About PVAC

Piedmont Veterans Assistance Council was started in 2012 and officially became a non-profit organization on July 8, 2015. Efforts are contributed by our dedicated volunteers. Our mission is to provide assistance and support to struggling and homeless Veterans and their families living in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina by:

  • Offering free transportation to medical and dental appointments.

  • Providing food through partnering feeding programs.

  • Supporting homeless and struggling Veterans through community programs and access to resources.

Freedom is Not Free

The men, women and families that have given great sacrifice for our country deserve recognition. PVAC values each and everyone of them. Our heartfelt thanks are not enough. As of March 2023, there were over 38,000 homeless Veterans in the United States (VA statistics). PVAC is working to lower the number of homeless and struggling Veterans here in the Piedmont Region of NC. Past donations helped PVAC bring to fruition and continue to financially contribute to the Veterans Transitional Housing Program in Statesville. There are many success stories of men who have gone through the program and moved out into a home of their own. PVAC's founder, the late Pete Meletis, worked tirelessly to create that program. In 2016, PVAC partnered with Iredell Statesville Community Enrichment Corporation and Diakonos in an effort to help homeless Veterans in Iredell County. Pete had a vision to create a home where homeless Veterans could get needed services to help them reach a goal of becoming self-sufficient again.  ISCEC provided a newly renovated home on Wilson Lee Blvd. in Statesville and Diakonos stepped into the management and wrap around services needed for this program. PVAC has financially donated to the Veteran Transitional Housing Program since its conception. As of 2023, PVAC has donated over $130,000 to the Veterans Transitional Housing Program. Over 67 homeless Veterans have successfully transitioned through this program. PVAC joined in a new "tiny homes" collaborative with Purple Heart Homes and 5TH Street Ministries (campus of Diakonas). This new program is an extension of the Veteran Transitional Housing Program and is located on the property of 5TH Street Ministries. PVAC raised and donated $11,000 for this new program that began in January 2022. PVAC will continue to donate to these programs in memory of Pete Meletis and inane effort to eliminate homeless Veterans in the Piedmont Region.

  • Even before the pandemic, every community in the U.S. was home to people facing hunger. PVAC has always supported feeding veterans. We strive to locate the communities that are most in need. By partnering with community support programs, PVAC is able to identify veterans in need. PVAC volunteers dedicate time and heartfelt effort to distribute food and build relationships with veterans and their families. When individuals and families have to choose between paying bills and buying groceries, sometimes the food budget is hardest hit. Your donation will help feed veterans and their families. 

    Our transportation program is dedicated to getting veterans in need a reliable way to get to their medical and dental appointments. This is a free service that only requires advance notice to secure a vehicle and driver to get veterans and immediate family members a scheduled transport. PVAC has a handicapped accessible van and a full sized car. We provide transportation to several VA locations. Our drivers get to know our transports and offer assistance with finding local support where there is a need. Stopping to share a meal is frequently part of the transportation drivers trip. Your donation will help provide transportation to medical, dental and other VA appointments for veterans and their families. 

    PVAC uses community resources and has routinely provided household furnishings and clothing to veterans in need. All we do is free of charge. We believe in supporting our veterans however we can. PVAC has many volunteers that help run the organization. We are all supporters of our military. The United States is the land of the free because of the sacrifices of the men and women who defended and protected this country. Our flag still waves because of the dedication of our past and current military personnel.

The PVAC Team

Our Board Members

James Mallory- President

Ken Marsh- Vice President

Devin Alexander- Secretary

Mike Francis/David Pressly

Our Executive Director

Julie Zacholl

What is Honor?

A Veteran--whether active duty, retired, National Guard, or Reserve--is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount "up to and including my life."

PVAC's efforts are made possible by the grace of God and our local support system:

  • Military Order of the Purple Heart

  • Iredell Statesville Community Enrichment Corporation

  • Diakonos/Fifth Street Ministries

  • Second Harvest Food Bank Winston-Salem

  • Union Grove United Methodist Church

  • Cochran Street Bible Church

  • Purple Heart Homes

  • Welcome Home Veterans

  • Many Veteran Organizations, Community Donors and Volunteers