Homeless Vets. A follow up from last nights diary and ways you can help.

I'm glad to see the diary  exposing the ugly truth about the poor and homless by One Pissed Off Liberal  tonight. Thanks to him for doing it. I wrote a diary yesterday after work talking about homeless vets. I wrote the thing in about five minutes after completely blowing my lid reading a few articles depicting the plight of homeless veterans. I knew I had struck a cord here when the thing stayed on the rec list for about 18 hours. I have since calmed down, a little, little meaning I was able to do some constructive research and planning tonight.  I have some follow up information below the fold and some links to get you started helping immediately.

Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.

The beauty of DKos is the actions that can be inspired by one persons voice.
Tonight it is your voice. For my part as a result of that diary last night I have committed to doing what I can to help, not just here by voicing my anger, but on the ground and in the street, literally. My intention is to build a house for a vet and their family. I have also received dozens of emails from fellow Kossacks pledging their help. Thank you to all who offered support. I am currently researching the issue because as much passion as I have about it, I am still woefully uninformed about where is best place to begin.

A good place to start reading about what homeless vets are facing is here.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans They are an existing organization that provides many services, the most intriguing to me is their Stand down events.

The original Stand Down for homeless veterans was modeled after the Stand Down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations. At secure base camp areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene, get clean uniforms, enjoy warm meals, receive medical and dental care, mail and receive letters, and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment. Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being.

That is the purpose of the Stand Down for homeless veterans, and achieving those objectives requires a wide range of support services and time. The program is successful because it brings these services to one location, making them more accessible to homeless veterans.

For a list of homeless veteran service providers in each state you can click here.

If you live in New England there is an organization called New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans
From their website:

The Shelter
In addition to the complex set of factors affecting the homeless population...job layoffs, substance abuse, an extreme shortage of affordable housing and lack of access to health care ...a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These hardships, often compounded by a loss of family and social support networks, make the issue of homelessness a difficult social challenge. Our belief in veterans helping veterans through shared experiences and in treating the whole individual - mentally, physically and spiritually - is why our program is successful in empowering homeless veterans to embrace and maintain independent living and self-sufficiency.

The New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, founded in 1990, offers a residential program with a three-tiered structure: Cot Squad, Transitional Housing and Single Room Occupancy. In addition, we offer supportive services such as Education and Employment, and Health Care and Financial/Legal Services to our veterans. Our substance-free shelter is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, serving our men and women veterans. Since inception, we have served over 12,000 veterans. We also provide three healthy meals daily and served more than 230,000 meals in FY2004.

More information I have found tonight:

Demographics of homeless veterans
"The Forgotten Americans-Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve" -- released Dec. 8, 1999, by the Interagency Council on the Homeless -- is the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC), which was completed in 1996 and updated three years later. You can visit huduser.org and download the NSHAPC reports from there.

Veteran Specific Highlights:
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
Service needs:
45% help finding job
37% finding housing

We can change things. One person at a time. Like ripples in a pond from the tossing of a stone, our actions spread out from the point of impact.

And Finally I leave you with this, despite what the lunatic fringe on the right says:

"The only devils in the world are those running around in our own hearts. That is where the battle must be fought."
Mahatma Gandhi