Arnold Schwarzenegger gives $250,000 to build homes for homeless veterans — changes their lives forever

Arnold Schwarzenegger fulfilled the dreams of several homeless veterans. "The Terminator" star became Santa Claus for these people and rang in the holiday season by donating $250,000 to build 25 tiny homes in 2021, as per Fox11. He paid for the structures in West Los Angeles, and social media celebrated his generosity while noting what others can do to help the needy. 

Schwarzenegger also shared the news on his X, formerly Twitter account.

"Village for Vets," a non-profit organization, told the New York Post, "[There were] just under 4,000 homeless veterans in Los Angeles at the last count in 2020. The tiny shelter project to which 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 former California Governor told Fox11, "It makes me feel good that I can give something back to this country that has given everything to me. 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."

When u/Warm_Animal_2043 reshared his deed on Reddit, people on social media began praising the actor. For instance, u/Hell_Yeah-Brother wrote, "This is awesome but it also makes me realize that there are that many homeless veterans." u/fullchub pointed out, "Yeah I respect what he's doing but vets relying on the largesse of wealthy people do not say a lot for our society." 

u/bigmatt8779 noted wealthy people have the power to end homelessness, "Imagine what the really really really rich people could do if they didn't hoard all their money." u/burgerking351 echoed, "If one celeb can use an insignificant fraction of his wealth to build 25 homes, imagine what the government could do." 

Meanwhile, a handful of people on Reddit addressed the prevalent issue of homelessness in the United States. u/_D3Ath_Stroke_ slammed the government, "What a country. So much budget for war. And can't even house their soldiers when they come back." 

In a similar story, a non-profit organization helped homeless people by giving them homes in Austin. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 582,462 people were experiencing homelessness across the United States in 2022. With many Americans fighting cold and sleeping on empty stomachs, other organizations like Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a Christian social outreach ministry, vowed to fight this social evil through the 'Community First! Village' initiative in Austin, Texas. 

The organization began operations on the outskirts of Austin to provide shelter to the homeless. Importantly, these individuals were given a place to rest and offered all the necessary resources to build and sustain a life for themselves. As of January 2024, the organization operates 100 RVs and 125 micro-houses. They have arranged gardens, beehives, workspaces, playgrounds, recreational areas, parks, kitchens, and other group activities within that community. 

Meanwhile, residents were required to pay a nominal amount of $200 to $430 monthly, which could be easily earned through menial jobs available in the village. For instance, they could make candles for community neighbors to purchase, allowing the residents to earn a share of the proceeds.