Program Kicks Off to End Veteran Homelessness
City officials in Cherokee County, along with the Thomas M. Brady American Legion Post 45 members, are joining forces in a fight to end veteran homelessness.
Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood, Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques, Waleska Mayor Doris Jones, Ball Ground Mayor Rick Roberts and Holly Springs Mayor Tim Downing, as well as County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens, have made the pledge to be part of the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness program.
The national program, which began in June, is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is supported by the Obama administration. The goal is to prevent and end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015.
Post 45 Legion adjutant Lynne Rollins and Army veteran Jim Lindenmayer of Waleska kicked off the countys local initiative Wednesday with other community leaders and U.S. Veteran Affairs representatives.
Oftentimes we do what we value most. And today, were all here because we believe this topic, this issue, this challenge that were facing in defeating veteran homelessness is very important to us, and its very real, said Joseph Phillips, public affairs officer for HUD Region IV, which is based in Atlanta.
Chris Fields, senior vice president of programs and administration at MUST Ministries, said there are about 15,000 veterans in Cherokee County, based on U.S. census estimates, and about 1,000 of those veterans are living below poverty.
MUST Ministries is serving about six to 10 veterans per month through their food pantry and other services, Fields said.
Since the MUST Cherokee location does not offer a homeless shelter, the veterans and others in need of a warm place to stay go to the shelter in Cobb County, which is equipped with only 64 beds.
The greatest challenge that we have that we can help clients with is hope. If we can give that person hope in whatever way they need, then we can try to be a blessing in that way, Fields said. If we can give someone their dignity and respect back, we are amazed at what that individual can do. When youre living in need, theres not a lot of choices. We hope to be able to give them back their choices.
One Army veteran who experienced what it was like to be without a home shared her story during the Post 45 kick off program.
Julia Kelly of Atlanta received a full scholarship to attend Reinhart University, but decided during her time there to join the Army. After she served, she became a military wife, which ended in divorce, then headed to work for American Lawyer Medias Daily Report.
I worked for them every single day. One day on Jan. 2, 2013, I got to work at 7:30 a.m. like I did every morning. By 7:45 a.m. I had everything that I had for 12 years in a box and I was going home, Kelly said. I was like, Oh well, this is it. But it wasnt the end of the world in my mind, they gave me a really nice severance package. So, I knew I was going to be all right for a minute.
But Kellys severance ran out and she could no longer pay for her rent. While Kelly could have asked her daughter for help, she kept her financial troubles a secret from family, friends and church members.
I stayed with a girlfriend of mine. Couldve called my pastor at the church I had been going to for 40 years, but I didnt want anyone to know because I was always the strong one. I was the one everyone always came to, Kelly said.
Without a job but while taking classes at Beulah Heights University, Kellys classmate overheard her troubles of finding a job. She was asked to volunteer with the United Way of Greater Atlantas Peers Reaching Out Team and was later offered a job as a homelessness intake coordinator.
It was a job that was out of my element. I asked what we were doing here. And I was told they were looking for homeless vets, so that we can get them housed. I was horrified, then I was humbled all at the same time, Kelly said. I realized that if it wasnt for me not ever losing hope I realized that my reality was only because of grace that I wasnt in a shelter. Although I was without a residence, I hadnt reached that point yet. The face of homelessness is not the same for everyone.
Combining the support from the United Way of Atlantas veteran programs, HUD, the Department of Veteran Affairs, Georgia Department of Veteran Services, along with the local government agencies, the Legion Post 45 plans to launch a successful program to address the homeless problem in the county.
We dont want to be a burden to the local government. We want to give a quarterly update of what weve done. If we see something in the community, we want to make sure we give the cities a heads up, Lindermayer said. Veterans talk to veterans. Our goal here is to help these veterans be productive and leverage the support from the community to do it.
Although program funding is still a factor, about $1,600 has been raised so far through a golf tournament Lindermayer organized Nov. 8.
By establishing a program and garnering support, the Post 45 will be able to designate veterans as honorary members in order to provide them with a physical address to obtain their military records, Lindermayer said.
The program will also help direct the veterans to the states Department of Veterans Services in order to receive health benefits. Bethesda Community Clinic also committed to lending a hand in 2015 by offering free medical care to veterans every Wednesday.
Churches, residents and others can chip in support by donating items for veteran care kits that will include hygiene products and nonperishable food items as well as health care products such as band aids or Kleenexes.
To get involved or find out more about the Mayors Challenge to End Veterans Homelessness, contact Lynne Rollins at (770) 548-4300 or [email protected].
Tags: Veterans News
