Homeless Veteran Fellowship

The Homeless Veteran Fellowship (HVF) is located in Ogden, Utah.   Their motto is “Veterans Helping Veterans and Our Community”.  It was founded in 1989 by a group of veterans. 

 

Main Office, drop in center and some residences

Folks, this is a pretty neat operation!   They provide 32 transitional residences for needy veterans.   They also provide a comprehensive range of services to assist the homeless veteran to move from transitional housing to independent living by providing:

Substance-free, zero-tolerance, stabilized transitional housing.
Acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary to obtain suitable employment.
Acquisition of life skills necessary for independence and self-sufficiency
Employment development and placement in suitable occupations which maximizes the resident’s income potential
Substance abuse counseling to promote maintained abstinence from drugs and/or alcohol.
Mental health counseling to assist residents to process issues that may impede their ongoing development.

They consider themselves as an aid station for behind the lines assistance to veterans in need of help.

They have a drop in center that welcomes homeless veterans.    The Drop-in center is manned by volunteers and transitional housing members. People working in the drop-in center are prepared to discuss program basics and initiate paperwork, assist with Veterans Administration needs (DD 214, ID Card, etc.).   The drop in center has a small library of donated paperback books for those who just want to rest and relax.

The drop-in center provides hot coffee, donuts, and reading material for visitors, workers, and residents. Donated supplies, including coffee, sugar, plastic ware, pastries, creamer, cups, napkins, and cleaning supplies.  Also paperback books, magazines, board games, card games, food items, such as canned goods, boxed or packaged items.   Hygiene items (soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, deodorant, etc.) are also available for those living on the street.

HVF provides referral services through the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, and through other local agencies. HVF also provides extensive case management services for clients to ensure that all critical needs are met.

There is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Substance Abuse counselor on staff to provide both individual and group counseling for Veterans in the Transitional Housing program.

 HVF’s employment development program consists of a full-time Employment Development Specialist to assist clients in obtaining meaningful employment. HVF has a vendor license with the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation for Supported Job Based Training (SJBT).

The Homeless Veterans Fellowship provides a Transitional Housing Program which is designed to temporarily stabilize the housing needs of veterans, both single and with families.

Main Housing Unit (there are 3 others)

Facilities:

The HVF Office building houses the Drop-In Center, Director’s Office, Employment Specialist, VA Counseling Services and apartments.
Next Door to the Office Building is the main housing facility with apartments available for male, female, or family participants.
To the rear of the main housing facility there is a renovated house that has been converted into apartments to support residents.
Just up the road about a block is a 4th facility with apartments to support residents.
In all there are facilities to house 32 participants.

This looks like a program that could be emulated across the country.  Homeless Veterans Fellowship is a non-profit organization, as such, it depends totally upon the generosity of the community and public and private grants.

That is the way to minister to the homeless veteran! 

Oldtimer

PTSD vets soon coming like tsunami

There is a scary article in the San Francisco Chronicle.  The article predicts a flood of new stressed out veterans as they return form Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom are on the fast track to PTSD, depression, and other mental health disorders compared to previous wars.   I’ve reprinted a little of it below, but you can find the rest at this link where it is reproduced in SGate.com.   

A flood of stressed vets is expected

C.W. Nevius

Sunday, December 9, 2007

(…) omitted illustrative story about a vet (Tim Chapman) contemplating suicide, find it at the link. 

First a few facts. Bobby Rosenthal, regional manager for homeless programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, estimates that one third of the more than 6,000 homeless people – about 2,100 – in San Francisco are veterans.

And no wonder the number is so high. California leads the nation in homeless veterans by a mile, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. The 2006 numbers showed 49,724 homeless vets in California. The next nearest state was New York with 21,147.

Now here’s the scary part. Compared with what’s coming, that’s nothing.

Roughly 750,000 troops served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, often with multiple tours of duty. Many are only now returning home. But unlike Vietnam veterans, who didn’t begin to demonstrate post-war trauma until five or 10 years after they left the war, this group seems to be on a fast track.

“Everything is speeded up,” said Michael Blecker, executive director of San Francisco’s Swords to Ploughshares program. “What we’re seeing in San Francisco is guys in their 20s with the kind of stress and trauma that makes it impossible to go on with their lives.”

It’s been called a health care tsunami. Because not only are the Iraq vets prone to post-traumatic stress disorder (something Chapman has battled) but with improved battlefield health care, far more are surviving traumatic injury. On one hand, that’s good news, but it also means many more vets who are severely disabled, having lost arms and legs. Both factors increase the chances that the returning troops will join the sad ranks of homeless veterans.

Cities all over the country are bracing themselves, although some, like San Francisco, are bound to be hit harder. Mayor Gavin Newsom says that at a recent conference of mayors, the group passed a resolution asking the VA “to tell us what you are going to do.”   “It’s great lip service,” Newsom said, “but show me the money.”

If history holds, the mayors shouldn’t hold their breath. If anything, benefits for veterans have been restricted. To take one example, many of us think of the World War II G.I. Bill as a shining example of a reward for service, paying for college for vets. But Blecker, of Swords for Ploughshares, says the current version “is in no way, shape, or form near enough” to pay for a degree.

As Newsom says, “Yeah, support the troops – as long as they are young, healthy and a great photo op.”

For San Francisco, the potential impact could be huge. An influx of traumatized, battle-scarred veterans presents a scary future. Consider the case of Scott Kehler, a veteran of the first Gulf War, who needed years to work through his demons. He recalls passing burned bodies and the constant fear that an explosion would suddenly erupt in the street.

“It was the things I didn’t want to see at night when I closed my eyes,” Kehler said. “I didn’t know what PTSD was. I only knew my dreams, my shame, my guilt, was all coming together.”

(…) omitted a few details, go to link to get the rest.

Kehler, who is mentoring Chapman, is testimony to the effectiveness of the Ploughshares slogan – “veterans helping veterans.”

“Especially now that we’ve got our veterans coming home from Iraq,” said Ploughshares counselor Tyrone Boyd, “we’re going to need people that have been in combat so they know what they are talking about.”

The challenges are unique. Wanda Heffernon, a program and clinical counselor for Ploughshares, said they had a new inductee who slept in the closet. It was the only place he felt safe.

It’s the sudden transition that gets them.  “One day they are fighting in a war,” said Kehler. “The next day they are sitting at their mother’s kitchen table.”

