National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Uniting Government and Public and Private Efforts to End Homelessness Among Veterans
25 May 2005 - 12:01AM
PR Newswire (US)
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Uniting Government and
Public and Private Efforts to End Homelessness Among Veterans As
veterans of War on Terror begin entering homeless programs,
legislation and corporate initiatives planned to help veterans
transition back into civilian life WASHINGTON, May 24
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When combat duty ends, there is no "home
sweet home" for some veterans from the War on Terror and other
military operations. Instead, yesterday's heroes are living in the
squalor of America's streets. Combat veterans of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terror
who need help with mental health issues and housing, employment
training and job placement assistance are starting to need help
from the nation's community-based homeless veterans service
providers, said Linda Boone, executive director of the National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), which is having its annual
meeting in Washington, D.C., May 31 to June 3. "These homeless
service providers already are strained by an increasing need for
assistance by post-Vietnam era veterans," Boone said. "The
providers are deeply concerned about the rising tide of combat
veterans who will soon be requesting their support." NCHV is the
resource and technical assistance center for a national network of
approximately 250 community-based service agencies that provide
emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job
training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management
support for more than 150,000 homeless veterans each year.
Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that
about 250,000 veterans are homeless on a given night, and more than
500,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Many of
these veterans fought in the Vietnam era, although America's
homeless veterans have served in every war since World War II,
including the current conflicts. NCHV conducted a recent survey to
determine if veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are, indeed,
beginning to request help from homeless veteran service providers.
The 19 community-based organizations that responded reported they
had served 67 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in 2004. However,
Boone stressed, studies also show most combat veterans do not seek
help for mental and emotional problems for several years after
their homecoming -- the average was 12 years for Vietnam era
veterans. But, for the coalition, the goal is helping all homeless
veterans regardless of when they enter the system or the
circumstances. "We don't leave our veterans behind on the
battlefield. We shouldn't do it at home either. To forget those to
whom we owe so much is our nation's greatest tragedy," said Charles
Haenlein, president of NCHV's board of directors, who operates the
Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation. NCHV will discuss a variety
of initiatives to help in the fight against homelessness among our
veterans at the annual meeting. Many of these involve government
and corporate partners. "Working together, the government, the
business community, not-for-profit organizations and individuals
can make real progress in the war on homelessness," Boone said. "It
will take all of us working together." Legislative effort may help
veterans in transition NCHV is encouraging public policy that helps
homeless veterans transition from the military to civilian life.
"Individuals leaving the military are at high risk of homelessness
due to a lack of job skills that are transferable to the civilian
sector, disrupted or dissolved family and social service networks
and risk factors that preceded their military service," Boone said.
"You see all those yellow ribbons saying 'Support Our Troops.' What
most people do not understand is that often, the biggest challenges
will come after the uniform is removed and the service member
transitions to civilian life. It is absolutely crucial that we
support our veterans who live with the impact of their military
service for the rest of their lives." NCHV will announce its
support of the Service Members' Enhanced Transition Services Act of
2005 (H.R. 2074), which would strengthen current law and establish
new authorities pertaining to separating service members within the
U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs. The bill outlines recommendations designed to create a
seamless transition from military service to veteran status.
Corporate initiatives build bridges for veteran reintegration NCHV
seeks supporters from the corporate sector in its efforts to help
homeless veterans. A key corporate partner is Eli Lilly and
Company, an Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company. Lilly's
latest support came via a $120,000 grant of NCHV's Job Assistance
for Veterans' Advancement (JAVA) project, which provides seed money
to community-based organizations to put veterans in transition into
jobs. Community-based organizations that serve homeless veterans
may apply to the NCHV for up to $30,000 to start a vendor business
in coffee carts or silk screening. Plans for the first coffee cart
will be announced at the annual meeting, and representatives from
community-based organizations attending the meeting will have an
opportunity to learn more about taking advantage of this program in
their home cities, Haenlein said. Additionally, NCHV will announce
recipients for two more grants at the annual meeting. Lilly's other
initiatives include providing personal care kits, containing
personal hygiene items, to Stand Downs, which are community-based
outreach and assistance programs that take supportive services to
homeless veterans where they live -- on the streets. The kits are
often the first kindness many homeless veterans receive as they
begin their quest to reclaim control of their lives, according to
NCHV. More than 60,000 veterans have benefited from the program
during its first three years. "It is tragic that on any given
night, there are 250,000 homeless veterans on the streets. As a
company, Lilly is dedicated to providing answers that matter to its
customers and the communities we serve," said Joseph B. Kelley,
vice president, State/Federal Government Affairs, Lilly. Lilly
hopes that other corporations will join its efforts to support
initiatives that help homeless veterans. "Corporate America has a
responsibility to the community as a whole and to those who have
given so much for our country," Kelley said. "These individuals
deserve to be treated with dignity and grace. Lilly encourages
other corporations to become involved in the issue." The support of
homeless veterans programs by Lilly serves as a national model of
what can be achieved when corporate America joins forces with
community-based service providers, Boone said. To get involved in
supporting homeless veteran programs, people may contact the
coalition at (800) VET-HELP. About The National Coalition for
Homeless Veterans The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans was
founded in 1990 by a group of veteran service providers in response
to the growing number of homeless veterans who were coming into
their facilities and the lack of resources to adequately provide
services for them. NCHV's mission is to end homelessness among
veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration and
building the capacity of service providers. Through its advocacy
and leadership, NCHV has become recognized as the nation's leading
authority on homeless veterans' issues by several departments of
the U.S. government, including the Department of Veterans Affairs,
Housing and Urban Development, Labor and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency. About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly, a leading
innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of
first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by
applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories
and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers --
through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most
urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is
available at http://www.lilly.com/. O-LLY (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO )
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO DATASOURCE:
Eli Lilly and Company; National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
CONTACT: Linda Boone of National Coalition for Homeless Veterans,
+1-202-491-6901; Janice Chavers of Eli Lilly and Company,
+1-317-651-6253, +1-317-525-0369 (cell); Katherine Coble of
Borshoff Johnson Matthews, +1-317-631-6400, +1-317-701-5338 (cell)
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