ATS members, please help me help others

Originally posted by gallopinghordes
Have you considered that some of the vets could train animals such as seeing eye dogs? Washington State started that program for women inmates and it has really turned some of them around. Working with animals seems to help. You might also see if you have an Egala program in your area for any vets that need counseling. It is equine assited theraphy that has been very successful. If you want more information U2U me and I will get you some.

I haven’t heard of Egala, and information would be great. Sorry, no time to be distracted by the lure of Google but you can send me a link or something. Thank you.

I did consider working with wild mustangs donated from BLM. We could train and then auction them to pay some of the program expenses. The Nevada prison system already does this and it works great.

This would probably be further down the line, however.

Possible dog training? I would have to hire a professional seeing eye dog trainer, a position that I am sure would be hard to fill. Maybe I could find a vet with experience in K9 that could do obedience training, who knows.

Of course everyone will have their skills assessed while in-processing and hopefully some of these specialized services will become available from our organization.

The idea, however, is to help the largest number of heroes possible. Things like construction cleanup and landscaping are probably the best foundation upon which to build this enterprise.

Actually Cav as far as dog training 4-H kids have a project where they start the puppy's training and then it moves on to the more formal training; so that might be a place to start.

I'll contact my friend for internet links to Egala. I've always found that working with animals is good for people. They accept and give unconditional love and acceptance and perhaps more then anything else that's what your heros need.

OK, we have a name and a tentative mission statement!

"The American Veterans Corps is dedicated to ending homelessness among veterans of the United States of America’s military by providing suitable employment, housing, training, and community to our American military heroes."

Cav,

A great undertaking!

The perfect population for you to serve would naturally be homeless vets.




There is a place like the one you want to build here in NYC:

VETERAN'S RESIDENCE
22 East 119th Street
New York, NY 10035

Operated by BLACK VETERANS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE...you may be able to contact them by using directory assistance.

I hope I got the address right, but I'm sure it's mostly accurate.

They are funded by the VA and I think, Section 8 (HUD), vet's pay 30 percent of their income in rent; most are on disability and some are on welfare or pensions.

There are 175 small rooms and here in NYC there are veteran's shelters...one of them called The Borden Avenue Shelter. Vet's interview and apply for admission to the Residence only from VA Shelter systems. The rooms are furnished with the wooden furniture (basic) that inmates at prison build. There is a small closet, a bed, and a 3/4 size fridge and a chest of drawers. The vets also receive a pkg of toiletries, pots 'n pans, dishes and cutlery. Each 4 rooms have a bathroom/shower and vets take turns cleaning it. There are also full kitchens scattered around on each floor, along with a couple of tables and chairs; sometimes guys put money together for a meal and decide who is the cook that night.

Some of the vets are hired to perform maintenance and kitchen duties.

There is a large cafeteria on the first floor, used for special events and maybe breakfast stuff daily. There is a clinical and an operations staff. Clinical Staff provides social workers/caseworkers who make referrals to agencies and find schools, etc., and they are there just to talk to if needed.

Security sits at the front desk, where he can see mailboxes and arrivals and departures. No one is allowed to spend the night with a vet, and in order to get in, a visitor must leave their ID card at the desk. Vets must come down and pick up their visitors.

Rooms are inspected randomly by operations dept employees. No drugs or contraband is allowed, and vets must keep their rooms clean and orderly or they will be expelled.

There is a RN who has some info on file for each vet and will help acquire medical equipment or a home attendant for a vet. The RN comes twice per week.

I know a vet who lives there and he seems pretty contented, except for the small size of the room, but still he stays...maybe it's the comradery! (sp?)

Some of these vets seem to have families in NYC, but are estranged, or for some reason they don't want to live with their family members...maybe they don't want to be a burden, or their families may not "know them anymore". You know what I am trying to say...most are Vietnam Era vets. Vietnam was a bad trip, but only God knows who will be there for the crop of Iraq vets who will return...maybe in worse shape than the Vietman vets.

Holy Batman! With that HUGE Pentagon budget, you would think that this country would properly care for it's soldiers!

So there you have it...this is just about all I know about this type of facility. Originally, the first group to operate the building was the sponsors (the people who got it built)...they were an American Legion post. They were very corrupt and abusive and the vet's got together with the VA and demanded a different operator (vendor of services), thus the Black Vets for Social Justice got the contract along with the Salvation Army doing the financial budgeting out of their own offices; the Black Vets for Social Justice were originally out of Brooklyn where they were well-established in the operation a service center for vets.

I hope this helps!

Good Luck!



[edit on 29-6-2007 by CSIfan]

I am fairly new to ATS, and have been searching for interesting topics which are without negative agenda, and I think that perhaps this is the one. I believe in your unselfish goal, and feel that the motivation is genuine, and has been needed on a larger scale than we have provided for many years. I don’t mean large facilities, I mean lots of citizens doing there part in ever city, town and village across this wonderful nation of ours. I would love to see more people do as you are doing for our Vets, in their home towns, and not have to go to big cities where they know no one and have to try to survive.

I have a long lineage on military men in my family, as well as my ex-husband and his forefathers before him. I have seen them come home, and the changes in them after experiencing combat. I have heard the stories, and I have cried with them when the memories are too difficult. I really thought that all families were supportive of their heroes coming home from combat. But I realize now in my later years, that all of them didn’t have families waiting for their return to love and nurture them back into society.

We are now expressing all this love and support for the troops. But where was that compassion when our fathers, husbands, sons, brothers and neighbors returned from Viet Nam? My ex-husband was in Viet Nam during the Tet of 1968. He came home really messed up emotionally. Even though he had a loving wife and family here to support him, we couldn’t fix all the ills he sustained. And to add insult to injury, he was spat on upon his arrival home in Oakland, Ca. We all know this story, and many others, even worse.

I spoke to him recently about this very topic. His opinion is that it is good for our young troops coming home now, but it is too little, too late for our Viet Nam Vets. We owe them more than lip service and a blanket to sleep under as they sleep hidden under the eves of a frozen bridge under the freeway.

I think that our past must dictate our now and future. I am going to look into what I can do to help these men in my town. I can’t do much, perhaps cook for them, but you have inspired me to go find out who, where and when I can help. No more simple talk. Now is the time for action. Too much time has gone by.

Thank you for your thread, and for your inspiration. I think that my signature is so appropriate to go along with this thread.

Please keep us posted, and continue to encourage others to follow your lead.

Thanks again, and God bless you and your family, as well as those you help and your volunteers and contributors.