Is it any wonder they end up on the street? Kehler battled alcohol abuse, but Chapman is part of the new breed, who turn to methamphetamine. Married when he returned, he lost his wife and all contact with his parents. Eventually he ended up sleeping in an alley.Now drug-free, living at Treasure Island housing, holding down a full-time job, and reconnected with his mother, he is testimony to the idea that peer counseling seems to work. Ploughshares has earned support from Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Imagine the impact it would have on the San Francisco homeless problem if one third of those on street were able to get help and housing.

But what the vets don’t have is funding.

“Why isn’t the federal government doing something about this? Why isn’t the Veterans Administration doing something?” Blecker asks. “The irresponsibility of our leaders, not to address this, makes me want to tear my hair out.”

The VA’s Rosenthal – who gets high marks from local leaders – says the problem is not being ignored.

“It’s a whole new set of challenges,” she said. “The VA is looking at it. Let’s hope we’ve learned our lesson from Vietnam.”

We can only hope.

“You know what scares me?” asks Boyd. “I haven’t heard a plan (from the federal government) about what they are going to do when the troops come home. What’s the plan?”

Well?

C.W. Nevius’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. His blog C.W. Nevius.blog can be found at SFGate.com. E-mail him at cwnevius@sfchronicle.com.

Oldtimer’s comment:  This story illustrates what I’ve said all along.  PTSD and TBI are leading causes of homelessness among veterans.  It is a rapidly growing problem, approaching flash flood conditions for our heroes returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.   A tsunamis of real people, not just numbers, real people with real names.  Somebody’s sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters.  Real people, all in serious trouble, heroes in despair  … we should be crying.  We should be helping, we should be calling on congress, questioning our candidates. 

Where is your voice, America?

Oldtimer  

Homeless Veteran Kicked out of Starbucks

This is an extra edition of an earlier post on the same subject.   I did not realize in my first post that the homeless man that was tossed out of his local Starbucks was in fact a homeless veteran.  One of the approximately 200,000 homeless veterans living in the streets, woods and under bridges of our country today.

But since the earlier story mentioned that he was a blogger,  I thought I might be able to google him.  I found this earlier story about him in a different newspaper:  

Homeless man makes a living on downtown Bethesda streets

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006
Stephanie SiegelStaff Writer, The Gazette

Photo by Laurie DeWitt⁄The Gazette
Al Szekely Sr., a homeless man, came to Bethesda from Georgia after he was injured at his auto body shop. The accident caused him to have to sell his business.  Szekely holds a list of rights he is entitled to while living on the street.

(…) fill in the blanks by going to the link above

Al Szekely has a laptop computer, cell phone and e-mail account. It’s a roof over his head and four walls to call his own that he’s lacking.

For about two years, Szekely, 59, has been homeless. Most recently he has taken up residence on the streets of downtown Bethesda, sleeping in a parking garage stairwell.

Despite losing almost everything he had, being beaten, robbed and generally ignored, Szekely still has hope.

‘‘One thing I do is keep my faith strong with God,” said the graying and bearded man. ‘‘The more adversity people face, they’re going to gain faith or lose it. My faith is stronger. I can still smile, tell a joke, make someone laugh, make their day better.“

Szekely wasn’t always this way. He used to have a home and a business. A former mechanic, he came to the Washington, D.C., area two years ago from Dublin, Ga., to fight for disability benefits, following an on-the-job accident that left him in a wheelchair and eventually drained his savings. He had no health insurance.

‘‘I’m still the same human being I’ve always been,” he said. ‘‘I have a heart, I have feelings just like you.”

Szekely made his way to Bethesda because he heard it was quiet and there weren’t many homeless people. Since settling in, he’s found ways to get by.

‘‘If you manage what little you got, you can make do,” he said.

He often checks his e-mail at a Bethesda computer store. He gets his coffee from a local coffee shop just up the block, where he said he buys one cup and the second one is free. The guys who sell Italian ices from carts on the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda avenues hook him up with cool treats on hot days. And other employees from area shops generally keep an eye out for him. However, employees at downtown businesses would not comment on helping homeless people.

‘‘There are a bunch of good kids that watch over me and make sure I’m alright,” Szekely said.

That’s why he prefers the streets to shelters, where he said he’s been robbed. He spent a total of a week in shelters in and around Washington, D.C., including a night at the county’s men’s shelter on Gude Drive in Rockville, which left him with ‘‘a fair impression.”

There need to be more shelters, he said. But not of the kind most people think about.

‘‘Shelters are no more than warehouses …,” he said. ‘‘I’m not talking about handouts. Give me an opportunity to go to school. Give me an opportunity for honest work.”

Homeless residents need educational resources, job placement and training and ‘‘some form of counseling to get you back into society,” he said.

(..).

Kirk said that many homeless people do whatever they can to begin working and find stability in their lives. But others just aren’t ready, for a variety of reasons.  (…) Kirk said Szekely does not come to Bethesda Cares or use any of the organization’s services.

(…) 

Szekely said he is waiting to receive a Social Security check, which he expects by the end of the month or early September. Then he plans to go back to Georgia, where he said he’ll be able to afford to rent an apartment. Szekely said he believes that people get what they give in the world and said he’s working the best he can to improve his situation.

Oldtimer’s Comment.   This is the same man that was kicked out of Starbucks because they did not want the homeless in their store, despite the fact that, (according to the news article quoted earlier)  he was a regular customer, drinking coffee with another regular customer who was not homeless.   Once put out, he was not even allowed to send someone in to purchase a fresh cup and bring it back out.   A homeless hero treated poorly by a business with a heart for money but no heart for the needy human, customer or not!

Starbucks – What were you thinking? 

 I know you offered to give more money and coffee donations to a nearby shelter after your poor citizenship was held up to the light, but what is needed is a clearer understanding by your corporate as well as franchise staff as to how to meet the needs of those less fortunate in the community that you serve coffee to and how that will work going forward.   There needs to be a human side, a compassionate side, a caring side of your business.   Its not all about money!  

You have used up your goodwill pass for this year.  Time for damage control, but this will not go away until you show a true heart and compassion for the needy, a will to help the homeless, and a genuine respect for our veterans, homeless or not!   Shame on you!

Update! Update! (added since first issued) 

If any reader thinks this is an isolated incident, then check out this news item found by my friend, a  homeless veteran, Wanderingvet:

Starbucks: Customers can’t talk to homeless people either!   Homeless people that buy coffee have to leave the store, customer who talked to one also kicked out!

