Opportunity Campus

The Opportunity Campus will have a goal of transitioning our homeless neighbors to being sheltered by providing safe temporary shelter, transitional housing, affordable housing, meals, basic daily needs and wrap-around services to lift people up and out of homelessness.

This has been a dream of the community for many years. We anticipate this project will happen in multiple phases. VAC and the Opportunity Campus Advisory Board are looking forward to establishing the viability of this vision. VAC’s commitment is to make this dream a reality with the help of the many agencies, businesses and benevolent organizations in Columbia that are already making a huge difference in this community.

Mark Palmer has been named Project Coordinator for the Opportunity Campus. Palmer will be in this role for a year to help determine the scope, nature and sequence of this project.

He brings over 30 years of experience in the non-profit community, most recently retiring from Woodhaven in September 2020 where he was the Chief Executive Officer. His understanding of the community and strategic thinking along with his strong business and management acumen will only add value to this position and help move the needle on the Opportunity Campus.

Palmer shared, “It is an honor to be called to serve as the Coordinator for The Opportunity Campus which will have a significant impact on citizens in our community. Being able to be a part of this vision and having the opportunity to work with other community leaders to change the strategic direction of needed services with the ultimate goal of ending homelessness in Columbia is exciting.”