2012 Triad Stand Down - 043

Photos: 2012 Triad Stand Down for Homeless Veterans

The 6th annual Triad Stand Down for Homeless Veterans was held on Friday, September 28, 2012 at Westover Church in Greensboro. The mission of the Stand Down is “to provide social services to honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including employment services, transitional housing, wound care, mental health and other services through coordination with other agencies in the delivery of the these services. A hand up not a hand out.” Services provided included: medical screenings, blood-borne pathogen screenings, minor wound care, dental screenings and basic dental care, assistance with VA claims, assessing eligibility for services, mental health screening, substance abuse services, standard haircuts, educational assistance, clothing supply, socks, winter clothing, hot meals throughout the event and more.

My photos are below. You may also view the photos on our StreetWatch Facebook page to see the captions and comments. (No Facebook account required.)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151145024533997.443355.115262208996

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100 homeless Veteran families in Forsyth County to receive help through $560K VA grant

From Salisbury VA Medical Center on Facebook:

VA Announces Local Grant to Help End Veteran Homelessness; Initiative Targets 42,000 Homeless and At-Risk Veterans and Families Nationwide

SALISBURY, N.C. – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the award of a $560,085 grant to Winston-Salem-based community agency United Way of Forsyth County, Inc. The grant will aid approximately 100 homeless and at-risk Veteran families as part of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program. United Way of Forsyth County, Inc is one of 151 community agencies in 49 states and the District of Columbia to receive a grant. [And one of two in North Carolina. Raleigh's Passage Home received a grant to serve 20 participants.]

“We are committed to ending Veteran homelessness in America,” said Shinseki. “These grants will help VA and community organizations reach out and prevent at-risk Veterans from losing their homes.”

Under the SSVF program, VA is awarding grants to private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide services to very low-income Veteran families living in – or transitioning to – permanent housing. Those community organizations provide a range of services that promote housing stability among eligible very low income Veteran families.

Under the grants, homeless providers will offer Veterans and their family members outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits and assistance in getting other public benefits. Community-based groups can offer temporary financial assistance on behalf of Veterans for rent payments, utility payments, security deposits and moving costs.

VA estimates these grants will serve approximately 42,000 homeless and at-risk Veteran families nationwide. This is the program’s second year. Last year, VA provided about $60 million to assist 22,000 Veterans and family members.

In 2009, President Obama and Secretary Shinseki announced the federal government’s goal to end Veteran homelessness by 2015. The grants are intended to help accomplish that goal. According to the 2011 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, homelessness among Veterans has declined 12 percent since January 2010.

Through the homeless Veterans initiative, VA committed $800 million in fiscal year 2011 to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness among Veterans. VA provides a range of services to homeless Veterans, including health care, housing, job training, and education.

>> More information about VA’s homeless programs here. Details about the SSVF program here.

05/24/2012: Going deep into the woods in search of another homeless camp.

StreetWatch May 17-24, 2012: GPD, baseball, community garden, tent city, homeless bunny & more!

We’ve been busy on StreetWatch this past week. Visiting homeless camps in Eastern Division with GPD Officer Dator; handing out our brochures at a Grasshoppers game during the Homerun for Homelessness; planting a second garden at the FM tent city; looking for new camps in Southern Division (thanks, Officer Clark!) and more. Photos…

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150902633238997.412252.115262208996&type=1

>> More about StreetWatch and our current needs list here!

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A bike for a beer & more: Tweets from the street, 3/21-3/23/2012

Tweets I sent while doing StreetWatch homeless outreach this past week:

23 Mar 2012: Talked to homeless vets dishonorably discharged for mental illness/addiction related issues. Not eligible for VA treatment. :(

23 Mar 2012: Hanging out in the shade behind a store talking with 4 homeless guys about jobs, family, military & cops.

22 Mar 2012: Ever wonder about the permits the homeless people on the corner are wearing? Panhandling 101, Greensboro Style http://bit.ly/GNaBY9
Background: Several people we saw this week had panhandling charges. There are lots of rules and it can get complicated.

22 Mar 2012: Homeless lady went to jail for panhandling without permit. Got out. Went back to her corner. Same cop saw her. Back in jail within hours.
Update: Second arrest was for Failure To Appear on an earlier charge.

22 Mar 2012: Humbled by compassion of property management staffer for homeless men whose camp has to go. Doing his job as mercifully as possible.

22 Mar 2012: Grateful for Greensboro Police officer who took homeless man to rehab in January; visits him, stays in touch with family.

21 Mar 2012: Talked to a homeless guy today who sold his bicycle for $2.50 to buy a 40 oz beer. And it seemed normal to him. :(

Who stayed at Greensboro’s winter homeless shelters?

According to a report released today, Greensboro’s seven winter emergency shelters collectively hosted 205 people between 12/01/2009 and 03/31/2010.

Some demographics about those who stayed in Greensboro’s  winter homeless shelters this year:

  • 55 women
  • 150 men
  • 13% age 18-30 years (youngest 18)
  • 72% age 31-55 years
  • 15% 56 years or older (oldest 67)
  • 75% black
  • 21% white
  • 5% other
  • 25% chronically homeless (unaccompanied disabled individual who has been continuously homeless for over one year)
  • 11% veterans (23)
  • 56% cited unemployment as the cause of their homelessness

The men’s winter shelter locations (# of people sheltered):

  • First Presbyterian Church (20)
  • Pleasant Garden Baptist Church (20)
  • West Market Street Methodist Church (15)
  • Mt. Zion Baptist Church (15)
  • FaithStep Ministries (11)

The women’s winter shelter locations (# of people sheltered):

  • Grace Community Church (15)
  • First Baptist Church (10)

» Read more about the operation of the shelters in “Press Release, Report on 2009-10 Greensboro Urban Ministry Winter Emergency (WE) Shelters”