God has blessed me in so many ways and I want to be of service and help those in need. What do homeless veterans need most and how can I find them and provide whatever that is to them in the most efficient way possible? I can rent an apartment in an ideal location to act as a safe place to shower and stay clean, do laundry, stay warm, etc but I’m nervous that it could go sideways if I’m not careful, I don’t know the pitfalls of running a clandestine homeless shelter but I want to make an effective change in the quality of life and help be a stepping stone to lift up the men and women who have taken the oath to protect our constitution. They deserve better and I can’t sit by another day knowing that winter is here and our nations protectors are cold, hungry, stolen from etc. I don’t know where this will lead but I have a burning desire to start this. I don’t want to just donate to a shelter or hand out blankets, I can afford a thousand dollars a month and my first thought is shelter, supplies, home base, internet access, hot meals, etc. I am an IT guy so I have lots of computers printers etc things that can help a person get a job interview and arrive with clean clothes and a home address. Like a we work office like a satellite homeless shelter designed to help lift a person out of poverty and back onto their own two feet. I’m in East TN if there are any patriots out here that want to help hit me up. I’m going to start to plan and I know I’ll fumble in the dark a bit but I’ve never felt an urge so strong within me. I will let the Holy Spirit guide me on this journey and so I know this work will be good.
You're viewing a single comment thread. View all comments, or full comment thread.
Comments (26)
sorted by:
I know someone who is starting a tiny home community in Ft Myers FL. 17 tiny homes, communal bathrooms. I’m interested to see how it works out because I’ve warned him about a few things. One is substance abuse/alcohol issues. How will that be kept in check? They’re sober living units but how will it be enforced? You have to staff it. Many, many homeless vets abuse alcohol and drugs. Most maybe. Many are mentally ill and have issues with med compliance. How do you help them? Will you employ people to make sure they take their meds and follow up with appointments? Otherwise you’re just housing them and offering free things but they’re stagnating.
Another issue is.. once the word is out about your community (and I applaud you for trying to help- please don’t get me wrong) more and more people will be drawn to it. You may find yourself in the weeds, having to turn people away because you don’t have the resources or it isn’t safe. In my friend’s case, they have a grant to do this. They will have the support of local LE and social services but there are a lot more than 17 homeless men (it’s a male only community) in Ft Myers. There are hundreds, if not thousands. So once the word gets out this is available- how many people are going to be lining up? They’ll come from nearby communities. I see potential conflicts and a possible crisis.
Here lies the problem- many vets suffer mental and physical disabilities. The VA loves to pump them full of SSRIs, painkillers and other addictive substances and let them cope on their own. It’s a cycle that starts right at the point of departure from the military. Treating the problem with drugs but failing to offer affordable housing options nationally, vet friendly jobs that are compassionate about time off needed for appointments and therapy and failing to offer real case management and consistent support. Pump and dump is what it is. “Here, here are all your meds. Good luck. Don’t forget to keep your therapy appointments” but good luck affording the car, insurance, gas and whatnot to get there. Most disability benefits for those 100% disabled don’t cover the cost of the average rent these days. So, how do they manage everything else? They have to find a job. Or live with family. But many struggle so much with problems from pain to severe anxiety that it’s impossible to work. They have to have a lot of support. Americans owe it to veterans to provide this support but instead, they stand for Ukraine. There is still so much resistance to helping veterans. All that funding to bullshit causes when simply offering affordable housing and real, face to face support by qualified pros is what would help. A lot. But there just isn’t much.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this other than to say- it’s commendable to want to help. It’s a massive problem and the only way it’s going to get better is to have someone like Pres Trump who really was doing something to help vets. Things improved so much while he was office. The VA was better. Housing was more affordable. It wasn’t great but I was able to afford a house. No way I would now if I was just getting out. It’s gotten so much worse for vets under Xiden. Exponentially worse and then there is the whole Afghanistan abortion. It has caused so much pain for so many. Meanwhile, the economy.. dear Lord help us. You may help a few with your plans but we really, really need Pres Trump now more than ever and to wake the Dems up. That’s where we come in here. You said this isn’t Q related but it really is. We need to continue to wake people the F up. To research and learn and be involved in our communities. Run for local office. Every little bit helps.
I would say if you want to help the most- volunteer your time, that may be most impactful right now. There are a few listed here and realize you’re appreciated!! That you care at all is huge. Half of America would rather usher in illegals and support corruption.
https://www.military.com/spousebuzz/blog/2015/11/volunteer-to-help-veterans-5-places-to-start.html