Veterans who experience homelessness, food insecurity, mental health illnesses, and poverty are a part of a macro level issue that collective society only passively condemns.  For decades, veterans have voiced concerns around the most obvious resources being the most difficult to access and/or navigate. Consistent VA controversy around poor medical and social services “has negatively affected how veterans view the VA. Sixty percent say they are now less confident in the ability of the VA to care for veterans, while 34% say it has not affected their views.”  The Department isn’t alone, as pole results based on telephone interviews conducted June 16-20, 2014, with a random sample of 1,268 veterans, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the D.C., revealed that issues with the V.A. are representative of services across the board. (https://news.gallup.com/poll/172055/majority-veterans-say-access-care-difficult.aspx)

Since 2014, many other surveys have been taken and countless articles written with a common theme of organizations and institutions failing veterans.  Fortunately, there are times when this theme is challenged, by organizations like Volunteers of America, _____, and even some departments within Veterans Affairs. Joe Crossland Brewer Sr., 65, a Marine Veteran, serves as a prime example.

“Agents at Volunteers of America, a nonprofit dedicated to aiding vulnerable populations, saved Brewer from homelessness. They helped him strike a deal with landlord Lynard Khan of Golden Lofts. Now Brewer pays $500 a month for his room.” their diligent efforts ended with positive results for the veteran. “The Golden Lofts, Khan said, will cater to two groups that have been in crisis for decades: extremely low-income people who may be on federal assistance, and lower-tier workers who earn minimum wage and can’t afford downtown apartments.”  Veterans plentifully fall into both categories.

Volunteers of America Veteran Services is a one-year transitional housing program for homeless veterans.  “The Service Intensive Transitional Housing model offers 40 single units for both men and women.”  The program acts as a stable but temporary housing solution, allowing participants to focus on locating permanent housing and employment under supportive guidance and eventually, re-enter their community while sustaining their independence. (https://www.voa-ncnn.org)

As recently as Sunday January 26, 2020, a retired Air Force veteran named Randall Wilson creatively served homeless vets through Volunteers of America.  He connected with a popular local Italian Sacramento restaurant, Biba, and involved local Jazz artists, Henry Robinett, Roger Smith, and Cara O’Shea to produce what was a sold out event for Veteran’s housing support. Kitty O’neal on 93.1FM KFBK helped promote the overtly successful event, raising awareness and resource dollars in Sacramento. (https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/beyond-sacramento/article231688963.html)

Community Residential Care is another group housing resource program but, it’s provided through Veterans Affairs.  Eligibility is determined through an assigned VA Social Worker and is based on level of independence.  While the veteran should not need hospital or nursing home care, they can have other medical or psychiatric support needs that prevent them from living alone.

With about 550 Community Residential Care homes across the country, CRC is a small, but growing effort successfully placing aging veterans in private homes.  More than 120 VA medical centers now oversee a Medical Foster Home program in their regions, and VA has actively promoted the program within its health system.  Serving as an alternative to nursing home and VA Medical Center care, “The $20.7 million-per-year program provides housing and care for more than 1,000 veterans in 42 states and Puerto Rico.” Joann West, one of 700 licensed CRC caregivers and co-owner of a CRC says,  “I took care of my mother when she got cancer and I found that I really had a passion for it. I took classes and ran an in-home nursing care business for years. But my dream was always to get my own place and do what I am doing now.”   (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/va-turns-to-foster-care-for-veterans-instead-of-putting-them-in-nursing-homes/2018/05/25/badc47cc-5d26-11e8-a4a4-c070ef53f315_story.html) (https://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/pages/community_residential_care.asp)( https://www.kfbk.iheart.com)

Because donor and volunteer trepidation is magnified by scandals and poor service accusations embroiled by veterans service groups, it’s important to point out services offered with integrity.  In fact, more than 10 percent of the charities tagged as “America’s Worst Charities” by the Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting in 2013 focused on Veterans.