Former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, celebrated Christmas early when he decided to personally donate over two dozen tiny homes to homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area.
On December 23, Schwarzenegger took to Twitter to say, “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.”
He added, “I want to thank @VillageforVets for arranging the homes, @SecVetAffairs, @AMVETSHQ and everyone who talked with us and worked with us and made this possible. We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem.”
News Anchor Elex Michaelson Does Exclusive Tour, Interview
“This is the greatest Christmas gift!” @Schwarzenegger donates 25 tiny homes to homeless vets at the VA in West LA.
For the first time in a long time, these vets are now off the streets.
Watch @TheIssueIsShow for an exclusive tour & interview w Arnold & @PSchwarzenegger pic.twitter.com/qaHkNpJ4Gj
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) December 24, 2021
“This is the greatest Christmas gift,” anchor Elex Michaelson said in a tweet. “@Schwarzenegger donates 25 tiny homes to homeless vets at the VA in West LA. For the first time in a long time, these vets are now off the streets.”
Schwarzenegger retweeted the message, adding, “This is what Christmas is all about. All of you have the power to do something for someone else this holiday season. It doesn’t have to be big. Just give a few minutes of your time to help someone else.”
The video shows Schwarzenegger heading inside one of the tiny homes and lounging on the bed – which is large enough to accommodate both veterans and their animals. The tiny homes contain a bed and a small space to allow residents room to move around. The tiny homes reportedly have electricity, heating, and air conditioning.
“It’s got to feel so fulfilling knowing that you were able to make that happen for them,” he said.
“I’m ecstatic,” Schwarzenegger replied. “I’m really ecstatic. I’m so excited. To me, this is the greatest Christmas gift.”
Homeless Veteran Personally Thanks Arnold Schwarzenegger
Veteran Bruce Henry Cooper wanted to personally thank Schwarzenegger for the home, which he described as “a lifesaver for me.”
“He has not forgotten us,” he added.
In early October, the secretary of the VA had toured the same campus, where the homeless veterans were previously living in tents along a public street. Some vets had been camping in that area for years.
Soon after, in November, Governor Newsom toured the property and announced an expansion of the Tiny Homes Program. Schwarzenegger saw the announcement and decided to spend $250,000 of his own money to purchase more tiny homes for the veterans.
“We brought everyone together,” Schwarzenegger continued. “And there was no one that said it can’t be done.”
“It’s home,” another veteran said. When asked what the difference between living in a tent and living in a tiny home was, the vet replied, “No squirrels and no rats.”
Schwarzenegger and his son Patrick also provided food for the residents to celebrate the big day.
“It makes me feel good that we can continuously give something back to this country that means everything to me,” Schwarzenegger concluded.
