COLORADO SPRINGS — “Any help is appreciated when you're broke and homeless. Everything is great. These people, anything they gave you, their stuff here is just incredible. Winter gear, survival basically.”
Doug Glaza who said he has been homeless for close to four years is among the homeless veterans getting support at the Stand Down event in Colorado Springs sponsored by Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center.
Stand down is a military term from World War II when troops would get a break to rest and recover.
This event offers homeless veterans a break with things like haircuts, medical checks, cold weather clothes and an offer of services that can help them get out of homelessness.
Each of the people seeking services was assigned a volunteer to host them during their visit.
Most of the volunteers were from local military installations.
“It doesn't matter what the exterior looks like. They're very humble people. They appreciate the help. And again, they came before me and it's my responsibility to lift others," said Patrick Hunt who is in the military and assigned to the Air Force Academy.
There are more volunteers than guests.
“That camaraderie, peace, you always want to feel connected to a military member,” said Hunt.
The shared military experience helps.
During military service there is structure and support from others serving side by side.
“Now they're on their own, and they don't necessarily have all those services or those support systems around them,” said VA Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Brian Murphy, “So that's when a lot of times they can fall into the homelessness.”
The event offers immediate needs to survive and the options to help with a plan toward getting out of homelessness.
“An opportunity to come off the street, meet with agencies that can help them out and gives the agencies an opportunity to ask what can we do to help you out?” said UCHealth Director of Behavioral Health, Military and Veterans Affairs, Damian McCabe.
As many as ten homeless veterans at the event who are motivated and qualify will have the opportunity for admission to a Transitional Housing Initiative (THI) sponsored by UCHealth.
“They will be asked what is it you need to help you up from homelessness? We're not going to presume we know. So we're going to ask them,” said McCabe.
The people admitted go immediately into 30 days of paid for housing.
While there they are connected to targeted support programs to help with an action plan to keep a roof over the head.
The support is step by step yearlong commitment.
“It's a structural approach, rather than a band aid approach,” said McCabe, “Our hope is at the end of the year, those veterans and families selected today will be in permanent housing and have access to appropriate care and moved or had been lifted up out of those circumstances that resulted in your homelessness.”
A one-day event will not solve the homeless veteran issue.
It does offer support and make connections toward improvement.
To help Mount Carmel continue their mission, click here.
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