Homeless Veterans 2013

Hey ATS,

I wanted to post a thread about doing the 3rd Annual Homeless Veterans Awareness Campaign in Lebanon PA. From Friday the 8th to Saturday the 9th Members of local VFW Post 23 and friends and family took to the streets in 3 encampments bumming change from passer bys and slept out on the streets in 27 degree weather to raise funds and awareness to homeless veterans. The campaign was very successful and we had alot more support from friends and members this year then the last 2. It was as always an uplifting event and goes to show that the people in my city still care about their veterans and they proved it with their donations and support. Last year we raised $11,300 this year we topped $16,000 we had an article written in the national VFW magazine months ago and huge support from multiple news agencies. LOL this is one of the first times I have been televised on live tv and on nightly news. I Hope that this thread makes its way around to the right people and will inspire them to have their own Homeless Veteran Awareness Campaign in their community, we always do ours the weekend before Veterans day while the air is right with vets on the mind. With that being said thanks for stopping in to read about this event and like us on the facebook page (I do not personally use facebook one of the other organizers handles that) Homeless Veteran Awareness Campaign (in Lebanon PA)

Thanks Veterans for Serving and to my Devil Dogs HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES

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reply to post by Brotherman


It's always good to see programs such as this.
With the scheduled troop draw downs to occur over the next few years there is going to be a sharp uptick of homeless vets in the US.

Hopefully the numbers can be curbed by efforts like this.

reply to post by watchitburn


I hope so too, it sucks. Ive been there and done that after I got out of the Corps awhile back it is not easy coming home to America and starting with nothing. A lot of red tape and bureaucratic processes often hinder being able to get into programs and shelters, jobs are not as easy to get it is miserable. When these wars finally end and our boys and girls come back I hope that their communities take them in with open arms and help them become citizens.

reply to post by Brotherman


27 degrees, that's gung ho my friend, star and a flag for you.

Thanks for letting us know your doing this.

Have great day !!

Always a worthy cause.

I follow an ex-squaddie on Facebook who is walking around the coastline of Britain to raise money and awareness for homeless veterans. Sleeping rough or near enough every night, i think he's about a year and a half into his walk and has raised about £200,000 so far.

Christian Around Britain

CX

reply to post by CX


That is awesome that he is doing that, I dont have FB but thanks for linking this for others

S&F

I myself am a veteran and discharged at a time when employers looked upon vets with gratitude. Then the political climate changed, and all of a sudden vets became unemployable or were medically discharged after multiple deployments. Nowadays though, I see another change. Folks are waking up to realize that they too have families, and odds are someone in your family or someone you know may be a service member. Society I think, is again seeing that to have compassion towards our vets is the morally right thing to do, just like caring for the elderly and honoring social security. What people do not realize is that many people join the service just to get a roof over their heads, a paycheck or to get off the streets.

People may not agree with foreign policy and why the government sends troops overseas, but don't take out your anger on the vets...

Thank you for standing up and helping out!

Congrats on the great work and your best year ever! I salute you, soldier!

reply to post by The GUT


Hey thanks alot man I appreciate it, next will be toys for tots and then thanksgiving this year I am going to volunteer at the VFW I have a lady friend that I dont get to see often that wants to volunteer there too so it should be awesome.

Thank you for your help.I'm not homeless but it HAS been close a few times.

reply to post by cavtrooper7


I know the feeling, I always hate it when the time comes up that I know the job I am working on is almost finished and the lay off is coming. I have been loud on ATS in the past about why I feel like the idea of having a career in America the way people before me had/ have careers got it is not something I and many others can look forward to in the future. To me coming home America was very discouraging and cold, I never really needed sympathy or anything like that in some instances I even felt like it was my fault I couldn't find a job or pay for a place to live because I was the idiot that wanted to be in the infantry and when I came home I was shocked to find no one needed grunts to do anything. I learned the hard way I guess that being what it is, I am even more self reliant and never give up even when its hard. I hope that other members find this thread and start a similar campaign in there cities and towns, not just for the monatary donations but also the awareness, I cannot tell you how many other vets came out of the woodwork to come over and donate and just say hey thanks guys. To me that shows me that this event really hits home with our veterans and is a community strengthening event as it brought alot of us together. Especially because we utilized the VA administrations Homeless Outreach professionals on site that way if a Homeless Vet came to us off the street right then and there they could be processed and put on track immediately to recieve the help and care they need/deserve.

reply to post by Brotherman


I Looked for posts about remembrance day sorry i missed your post,

www.cbc.ca...

reply to post by C1assified


Thank you for the link it is important to remember where we are in history today and where we came from.

reply to post by Brotherman


Yea! My Dad did his full tour, Retired a Master Sargent Or A Captain NOT SURE. He was not in any wars but did spend a lot of time in the Congo Peace Keeping with Canada.. Two thumbs UP..

Thanks for sharing about that. That sounds like a really cool organization and effort.

Aside from once when I was a child, I have never known of a homeless veteran. Perhaps aside from those with the kinds of issues that make even non-veterans homeless.

I have a hard time with the idea. I wouldn't allow any soldier to sleep on a bench, let alone in the cold, if I saw them. Back in California we had more homeless than stray cats (for many reasons, including the rest of the country shipping us their poor), but here in the Ozarks it seems awfully rare, perhaps because the weather is just too miserable for it. Maybe they are present but we just don't see them.

I wanted to add:

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this event and we kicked some ass this year, Thank you to citizens of Lebanon for your kindness and understanding, and thank you VA Homeless Outreach and VFW 23 for helping make this possible!