WCCO viewers and their donations during the Home for the Holidays campaign has helped the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans raise $1 million. 

The organization will use the money to make veteran homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring.

This year, veterans shared their heartaches and struggles, and how about MACV walked with them on their journey. 

John Lovald, MACV's chief operating officers, says the stories that touched WCCO's viewers helped raise the most money ever during the Home for the Holidays campaign.

"For us to hit $1 million this year, it's incredible," Lovald said.

He says more people wrote checks to help the cause than ever before, and a phone-a-thon during the Winter Salute added another way to connect with veterans. 

The generosity of WCCO viewers is providing huge gains in housing stability for Minnesota veterans.

"These donations made it possible for us to have a veterans village, the first ever of its kind here in the state of Minnesota," he said. "I can say that particular project specifically had no state or federal funding tied to it, so that really was all about grassroots funding locally."

A Wilder Research report says MACV's work is not just compassionate, its effective and responsible.

"That is an independent study that shows for every dollar that's donated, invested in this mission, it's a return of 1.26 so it's a return of more than is given," he said.

Lovald and MACV are grateful for all who gave from their hearts and wallets.

"You are making it possible for Minnesota to end veteran homelessness one veteran at a time and we are going to continue doing this with your support," he said.

MACV created the system, steps and funding sources to be able to help all veterans who are dealing with housing instability. They are helping other states do the same.