Eye on UMSL: Honoring Veterans Day service

Gadsden Messenger · Local

Local veterans working to build resource center, housing community for women veterans

After the closure of the Victory Center at Jacksonville State, four women veterans made it their mission to establish a regional resource center for veterans in Etowah County, with a long-term vision of creating a community where women veterans and their children can access housing and multiple support services in one location. In May 2026, after a year and five months of operation, the Victory Center at Jacksonville State University lost its grant funding. The college made the decision to close the center, which had provided services to veterans across 15 counties. “We are talking 53,000 that we know of with no support whatsoever,” Dr. Shirley E. Johnson said. So, before the envisioned residential community can become a reality, the organization decided to put all its focus on establishing its first major project: a regional veterans resource center. The proposed center would serve veterans of all genders and, where appropriate, their families.