The War on Homeless Veterans
In today’s society, we treat veterans with the utmost respect and prize them for their duties defending America. Yet, on the streets of major cities, approximately 11% of homeless persons are veterans. That is almost 50,000 men and women who have put their lives on the line and are rewarded with poverty. A larger statistic is 1.4 million, the estimated number of veterans who are on the verge of becoming homeless or poverous.
A story that truly shows what homeless veterans must go through is an anecdote from Veteran Affairs that entails the life of a homeless veteran after combat. After serving in the Operation Iraqi Freedom, an unnamed veteran returned with severe trauma disorder, now diagnosed as PTSD. He turned to drugs like opioids and benzodiazepine, which in turn only made his situation worse. His long time suffering from undiagnosed PTSD caused him to be wary of long term drug programs, and he eventually found himself homeless on the streets of New York City. The VA reached out to him and offered a housing situation and rehab programs, and he has since graduated Montrose PTSD treatment and is steadily regaining control of his drug-free life.
There are many organizations that benefit and contribute to the cause of homeless veterans. Many specifically cater to veterans like the man from New York City. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, or NCHV, is a non-profit group located in Washington D.C. It was founded in 1990 by a small group of community-based service providers who were troubled by the number of homeless veterans living on the streets of D.C. They struggled for the first three years but eventually had the first office running in D.C. in 1993. The NCHV serve homeless veterans who are struggling to find work and shelter, irrelevant of their past record. They serve any veteran from the Vietnam war to recent wars and operatives such as Enduring Iraqi Freedom. The organization offers many resources to homeless veterans. They coordinate efforts that provide secure housing, nutritional meals, basic physical health care, substance abuse care, mental health counseling, and they work to accommodate any service a veteran needs. Some ways a civilian could get involved are donating personal needs items, food or cash. Another option is volunteering as a mentor, counselor, or legal aide or work at Stand Down programs which provide a secure retreat to homeless veterans. Overall, this organization is making a big impact on the numbers of homeless veterans in the United States.
Instead of allowing our veterans to live a poor and seemingly worthless life, we should be taking action to provide support to the men and women who have defended our country for years and years. A lot of veterans don’t have the correct education to live a normal life outside of the warzone. It is our duty as civilians to secure our veterans a prosperous and livable life.
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Works Cited
"Homeless Veterans." New York Veteran's Story. US Department of Veteran Affairs, 23 Oct. 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.
"National Coalition for Homeless Veterans." National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 2012. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.
"National Coalition for Homeless Veterans." National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.