Oldtimer

         

Cold to the Bone

I wrote this last January 29, 2007.  I didn’t want to wait until it got that cold to publish it again. There are too many men, women and children in the woods as I write this.  Too many of the adults are veterans – Heroes, but the cold doesn’t care.  Everyone hurts.  All need help. 

 I hope that this helps inspire someone to help at least one homeless person find shelter, find warmth and find a way out of the mess they find themselves in before it gets unbearably cold again. 

-——————————————————————————-

It was 16 degrees F. when I got up this morning, 67 inside.

What was it like around the campfire…

When the embers went out?

What was it like under the train trestle…

Where no fire could be built?

What was it like in the bushes…

When the old man had to go?

What was it like in the tent…

When it was really just a box?

What was it like to be outside…

Where it is… Cold to the Bone?

Were you warm last night? ,,,,,  Count your blessings.

They are still out there

Grace and Peace,
by Jim Tabb/Oldtimer

Won’t you volunteer somewhere today?

Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans

New Report –

Vital Mission:

Ending Homelessness

Among Veterans

Photo by  |Shrued (creative commons licensed)  Find it Here

This 36 page report released by the National Alliance to End Homelessness details the following highlights:

In 2006, approximately 195,827 veterans were homeless on a given night-an increase of 0.8 percent from 194,254 in 2005. More veterans experience homeless over the course of the year.  They  estimate that 336,627 were homeless in 2006.

Veterans make up a disproportionate share of homeless people. They represent roughly 26 percent of homeless people, but only 11 percent of the civilian population 18 years and older.  (Please see Oldtimer’s comment on these numbers below before you repeat them.) This is true despite the fact that veterans are better educated, more likely to be employed, and have a lower poverty rate than the general population.

A number of states, including Louisiana and California, had high rates of homeless veterans. In addition, the District of Columbia had a high rate of homelessness among veterans with approximately 7.5 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness.

They estimate that in 2005 approximately 44,000 to 64,000 veterans were chronically homeless (i.e., homeless for long periods or repeatedly and with a disability).

Oldtimer’s comment on the numbers:  My own studies show that  the real numbers are more like 43% of the male homeless are veterans. Here is an interesting footnote to the numbers reported above:

This estimate was calculated with 2005 veterans data from the CHALENG data set and 2005 tabulations of Continuum of Care (CoC) point-in-time counts.The CoC counts do not differentiate between adults and children, so in the number provided here-percent of homeless people who are veterans-the denominator includes some people under 18. If children were taken out of the 744,313 total, veterans would make up a larger percentage of the homeless population. This suggests that 26 percent is a conservative estimate. Either way, this estimate falls within the bounds of past research.Rosenheck (1994) reviewed research studies and found that between 29 and 49 percent of homeless men are veterans. HUD’s recent Annual Homelessness Assessment report (2007) puts the percentage of homeless veterans at 18 percent; however, 35 percent of the cases in this data source were missing, making the estimate highly unreliable.

The Rosenheck estimate  range includes the 43% that I had independently found.  The basis data for my findings are here.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness has an interactive map that show veteran homelessness by state.  Click on the map to activate it, then your cursor will bring up data for each state as you hover over it.

It is interesting to note that Washington DC has the highest percentage of veterans that are homeless, more than double the rate of any other state at a whopping 7.51%.  Other high percentage states are Louisiana, California, Oregon, Nevada, Connecticut and  North Dakota in that order.   The highest number of homeless veterans are in California with more than 49,000 homeless, followed by New York, Florida and Texas in that order.

The following comes directly from the report:

Lack of affordable housing is the primary driver of homelessness. The 23.4 million U.S. veterans generally do not have trouble affording housing costs; veterans have high rates of home ownership and appear generally well housed. However, there is a subset of veterans who have severe housing cost burden.

■ We estimate that nearly half a million (467,877) veterans were severely rent burdened and were paying more than 50 percent of their income for rent.

■ More than half (55 percent) of veterans with severe housing cost burden fell below the poverty level and 43 percent were receiving foods stamps.

4■ Rhode Island, California, Nevada, and Hawaii were the states with the highest percentage of veterans with severe housing cost burden. The District of Columbia had the highest rate, with 6.4 percent of veterans paying more than 50 percent of their income toward rent.

■ Female veterans, those with a disability, and unmarried or separated veterans were more likely to experience severe housing cost burden. There are also differences by period of service, with those serving during the Korean War and WWII more likely to have severe housing cost burden.

■ We estimate that approximately 89,553 to 467,877 veterans were at risk of homelessness.  At risk is defined as being below the poverty level and paying more than 50 percent of household income on rent. It also includes households with a member who has a disability, a person living alone, and those who are not in the labor force.

However, the report body shows a laundry list of causes:

Lack of Income: Veterans who experience homelessness, like most homeless people, typically have very low incomes, and research suggests that extreme poverty predisposes veterans to homelessness. For this reason, veterans who joined the service after 1973 through the all-volunteer force are more likely to come from poverty and have lower rates of educational attainment.  (…) The unemployment rate for veterans aged 20 to 24 is 15 percent,

Physical Health and Disability: One out of 10 veterans is disabled and many suffer from physical disabilities, oftentimes caused by injuries in combat. (…)  The number of disabled veterans is increasing with more than 20,000 veterans suffering from wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mental Health and Disability: Mental health issues are also prevalent among veterans. The VA reports that 45 percent of homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, including many who report high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  (…)

Substance Abuse: According to the Department of Veterans Affairs,  approximately 70 percent of homeless veterans suffer from substance abuse problems (…)

Weak Social Networks: (…) Veterans have low marriage rates and high divorce rates and, currently, one in five veterans is living alone.  (…) Social networks are particularly important forthose who have a crisis or need temporary help. Without this assistance, they are at high risk for homelessness.

Lack of Services to Meet Current Need: The VA has over 19,000 transitional housing beds for homeless veterans (10,000 through partnerships with local community agencies) with 460 FTEE in homeless program staffing.  (Oldtimer’s comment:  19,000 beds to serve over 300,000 veterans that are homeless during at least part of the year of which 44,000 to 64,000 are chronically homeless and 195,000 are homeless on any one night!)

I hope you can sleep well tonight after reading these statistics and findings. I know that I won’t.  I also know the homeless heroes sleeping in the bushes, alleys, behind dumpsters, in doorways, and in the woods or on mountain sides are not going to sleep as well as they could if we could only get our government to respect and support our troops when they come home.

Our Heroes

are out there tonight

and it is so very cold!

