Happy Veterans Day to all of my fellow service men and women. I hope everyone has a fantastic day off and enjoys the free food, parades, and events all across the county.
I also ask that as you relax on this day, and head into holiday season, that you think about the 50,000 homeless veterans living in our country every day.
How many times have you seen a man or woman begging on the street with a cardboard sign that said “homeless vet” somewhere written on it? I know I have seen them far too often.
I am not hero-worshipping, I know just as well that some of these vets are where they are due to poor life decisions they made after leaving the service, but does that mean we should not help them still? And the thousands of those homeless veterans suffering from mental illness and PTSD that aren’t getting the help and support they need, that they deserve. A lot of these men and women may be able to get support from the government programs out there for homeless vets but we all know government doesn’t really take an individual approach and a lot of times the costs that aren’t covered still inhibit these people from getting homes.
There are tons of sites where you can either donate or find a project that suits you. Here are a few around the country:
National Coalition for Homeless Vets
According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, “the most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, ‘veterans helping veterans’ groups,” “Programs that seem to work best feature transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.”
Thanks everyone and Happy Veterans Day
Xx
Kali