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Arnold Schwarzenegger played Santa Claus to homeless vets and their pets.
The former governor of California celebrated the holiday season by donating 25 tiny homes to veterans.
The 74-year-old paid $250,000 to purchase the structures, located in West Los Angeles, according to Fox11.
On Dec. 23, Schwarzenegger took to social media to explain the project dear to his heart.
“Today, I celebrated Christmas early. The 25 homes I donated for homeless veterans were installed here in LA. It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes,” Schwarzenegger wrote.
“I want to thank @villageforvets for arranging the homes and being a fantastic partner, @secvetaffairs, @amvetshq and everyone who worked with us and made this possible. We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem.”
Village for Vets told The Post that there were “just under 4,000 homeless veterans in Los Angeles at the last count in 2020.”
“The tiny shelter project to which Governor Schwarzenegger so generously donated is a partnership with the VA and is designed to be a transitional respite for homeless Veterans between living on the street and entering a higher level of care – ultimately permanent housing,” the said in a statement.
Village for Vets said their programs “make an immediate impact on the lives of the Veterans we serve,” evident in an account from one of the vets, named Bruce Henry Cooper, who told the local station that the project has been a “life-saver” for him.
“He has not forgotten us,” Cooper said of Schwarzenegger.
Village for Vets has been working with retired service members who have resorted to living on the streets and are “on their journey to independence.” The homes are fully equipped with a bed, shelving for storage, electrical outlets, heat and air conditioning and a locking door. Homes are available for veterans who are enrolled in the VA’s Care Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (CTRS) program, which is available to all healthcare eligible Veterans who are homeless.
The organization is a non-profit that started in 2016 in accordance with the VA to provide these shelters.
“There are currently 78 shelters installed but over the next couple of months, it will increase to as many as 120 and could expand further if the need is evident,” they said.
Each home costs $10,000, which includes the shelter itself as well as maintenance and repairs.
The “Terminator” star told Fox11 in an interview that he considered this “the greatest Christmas gift.”
“It makes me feel good that I can give something back to this country that has given everything to me,” Schwarzenegger explained. “I had this great success, only because of America … Whatever I tackled, I achieved because of America, so to me it’s always great to give something back.”
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