Oldtimer

Barack Obama: Veterans/Poverty Headlines and Video

Barack and Veterans Issues

Ok, I’m not trying to influence any votes here, nor run off any readers.  It’s just that I’m impressed with what I’ve heard said by Senator Obama regarding homelessness and veterans and what the press and veterans advocates have said.  I don’t know if you have seen them.   He does have the advantage of being a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committe.   I acknowledge that there are other important issues than veterans and homelessness to consider in a campaign, but that is what we are about here, so that is my focus.

I do have an couple of links to the Clinton side.  There is an equal-time segment at the bottom that will give you a look see between the top two Democratic candidates on veterans issues.   I may come back with more of this and feature a Republican or two later.  We will see how this plays out with my readers first.  Are you interested in politics?

 

BarackObamadotcom  (Video) Dinner with Barack Obama:  Four grassroots donors talk to Barack Obama about veterans and poverty during dinner.

I’ve mentioned Obama and Veterans in a previous post where he discusses his plan to improve veterans care and help get the homeless veterans off the streets as reported by a wire service.

Here are a few more headlines and links on this subject:

SEN. OBAMA: VETERANS ADMINISTRATION DENIED HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO NEARLY 9,000 ILLINOIS VETERANS IN 2005

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) denied health care to 8,944 Illinois veterans last year as part of a Bush Administration cost-cutting policy begun in 2003. Nationally, more than 260,000 veterans were denied access to VA hospitals, clinics and medications in Fiscal
Year 2005

Clinton v. Obama, Veterans Version

The tit-for-tat between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama has expanded to new territory:   veterans benefits.

This week, the “Commission on Care of America’s Wounded Warriors” issued recommendations for improving treatment for veterans who return injured from the front. Clinton and Obama responded the way members of Congress often do to government reports – with legislative language.  

(…)  explains different positions

Obama, McCaskill sponsor bill on care for veterans

Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) are sponsoring legislation to improve the lives of recovering veterans at Walter Reed, while Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), a cosponsor of the Obama-McCaskill legislation, said that he would explore ways to direct new funds to Walter Reed and make immediate improvements to its veteran housing.

Barack Obama Honors Sacrifice of America’s Veterans

Barack Obama has a record of helping the heroes who defend our nation today and the veterans who fought in years past. As a grandson of a World War II veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill and a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, Obama has successfully reached out to Republicans and Democrats to pass laws to combat homelessness among veterans, improve care for troops recovering from injuries, ease the transition of new veterans into society, and make the disability benefits process more equitable.

Veterans Issues  From Obama’s website

Homeless Veterans

Every year, 400,000 veterans across the country, including an estimated 38,000 in Chicago, spend some time living on the streets. Senator Obama has been a leader in fighting homelessness among veterans. He authored the Sheltering All Veterans Everywhere Act (SAVE Act) to strengthen and expand federal homeless veteran programs that serve over 100,000 homeless veterans annually. During the debate on the Fiscal Year 2007 budget, Senator Obama passed an amendment to increase funding for homeless veterans programs by $40 million. These funds would benefit programs that provide food, clothing, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and employment and housing assistance to homeless veterans.

Working with Senators Akaka and Craig, Senator Obama passed legislation in December 2006 to provide comprehensive services and affordable housing options to veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development and nonprofit organizations. This legislation was signed into law and is modeled on parts of the SAVE Act and the Homes for Heroes Act, a measure that Senator Obama had previously authored.

Benefits Disparities

The Bush Administration’s approach to handling veterans’ health care ignores the reality of increasing demands on the VA, and the additional burden placed on veterans. The Administration has established a means test for VA health care eligibility, and it has banned hundreds of thousands of veterans – some who make as little as $30,000 a year – from enrolling in the system. These changes affect both older and younger veterans, and Senator Obama has opposed them, fighting instead for greater funding for veterans’ health care.

Greater Funding for Veterans Health Care

In January 2007, Senator Obama reintroduced the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act to improve the VA’s planning process to avoid budget shortfalls in the future. The bill requires the VA and the Department of Defense to work together and share data so that we know precisely how many troops will be returning home and entering the VA system.

Food for Recovering Soldiers

Senator Obama introduced an amendment that became law providing food services to wounded veterans receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services at military hospitals. Previously, service members receiving physical therapy or rehabilitation services in a medical hospital for more than 90 days were required to pay for their meals.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
 

Senator Obama fought a VA proposal that would have required a reexamination of all Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cases in which full benefits were granted. He and Senator Durbin passed an amendment that became law preventing the VA from conducting a review of cases, without first providing Congress with a complete report regarding the implementation of such review. In November 2005, the VA announced that it was abandoning its planned review.

Senator Obama passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is being called the signature injury of the Iraq war. The blast from improvised explosive devices can jar the brain, causing bruising or permanent damage. Concussions can have huge health effects including slowed thinking, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance, attention and concentration deficits, and irritability.

Easing the Transition to the VA

Senator Obama passed an amendment that became law requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to report to Congress on the delayed development of an electronic medical records system compatible with the VA’s electronic medical records system. DOD’s delay in developing such a system has created obstacles for service members transitioning into the VA health care system.

Part of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act, which Senator Obama reintroduced in January 2007, would help veterans transition from the DOD health system to the VA system by extending the window in which new veterans can get mental health care from two years to five years. The Lane Evans bill also would improve transition services for members of the National Guard and Reserves.

For Equal Time’s sake:

Compare Senator Obama’s site with Senator Clinton’s site, both on Veterans Issues.

Oldtimer

Veteran Job Opportunities Continued

Veteran Job Preference 

 Jobs Available Now

I recently posted two articles on the Labor Department featuring information on Job Discrimination/Preference issues and on Job opportunities through “Hire Vets First“.    In the continuing interest in helping our veteran heroes  who may be out of a job or thinking of finding a better one, or relocating, I’m extending the series on Jobs by featuring a few more sites dedicated to assisting our veterans, including homeless veterans, in finding jobs.

One is  VetJobs.com   which supplies employment assistance and a job search facility.  I highly recommend that you do the work of reviewing and using the employment assistance page before you jump into doing the job search (it is ok to peek at the job search, but if you don’t do the preparation, you have vastly reduced chances). 

When you reach the job search portion notice that there is an “Age of Jobs” window.  If you don’t select the age of jobs (say posted in last 7 days) then you may get some pretty stale ones.   You can do a keyword search or by type of job (or all)  and select the state (or all).  If it comes up blank, expand to earlier dates, nearby states, or all jobs.

