VA sets plans to end homelessness of veterans

November 8, 11:37 AMHuntington County Political Buzz ExaminerMark Shoffner

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The plight of our veterans
KCBS

 During the Clinton reign, posters and bumper showed up stating 'America...the only place where a veteran sleeps in a box and a draft dodger is in the White House.' This was meant as a statement against the way that returning heroes are treated.

  We notice them in every large city and encounter them in every town. But, in this fast paced society, we don't see them. We cross the street to avoid that hand asking for change. And in the worst situations, they are assaulted and killed. A Walker Texas Ranger episode dealt with veteran homelessness. The homeless character told the Ranger "I was used to be somebody". The Ranger's reply is one that most never say to these heroes. "You still are".

  Many of our nation's veterans have no home and no help. A San Diego based advocacy group, Vietnam Veterans of San Diego (http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=173), was started in 1981 to aid Vietnam Veterans. Since then, the group has aided veterans in all aspects of life. They have a 3 day program, Stand Down for homeless veterans. It is  a three-day event held each summer that provides clothing, food, shelter, legal and medical assistance, referrals to jobs and housing, and veterans benefits counseling for about 700 homeless veterans in a self-contained tent community . The San Diego Stand Down was the first to include comprehensive medical services and, through a partnership with the San Diego Superior Court, the first to offer the Homeless Court Program, which helps veterans clear legal barriers to accessing housing and employment.

  On November the 3rd of this year, VA Secretary Shinseki, unveiled a 5 year plan to end homelessness among our nations warriors (http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807). In a statement he said, "President Obama and I are personally committed to ending homelessness among Veterans within the next five years. Those who have served this nation as Veterans should never find themselves on the streets, living without care and without hope. Our plan enlarges the scope of VA's efforts to combat homelessness. In the past, VA focused largely on getting homeless Veterans off the streets. Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending up homeless."

  The plan calls for preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated Veterans re-entering society, supportive services for low-income Veterans and their families and a national referral center to link Veterans to local service providers. Additionally, the plan calls for expanded efforts for education, jobs, health care and housing.
 

 The plan also has a full funding post 9/11 GI Bill for schooling, working with SBA to register veteran owned business for high visibility and job creation for veterans, help provide housing through community based programs, and helps diagnose and treat the problems (physical and mental) that lead warriors to be the forgotten.

  For the MIA/POW we say 'Gone But Not Forgotten'. We must remember, that those we turn from because they ask for help, they smell bad, or we deem them worthless. They are someone's family. They all have a reason for being in the situation they are in. And some, Are those that gave what they had to secure our freedom's here and abroad.

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