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Veterans Day, November 11, 2009
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Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Why November 11th? November 11, 1918 signifies the end of World War I when Germany signed the Armistice.
In 1954, President Eisenhower signed the bill renaming Armistice Day (so named by President Wilson in 1912) Veterans Day to celebrate all who served in our Armed Forces.
So what does Veterans Day have to do with homelessness in Roanoke?
Sadly, there is a huge connection.
This past Sunday the Rescue Mission printed an ad in The Roanoke Times which stated that 28% of Rescue Mission male guests were veterans. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 33% of homeless males across the United States are veterans, and almost half of those served in Vietnam.
The statistics about homeless veterans are shocking. According to the NCHV:
- 23% of homeless population are veterans
- 33% of male homeless population are veterans
- 47% Vietnam Era
- 17% post-Vietnam
- 15% pre-Vietnam
- 67% served three or more years
- 33% stationed in war zone
- 25% have used VA Homeless Services
- 85% completed high school/GED, compared to 56% of non-veterans
- 89% received Honorable Discharge
- 79% reside in central cities
- 16% reside in suburban areas
- 5% reside in rural areas
- 76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
- 46% white males compared to 34% non-veterans
- 46% age 45 or older compared to 20% non-veterans
Currently we are engaged in two overseas conflicts, with of men and women in active service. These individuals will see combat, and many will return home with physical and or emotional injuries from their service.
Did you read the statistics above? 76% of homeless veterans have alcohol, drugs or mental illness problems.
If 3 million to 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America each year and 23% of those folks are veterans, statistically there are between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some point during the year.
That means that on Veterans Day, there may be 1/2 million homeless veterans.
So what can YOU do about it?
You can make sure we have services for our veterans to help them cope with the experience of combat.
We can provide care such that drugs and alcohol are not the most popular way to escape the horrors of war.
Our faith communities can embrace veterans returning home and those that served in past conflicts.
We can spend our time and money assisting those organizations that provide for the 1/2 million homeless veterans every year.
Tomorrow, Nov. 11, 2009, we can thank them for their service and vow to take action such that our current men and women in the Armed Forces do not see the same fate in 20-30 years.
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