Another is USAJobS which has a Veterans’ Employment Resource Center .  Once again, I recommend you start here.  Do the 2 step process, and also look at the “additional veterans’ resources” on the same page before you go to the job search.    These are all government jobs.

When you reach the job search portion, notice the keywords portion which you can leave blank for all jobs or put in words like “management” to get all management jobs.   Again, you can select the age of the posting from 24 hours, 3 days etc.  There is another useful window where you can select a zip code that you are interested in and also select how many miles you are willing to travel.    You can get back to the resource center mentioned above by clicking on the veteran’s tab.

Homeland securtiy needs help, so try their USAJOBS Homeland Security page.

Active Duty family Members looking for a job?  Try DoD’s Military Assistance Program designed for spouses and other members of active duty military.  It seems this site has quite a few active duty readers, so I’ve found this for them.

Be sure to run your cursor over the block labeled “Center Programs Menu” on this page for a set of links to various features of MAP.

Here is another useful link Career One Stop 

This link takes you a map where you can click on a state and be directed to that state’s Labor Department or Job Locator.  The site, called America’s Job Bank is no longer in operation, but the map is still there and the Labor Department or other link that it takes you to is current and operational.   Notice before you make a map selection there are links at the bottom right for veterans in case you wish to stay with that route.

Finally (for today’s post) try Corporate Gray  

This site does require you to register.  I don’t know the consequences to that.   You can register on most of the other sites as an option (recommeded), but this one requires registration to participate in the job search.

We link employers with transitioning and former military personnel through our Corporate Gray Series of military-to-civilian career transition books, Corporate Gray Job Fairs, and Corporate Gray Online. 

They list a number of job fairs on the front page.

Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you and yours are having (or had) a great Thanksgiving feast and really have a lot to be thankful for.

Anyone that has links to other useful sites are welcome to include them in the comment section and I’ll check them out.  I’m not above editing to add or remove links in this post.  I’m  not interested in posting single job opportunities though (not enough room) , so please limit your links to those with state or national searches that remain current.

Oldtimer. 

  

Hire Vets First

Hire Vets First – VETS

I hope that all veterans that need jobs or considering changing jobs know about this site on your nearby internet:  Veterans’ Employment & Training Service (VETS).

It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.  “Veterans Succeeding in the 21st Century Workforce”.

The mission statement for VETS is to provide veterans and transitioning service members with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century workforce by maximizing their employment opportunities, protecting their employment rights and meeting labor-market demands with qualified veterans today.

Down the left side of the page are boxes of clickable information for 

Service providers

What grants are available?
2007 HVRP Urban and Non-Urban SGA
What are the requirements for priority of service?

Veterans, Service Members and Families

What is Veterans Preference?
USERRA Questions?
Where can I find help with employment?
What should I know about licensing and certification?  

Employers

How do I find qualified veterans?
What does USERRA require?
What is required of Federal contractors?

Down the right side of the page are clickable links to Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Information and other valuable resources.  If I were a veteran looking for help in preparing for a job, I would start down the right hand column and click every line and at least scan what they have to offer, then sign up.  Everything from how to get your documents, how to prepare a resume, how to convert your military experience into civilian readable lingo, how to convert your rank into comparable rank in a civilian organization, how to determine what jobs you may be qualified for, how to schedule interviews, what to wear, what to bring, what to say, how to conduct yourself, and where to find listings for both federal and civilian jobs that give veterans preference.

Here is what Department of Labor says about the TAP program:

The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) workshops have provided job-search assistance to well over one million separating and retiring military members and their spouses since 1990. Studies have indicated those who attend TAP workshops find employment sooner than those not participating.

 The Departments of Defense, Labor, Veteran Affairs and Transportation are dedicated to providing you with these important workshops for years to come. TAP workshops are conducted by professionally trained facilitators. Participants will learn how to write effective resumes and cover letters, proper interviewing techniques, and the most current methods for successful job searches. The workshops further provide labor market conditions, assessing your individual skills and competencies, information regarding licensing and certification requirements for certain career fields and up-to-date information regarding your veteran benefits. Information addressing the special needs of disabled veterans is also available

If you are out of a job with time on your hands, what do you have to lose?  There is enormous resource information here.   The manual can be downloaded and viewed on line – all 184 pages of it.   Check it out!

Use the site above to decide what documents you need to get for your portfoleo and begin building a resume now.  Enroll in the TAP program through VETS.  Keep looking for a job with whatever you have, but if you want top dollar and want the very best chance of beating the other guy out, plan out a strategy and build a resume as a special project.  It will make a difference, but don’t stop looking/trying just because you have not completed this program.   Look for a job, work on the program, and if you have not been placed yet or are not satisfied with what you took, finish the program and apply again.  You will be better prepared and better accepted. 

There are some Special Programs you could be interested in - look at the very bottom of the right hand column and find

Helments to Hardhats  

Troops 2 Truckers  

Troops to Teachers  

(These links here are shortcuts to the programs, the logos were added from the sites by me)

Next:  Job listing site for current employment opportunities for veterans. 

Oldtimer

Veterans Should Know This About Job Discrimination.

Veterans should already know this about job discrimination

But in case you don’t, I’m going to tell you anyway.  If you ever are in need of a job,  or trying to return to a job after military service (and all this applys to homeless veterans as well), or you are disabled and your employer is not accomodating that disablement, you may not know about some programs designed specifically to help you find a new job or return to a job after service.  The first of these is USERRA.

USERRA

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)  covers virtually every individual in the country who serves in or has served in the uniformed services and applies to all employers in the public and private sectors, including (but not limited to)Federal employers.

 

The law seeks to ensure that those who serve their country can retain their civilian employment and benefits, and can seek employment that is free from discrimination because of their service (public or private employment) . USERRA also provides special protection for disabled veterans, requiring employers to make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability.

 

Basically this law gives veterans certain rights to return to their old jobs if they leave for military service.    Veterans are also protected from civilian/private (non federal) employees denying new employement just becasue of your military service (such as an employer just will not hire former military for some reason).  

 

Veterans that are disabled have a further advantage in requiring employers to make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability.  Veterans applying for federal jobs have a special preference (points) assigned that give them an advantage over non veterans when applying for those jobs.

 

Are you covered by the Law?

Click here to find out if you are covered under this law:   Answer the questions and determine if you are covered. Some of these are service related by particular years. 

Do you think you have been discriminated against?

If you think you have been discrimated against, click here: eLaws USERRA Advisor – Discrimination read what it says, then press “continue” and you will find a series of questions that will lead you to an answer as to whether you have a case.

