Meet John Zangoulas — August 2020
Goodwill Northern Michigan Welcomes New Patriot Place Program Director
John Zangoulas (right) is our new Patriot Place Director. He is shown here with Resident Manager Ryan Wood (center) and Case Manager Charlie Webster (left). Not pictured: Housing Locator Taylor Carey, who recently had a baby—congratulations Taylor!
Goodwill Northern Michigan is pleased to announce John Zangoulas as the new Director of Patriot Place. John is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served his country from 1983-1987. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Cleary University and has been a Gaylord resident since 2005. Before joining Goodwill Northern Michigan, he retired as a State Trooper from the Gaylord Michigan State Police Post in October 2009, and worked for the Northern Michigan Community Action Agency for 3.5 years as a Veterans housing resource specialist. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.
“I am happy to join the Goodwill Northern Michigan team, and am excited by the opportunity to continue to serve my fellow Vets in this new role,” John said. “I have worked with Patriot Place through my previous jobs as a State Trooper and Veterans housing specialist, so I have a real appreciation for this uniquely successful program. Patriot Place and the overwhelming support it gets from the community have helped over 200 Veterans transition to permanent housing since 2011. I’m excited to be part of continuing this important work for our Veterans.”
John replaces former director Thomas Pratt, who served as the Patriot Place Director for five years before beginning his new job as the Otsego County Parks and Recreation Director in June.
“John’s experience and positive attitude have allowed him to make an immediate impact on Patriot Place. His familiarity with the community, the program, and the work we do have already allowed him to further our efforts to help Veterans achieve positive housing destinations after leaving Patriot Place. The national average is 62 percent for Veteran housing programs, but we have reached 83 percent. We are confident that John will work with our larger Goodwill housing services team and our tremendously supportive community of donors to further this success.”
In his role as Patriot Place Program Director, John will work closely with the team at the Goodwill Northern Michigan Gaylord store and donation center, which is reopening in a new location at 1396 W Main St near Little Caesars this fall. Goodwill Northern Michigan retail operations provide crucial revenue to support our mission services that help neighbors in need with basic needs of food and housing. Ninety-three cents of every dollar earned through our nine stores is reinvested back into the communities we serve through programs like Patriot Place.
Established in 2011, Patriot Place is Northern Michigan’s only Veterans transitional housing community for male Veterans experiencing homelessness. At Patriot Place, Veterans receive support and stability in an atmosphere specifically designed for Veterans before moving on to permanent housing. Patriot Place was built in Gaylord so that it would be near other support services for Veterans. Goodwill completed the $1.8 million project in 2011, with $950,000 in grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Homeloan Bank of Cincinnati via Huntington Bank. The rest of the project funding came from Goodwill Northern Michigan, funding partners, and donations from the community.
Many Veterans at Patriot Place are from Northern Michigan, but Patriot Place is open to all qualifying Veterans. Veterans can stay for up to two years in the residential community while they transition to permanent housing. Participants are referred and prequalified for the program by the VA, and are supported by a full range of healthcare and counseling services, from help obtaining a birth certificate to apartment searches and credit repair. The VA provides an on-site support person, who works with three Goodwill Northern Michigan employees to link residents to community resources and Veterans benefits.
