RSS
Home
2009 CNN Hero Roy Foster rescues homeless veterans with passionate determination
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Roy Foster, CNN Hero/Photo Credit: Janis Bucher
Examiner hero of the month, July: Roy Foster, Georgia native and U.S. Army Vietnam veteran may not be a military-decorated hero of war, but he holds the honor of another kind of hero, the very first CNN Hero of 2009 for his commitment, dedication, and relentless passion to rescue homeless veterans. Roy’s determination to reach into the dark, desolate corners of city streets and neighborhood backwoods to save his warrior brothers began as a very personal crusade, as he himself once walked in those very same shoes. For years after returning home from Vietnam, Roy wandered from state to state carrying the scars of war in his duffle bag of life while mapping out a course of complete hopelessness. Alcoholism and drug addiction became the enemy of an entirely new kind of battle - the war within himself.
As Roy knew first hand how fortunate he was to have beaten the unlikely odds of turning his life around after hitting a rock bottom low, it was his dream to one day ‘pay it forward’ to all those veteran brothers fighting to conquer substance abuse, and to help restore a sense of dignity and purpose in their lives.
With kindness and compassion in his heart, and a firm yet gentle hand, he seeks out as many homeless vets as possible leading them to safe haven at Stand Down House; which opened its doors in 2000 through the successful efforts of Faith, Hope, Love, Charity, Inc. a nonprofit organization which Roy founded in 1994 with fellow veteran partner, the late Donald Reed. Stand Down House provides clean, comfortable living quarters, daily meals, social services counseling, life skills training, individual addiction and recovery treatment plans, 12-step meetings, a staff psychologist, transportation to VA medical facilities, computer training, work programs, guidance counseling for continued education programs, and a safe, structured environment that encourages gradual return to independent living
“One of the most important components of healing that vets at Stand Down House experience is bonding with one and other and sharing a common past of military service. Many who have gone on to lead successful and fulfilling lives come back to volunteer their time and share that special bond to keep each other on track.” said Roy Foster. He also stated that in 2008 they reviewed their overall success rate and 93 percent of their eligible residents were said to have found work, while 84 percent of those who completed the program had gone on to lead successful, independent lives.
Although Stand Down House can boast success, Roy Foster knows there is a lot of work to do with the next generation of warriors coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and he remains committed to taking on this new generation of veteran’s issues. One of the many projects he and his staff are involved with is the creation of a nationwide veteran’s café, named the Ease Cyber Café – a combination coffee shop, lunch counter, and casual gathering place where veterans of all wars can network, surf the internet, and share a common bond. The very first café opened in Lake Worth, Florida in the month of June, and Roy has plans of taking the concept nationwide. All proceeds benefit veteran’s organizations.
Roy is also very actively involved in galvanizing the support of his local state senators, congressmen and other elected officials to push for new legislation that supports the very specialized needs of veterans.
Stay tuned for more articles in the coming weeks ahead as he leads the effort to establish a Veteran’s Court, a proposed new division within county court systems to meet the special needs of veteran’s legal issues. The proposed new court division would be staffed by judges, attorneys and legal aides, all of whom were military vets, to support the ever-growing need for this specialized field of law.
Today, Roy is on another kind of battlefield fulfilling a higher mission, one of Faith, Hope, Love, & Charity, just as the name of his nonprofit organization rightfully fits. For more information on how you can get involved, visit Roy’s website at http://www.standown.org
For more coverage of Veterans related stories subscribe today and receive the latest news straight to your inbox. If you liked this article you may also enjoy reading more...
Homeless Veterans on the Rise by Miami Veterans Examiner Harmon Biehl
More Videos Below....
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