 If you appear to have a valid basis for filing a complaint, how do you file a claim?

Before filing a complaint, you should discuss your concerns with your supervisor and/or the Federal agency personnel office that took the action. Anyone you choose, including an official of a veterans’ service organization, may help you at any time. If you are unable to resolve the matter with the agency, you should:

• contact your local State Employment Service office and speak to a Veterans’ Employment Representative or a Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialist. He or she will make sure your information is complete and forward your complaint to the DOL State representative for the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS);

or

• file a written complaint directly with a DOL Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) Office. Please review the instructions on how to file a complaint form . You will find a link to the form on the instructions page.   This involves downloading a form 1010 available at the instructions link above..

What are your remedies?

Remedies to a claimant under the law may flow from two different processes. The first is the administrative route (handled by the United States Department of Labor, VETS). The second is the litigation route (handled by the U.S. Attorney General or the Office of Special Counsel). Remedies may differ depending on which route is chosen.

Remedies available through the administrative route can include:

• Return to a job
• Back pay
• Lost benefits
• Corrected personnel files
• Lost promotional opportunities
• Retroactive seniority
• Pension adjustments
• Restored vacation

The courts can require the employer to comply with the law and restore all compensation referred to above. Where violation is considered willful the court may double any amount due as liquidated damages. The court may NOT, however, impose any punitive damages under USERRA.

There is a lot more to this topic. What I’ve tried to do above is muddle through some of the links and find some shortcuts.  You should go to the USERRA Advisor home page for the full scoop.

I will cover another of these programs designed to help veterans in need of a job tomorrow.

 

Oldtimer

Homeless Vets? Not Again!

Video from Life & Times

This story takes place in Los Angeles.  It is the story of homeless veterans helped by  New Directions, a non-profit organization that focuses on treatment on substance abuse.  It includes interviews with veterans with a form of  PTSD unique to Iraq and Afghanistan and also an extensive interview with the director of New Directions who explains that they receive $28.00 a day for each veteran but spend $60.00 a day to treat them – funds made up elsewhere.  So far they have treated over 5000 veterans.

The link takes you to the Life & Times blog site.  Read the reporter’s notes – they are important to the story.  Then watch the video.  Homeless Vets? Not Again!

 

 

Click on the link above or on the screen to see video

 

Neighbors Vs Good Neighbors

I’ve always been taught to love my neighbors.   I do – I have no trouble loving anyone I meet whether through our church, within a business, on the street, or even on the net.  

I have to confess that I love some gooder than others (gooder is a good southern word, thank you).  Some are just fine people and they always exhibit good vibes whenever you speak to them.  Good Neighbors are also the first to pony up to help someone out.  Oh, they complain about this or that, but it is good naturedly and accompanied by a winning smile of acceptance.   

This is Veterans Day and I was prompted to think about the Good Neighbors that are in service to our country and particularly those that have already served – our veterans.  

What better neighbor can you have than one that served to keep us free?  What better neighbor can we have that unselfishly put themselves in harms way, under threat of being maimed and possibly death?   These are among the goodest neighbors we can hope to have.

I was impressed today at the little cafeteria where we ate after church, when so many men came in decorated with pins, flags, and name tags that their churches and synagogues had pinned on them so we would know that a good neighbor, a hero, was in our presence.   I managed to shake a few hands and express thanks.  Not enough for what they did for us.  Not nearly enough.

We have some Good Neighbors right here on the net.   Wanderingvet for example.  A homeless veteran that is about as fine a person as you can find even in his present situation.  A working veteran with not enough income or steady jobs to have a roof.   Go read some of his stories as he lives a life on the streets and sleeps on the hillsides.  It is a struggle but he hands out useful advice to other homeless on how to cope, useful advice to other veterans on how to get help.   Maybe one or two can help him.

Another Good Neighbor is VA234 who is a disabled veteran in Ohio that started his blog while he was still homeless.  If you go back far enough and read forward you will get the real story of what it is like to struggle with life from the street side, negotiating toward a real place to live.

Another Good Neighbor is Patriot Guard of North Dakota These fine people show up at military funeral services when some of our not-so-good neighbors threaten protests.  You’ve heard of groups that come out and carry signs demonizing the soldier hero being brought home to rest and doing so at the expense of the grieving family and friends.  The Patriot Guards show up on motorcyles and reverently stand guard to make sure the services are not disturbed.   The North Dakota Patriot Guard is particulary close to my heart because they went to the rescue of a veteran that was about to be put out on the street and his home torn down.   They did far more than that.  You can find it in earlier posts.

Al and Perry, homeless veterans here in Marietta are Good Neighbors.  I’m sorry that I can’t give you a link to them because they still live in the woods.   Pat of Georgia Home Staging, her husband Scott, and several others in our church are especially Good Neighbors for coming to the aid of Al and Perry (and other homeless), taking food and clothing, bringing Al and Perry into our church, breaking bread with them over lunch each Sunday.    They are encouraging Al and Perry to get help through the VA by providing information and assistance to get it done.

The Golden Corral seems to be a Good Neighbor.  They don’t need a link, just go find one if you are a veteran, or have a meal there anyway because they are such Good Neighbors.  (They also helped us out with Habitat meals).  Monday, November 12 is this years “Military Appreciation Day” in which they will give any and all veterans that show up a free meal.   I learned that at another Good Neighbor, Homeless Family Blog.  I’m not sure he is a veteran, but he has a veteran’s heart and writes a good blog.   I know he was homeless at one time and allowed me to quote him several times.  

There are countless others that I don’t have links for that fall into the Good Neighbor category.  

The title of this article is “Neighbors vs Good Neighbors” so now I’m going to go over to the bad side, the simply neighbor side, to live up to the billing of Oldtimer Speaks Out.  I know I’m supposed to love my neighbor as myself, but I’m having a really hard time doing that with an internet neighbor.  This neighbor is one of the bad ones.  He wrote me today in response to a comment about medical care for our heroes and it nearly ruined my whole day: 

“They’re treating heroes – but why??? I’m (sic) don’t understand.”  

At first I thought it had to be a typo, (as in meaning to say “mistreating heroes”) but then I looked up the guy’s website and found it was a site that is anti-war, anti troops, a hate site.   Now it is not a stretch to see that some would be against the war, as I’m not thrilled about that myself.   But this group and this person is also against our troops.   Against our troops so much they want them to go untreated, to suffer, to even die.   It is this type of bad neighbor that would carry a sign and shout and disrupt a solumn funeral for a war hero while the family grieves nearby.  Thus the reason for such Good Neighbors as the Patriot Guard.

