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American Legion helps homeless vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that between 150,000 and 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, about twice as many veterans temporarily find themselves without a roof over their heads. By some credible estimates, veterans account for nearly one-fourth of all homeless people in the United States.
Most homeless veterans are single and male; about half suffer from substance abuse and/or mental health problems. One of three homeless veterans was stationed in a war zone, and two out of three served our country in uniform for at least three years. VA has become one of America's largest providers of homeless service, helping more than 100,000 veterans each year. VA also collaborates with community service providers, such as The American Legion, to expand its efforts even farther.
The American Legion coordinates a Homeless Veterans Task Force (HVTF) among its 55 departments worldwide. Its goal is to augment existing homeless veteran providers, including VA's Network Homeless Coordinators, and the Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP).
The task force also attempts to fill in the gaps between programs.Each Legion department contains an HVTF chairman and an employment chairman. These individuals coordinate activities with local Legion posts to help homeless veterans and prevent returning veterans from becoming homeless in the future.
With help from VA, Project Homeless Connect, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and DOL-VETS (Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service), the Legion has conducted training sessions on how to apply for federal grants in various assistance programs - most notably the "Stand Down" and "Grant and Per Diem" programs.
The American Legion wants to help such programs as a "force multiplier," enabling posts and homeless providers across the United States in their efforts to provide homes to veterans. "We may not have the job-specific expertise in the fields of social work and mental health," said Ron Chamrin, assistant director of the Legion's National Economic Commission, "but we do have a huge number of potential volunteers, with an impressive network of resources within their communities."
The American Legion augments homeless veteran providers with technical assistance, employment placement, employment referral, claims assistance, veterans' benefits assistance and - in some cases - housing for homeless veterans;
it also provides transportation, food, clothing, cash and in-kind donations. In each Legion department, service officers help homeless veterans with VA compensation and pension claims, and are fierce advocates for ensuring that all VA benefits are made available to homeless veterans.
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