices in the community that is trauma informed and culturally competent on the needs of the veteran community. With your support, we will continue to foster growth, create opportunities, and transform lives. Together, let's build a brighter future for all.

Welcome to Veterans Advocacy Council Community Developmental Corporation – where our story is your story too!