Yes, I do have compassion for this person for his bitterness.  But I’m not allowing him to post on this website.  It is the only one I’ve turned down so far.  He may be a neighbor, but God and I may have a conversation tonight about whether I should love him.   Anyway, I’ve hope that He would agree that I don’t have to let this neighbor over the threshold and enjoy the comforts of my home.  

To the bad neighbor that doesn’t know “why???”, I’ll answer your question anyway.  Because they more than deserve it.  They served their country to protect the hide of someone like yourself, for me, for all the other Good Neighbors that have already served, for your families and mine, to protect and serve – that is why.   Never mind how this war started, never mind whether you think it is unjustified … these patriotic young men and women stepped up to the plate when the plate was empty, stayed at the plate as the strikes went by and stand there now to hit the winning home run.   Ever ready to protect the bitter worthless souls such as yourself  that would deny them the comfort and aid of treatment.   

Another bad neighbor is the retailer’s gross use of Veteran’s Day to post advertizements such as I’ve seen so many of today.  “Come celebrate Veteran’s Day at our car lot”. “At our white sale”, “at our drugstore”.  No other mention of Veterans except as an excuse to shop them.  No flags, no parades, no contributions to veteran’s benefit.  Simply a gross excuse to ride on the back of a day meant to honor our heroes.   

To my Good Neighbors and Good Friends all over this web that are Veterans and Soldiers,  I hope this Veterans Day is a particularly good one for you!  And to the bad neighbors, I propose Grace and Peace to you as well and hope you soon see the light.

 Oldtimer

 

 

 

  

 

VA Stats at a Glance

(As of 10-25-07)

The VA publishes what they call  “Stats at a Glance“

They don’t say how often it is updated but it likely is monthly.  At least the one I found was updated on 10-25-2007,  just a few days ago.

If so, you can find and track current information on the statistics and demogrphics related to VA Benefits and Health Care Utilization in one easy to read, as they say, at a glance.

I wanted to post the entire paper and not just a thumbnail, but it is posted as a picture and the resolution was not sufficient for easy reading.

Most of the statistics are listed as of 9/30/07.   A few are as of FY 06 and FY 07.  I’m going to list a few of them here.  Click on the link above or on the thumbnail to see the latest data.

Veterans receiving VA Disability Compensation                2.8 million

Veterans rated 100% Disabled                                             249,904

Veterans receiving VA Pensions                                           303,242

 Spouses receiving VA DIC                                                     317,374 

Enrollees in VA Health Care                                                  7.9 million

Unique Patients                                                                       5.5 million

Veterans compensated for PTSD                                         299,672

Health Care Professionals rotating through VA (FYo6)   100,893

Total  number of Veterans                                                  23,532,000

Total Females  (7%)                                                                1,745,000

Number of WWII Veterans that die each day                           1,000

Number of veterans 65 or older (39%)                               9,177,000

By race:  White (non Hispanic)  80%   Hispanic 6%  Black (non Hispanic) 11% Other 4%

Number of VA Employees                                                        254,183

VA Funding   $ 80.2 Billion (not including VHA, VBA, NCA)

——————————————– 

Naturally I want to add a few stats of my own:  

Number of Heroes sleeping on the street every night:  195,000

(also check for similar data here) 

Number of Heroes homeless during the year (VA estimate)  400,000 

Percentage of all homeless males over 25 that are veterans 43%   (27% of all US males are veterans but 43% of the homeless males over 25 are veterans)

Amount allocated by VA to homeless veterans: $1.37 per day   (cup of coffee anyone?)

Grant money allocated by VA for homeless veterans  33 cents per day (Mints anyone?)

Overview of the homeless veteran problem 

Homeless Veterans are Heroes too!

Oldtimer

 

PTSD vet ‘chooses’ homelessness

I found this in the Air Force Times

By Brandon Stahl – The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 16, 2007 11:03:14 EDT

DULUTH, Minn. – A bowl of corn flakes and room-temperature milk sits in front of Kevan Boman, 52, at a table in the Duluth Union Gospel Mission. His eyes flip down for a second, his lips purse and twist into a slight frown – just another reminder of what his life has become.

“This is breakfast,” he says as his eyes shift up to the acrid cafeteria, not wanting any of the other sad, tired faces of destitute and homeless people to get too close to him. As he eats, he reminisces about what his life once was. He was a military man for 27 years, a veteran of two wars who retired as a decorated officer. He was a nurse, a proud husband and father of three daughters, once so wealthy that he donated thousands of dollars to the very soup kitchens where he now eats.

Now, he lives in a car. It was other cars, before those were stolen or repossessed. In between were unlocked garages, tool sheds and apartment building basements, gas station bathrooms, drug houses or the couches of his daughters’ homes. Before all that, before he had to sneak into hospital and gas station bathrooms to bathe and groom himself, before the drugs and the suicide attempts, it was a three-bedroom, two-bath, two-car-garage home in a tree-lined Duluth neighborhood with his family.

That was his life three years ago, before his mind was overwhelmed by the guilt and shame from post-traumatic stress disorder, and he walked out on it all.

Since then, he has lived on the streets, but it doesn’t have to be that way. He could take his military disability checks for a tax-free $4,400 a month, get an apartment and start his life over. But he won’t. He says he would rather give his money away, to his kids, to friends, to just about anyone who asks for it. He says he would rather punish himself.

“I haven’t made peace with myself,” he says, pausing for a moment as his eyes drop again, disappointment stretching across his face. “This is my penance. I don’t let God forgive me. I don’t know why I do this. I have to.”

On any given night, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are about 200,000 homeless veterans across the country, and about 400,000 veterans experience homelessness over the course of a year. About 97 percent of them are men, and they account for 23 percent of the total homeless population. 

(Oldtimer’s Note:  Actually male veterans make up 43 percent of the male homeless but only 27% of the male population!)

There’s no easy answer to why there are so many homeless veterans, though 45 percent suffer from mental health problems and substance abuse.

“Some people develop alcohol abuse or dependence as they try to treat themselves,” said Dr. Ira Katz, VA’s national chief consultant for mental health. “Then the two conditions together can lead to difficulties with work and social relationships that could lead, in turn, to unemployment, separation or divorce, and homelessness.”

Still, he said, it seems almost like an alien concept to him to suggest someone would choose to be homeless.

