I Am A Veteran & Homeless

April 3, 2011, is "I Am A Veteran & Homeless" 
(written by Kelly Gauthier with Mary Wakefield & the Peace & Justice Committee).
Sally’s Story 
In 2008, Sally came to the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center.  At age 39, she had lived in 6 different states over the last 7 years (since her discharge from the service).  She was secretive, hoarded food, and was actively psychotic due to lack of medication and a stable living environment.  Social workers would meet with her at the hospital because she did not want them to know where she was staying—she was living on the streets, in bathrooms, and behind the VA Hospital.  Sally eventually began to trust an outreach worker.  They built a strong relationship and Sally finally trusted enough to agree to a mental health evaluation.  She entered the VA Grant Per Diem Program at the Staples Center in Ann Arbor and received support to help her obtain Social Security Disability Benefits.  She began receiving a monthly income, something she had not had in 7 years.
In 2009, with assistance from a HUD/VA Supported Housing Voucher, Sally found an apartment in downtown Toledo, close to the bus line.  Since then, she has been able to walk to the library and expand her social contacts.  Sally now serves as a member of the HCHV Veterans Council and gives input quarterly to the HCHV Coordinator on veterans’ care and needs. 
The Suffering of those Who Served
About 1/3 of the homeless population in America are veterans.  Nearly half of them served in Vietnam.  Those who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars currently represent about 3% of homeless veterans.  The majority of homeless veterans are male; single; come from urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders.  About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
The VA’s programs served more than 92,000 veterans in 2009, but this still leaves well over 100,000 more veterans who must seek assistance from local government agencies and community- and faith-based service organizations.  The VA emphasizes collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis.  These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by more than half over the past 6 years, but those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are ending up on the streets much faster than veterans from previous wars.
Our Lenten donations will go to the RAAH capital campaign, which is raising money to create and maintain Affordable Housing and helping to fund Community Organizations that serve the homeless, including homeless veterans.  Our Lenten donations will help veterans like Sally stay housed!
**Remember, organizations like the VA Hospital and Staples Center are always in need of volunteers**