I Support Homeless Veterans

131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. One out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served his country. Most homeless veterans are single, come from poor disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and 50% have substance abuse problems. 47% served in the Vietnam Era, 67% served at least 3 years, 33% were stationed in a war one. 5% reside in rural area. (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs) About Homeless Veterans A large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. A top priority is secure, safe, clean housing that offers support services and is drug and alcohol free. Veterans need a coordinated effort that provides housing and nutritional meals, physical health care, substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling. They need job assessment, training and placement assistance. Personal development and empowerment are essential needs. In many cases a veteran who serves his/her country in harms way may experience emotional, physical or medical effects of that service. These effects can have long term residual impacts upon that veteran’s mental stability and long term emotional health. It affects the very way the veteran perceives and interacts with his/her family, employer and fellow workers, and his community. These effects can result in contact with law enforcement officials. Many veterans seem adverse to either admitting that they have a problem or to even identifying themselves as a veteran at all.