“I’m not sure that homelessness is a choice,” Katz said. Instead, he suggests that a situation like Boman’s may be a complication of PTSD.

“People think they are making a choice,” said Phil Ringstrom, a counselor at the Duluth Vet Center. “If they could flip a switch to make themselves better, they’d flip the switch. They’re not choosing this. They’re enduring.”

So it’s debatable as to whether Boman chooses to live in his car.

(this is a long article and I encourage you to read the rest of this story at the link above)

Oldtimer’s comment: Kevan Boman is not alone out there.  PTSD is a common ailment for those who have been in combat, often also for women veterans who have been abused in the service.   See this article for more on PTSD – PTSD – Some Help for Veterans – information fact sheet to help recognize the symptoms, and includes other useful information.

Oldtimer

Legion Plans Rooms For Homeless Vets

By Megan Bard

Published on 10/21/2007

Griswold (Connecticut) - Hoping to fill a need, the American Legion Post 15 is proposing to create apartments above its South Main Street hall for homeless veterans.

Post member William J. Czmyr Jr. said the organization has worked diligently over the last year planning the project. Over the summer, the post successfully obtained approval from the town’s zoning board and planning commission to construct the one-bedroom units.

The next step is to meet with the membership by early December to update the group on the project and then determine how to obtain the money needed to complete the work through grants or fundraising efforts. The project’s cost was not available last week.

“We hear a lot about veterans needing a place. The shelters are always full. It’s something we’ve been wanting to do,” Czmyr said.

Although criteria to rent the apartments has not yet been established, Czmyr said he expects that any person who has served in the military and can prove service with discharge papers will be welcome, regardless of gender or age.

“We’re not looking for too many specifics, just that he or she is a veteran and doesn’t have a place to live,” Czmyr said.

While living in the building, the veterans will have better access to services provided by the legion and the Veterans Administration, Czmyr said.

When the post moved to the South Main Street location in 1972, apartments were already on the upper floors. Since then, the space has been transformed into a gym or used for storage.

The project will require the building’s façade to be overhauled and the total renovation of its interior. Now three stories, when complete it will have four floors. Czmyr said the ceiling in the gym area is tall enough so that another floor can be built.

In addition to the apartments, the basement will be updated, a new heating system will be installed and additional storage space will be created.

For more information about Post 15 or to donate to its project, call (860) 376-0238.

Oldtimer’s Comment: OK now here is something all the many thousands of American Leagon Posts can do.  Help our Homeless Heroes!   Build shelters into your existing facilities.   In this case the fund-raising may benefit the post in several other ways.  Improved facade, updated basement, new heating system, and additional storage space.   All this works for me if we can get our homeless heroes off the streets.

If you are a veteran and want to know where the nearest post is located, here is a link to the location of every Ameican Leagon post in the US by state.   Call them and ask what they are doing for homeless veterans.   Ask if they can help you.  Let me know what you found out.

I have contacted the national American Leagon  Economics office (according to them this is the site that handles homeless issues) and asked them for various information on homeless issues.  We will see what I can find out.  If you are homeless or a concerned citizen or veteran, you may contact the American Leagon’s various offices at this link to their email system.   If enough concerned Americans write, money may eventually be shifted to help our homeless heroes.

Oldtimer

How much is a homeless person worth?

I don’t mean in dollars and cents, I mean in comparison to a non-homeless person. We have all seen the headlines, such as those from Grants Pass, Oregon where a family was missing and then the husband was missing alone and later found dead. The searchers rightfully pulled out all stops and ignored all the costs. I do not want to say anything to downplay the importance or cost or justifications for such an effort – every life is precious.

However, would anyone do that for a homeless family? For a homeless man? For a homeless 15 year old girl that has run away? How about for a homeless hero – a veteran?

Are their lives not just as precious should they come up missing? I did a search on “missing man OR woman AND search” and found hundreds of news articles on different widespread searches for missing men and women off of boats in the ocean, missing women and men from various communities all over this country, including people that rode off on ATVs and didn’t come back. Millions of dollars spent in some cases.

These people had advocates that raised an alarm and the government agencies and communities immediately and correctly responded. But, how often do you see any response to reports of missing homeless? Individuals tend to run away, women, men and children of all ages.

People come up missing. In most cases, unless the person is perceived to have been lost in a wilderness, have some mental disability, or possibly kidnapped, the authorities, by policy, wait for some period of time ranging from 24 hours to 3 days to see if they come back home, then put out an APB but are unlikely to conduct a widespread all-out search – unless it is a small child, a weatthy individual, a noted personality or someone with a good advocate.

We will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to search for the “accidental” or for the “kidnapped” missing, but virtually nothing for the missing or helpless homeless. So, does that make the life and well being of the homeless worth that much less? Apparently our society thinks so.

The difference seems to be that some are missing “against their will” and thus worthy of a costly search, but homeless “are homeless because they want to be”. The latter is not true. Most homeless are victims, so why are they treated so different – are they worth less? Easier to sweep under the rug? Don’t have individual advocates?

Let even a horse become trapped in a muddy gulley and cranes and helicopters and newspapers and TV personalitites show up in droves. Let a homeless person languish is an alley for a week without nourishment and nobody lifts a finger. What is a homeless person worth? Is every life precious or not, or some more so than others?

We need more effective crisis intervention tools to sharply cut down the number of homeless entering the streets and soon the number of homeless on the streets will become less and less. The first few hours are absolutely critical for recovery of a runaway child, for example, or for a family put out of their home. What is the life of a homeless person worth? Or is every life not precious after all?

Let a “normal” person fall out on the sidewalk and everybody comes running.  Emergency aid is sought…  Amublances soon scream up, police arrive.  Help and concern everywhere you look.

But let a homeless person fall out on the sidewalk and people just step over or walk around or even cross the street.   Is the life and well being of one person so much less than another?  Think about it.  Please.

Let it be known that a few cats or dogs are being abused and people cry out in anger, and criminal investigations and arrests are soon made.  Newspapers carry the story with pictures.   Let a few homeless be beaten and set afire on the streets and little is done.  Maybe a mention in a newspaper after the 4th or 5th die.  

Let a few homeless come to emergency or die due to “bum fighting” where bullies goad homeless into fighting each other for their amusement.   But the homeless arranged fight does not bring the same uproar as when a few dogs are set to fighting.  I’m not downplaying that horrible act either.  I’m just asking….

What is a homeless person worth?   

They are still out there!

Grace and Peace,

Oldtimer