VA Institutes 5 Year Plan to End Homelessness, but Homeless Veterans Still In Need Today

While some may be attending parades or taking a day off to honor veterans, many veterans themselves will be spending Veterans Day struggling to secure food and housing. From 10:30am-12:30pm, representatives from Swords to Plowshares, the Veterans Health Administration, and St. Anthony Foundation will be reaching out to homeless vets who are in need of support and assistance. In addition to information on programs and services that are available, veterans will also receive rain ponchos, beanies, Kleen Kanteen bottles, and hygiene kits.

One of every three homeless men in America has served in the armed forces and every night an estimated 131,000 veterans sleep out on the streets, according to the Veteran Administration. About 25% of those who turn to St. Anthony’s Dining Room are veterans who rely on free meals to sustain them. Swords to Plowshares currently serves approximately 1,500 veterans in the Bay Area regardless of length of service, branch, or military discharge status.

Last week the VA unveiled their 5-year plan for preventing homelessness among vets. Some of the highlights of the plan include connecting vets to local service providers, more access to permanent and transitional housing, and services to address mental health needs.  Next year the department plans to spend $3.2 billion on programs, up from last year’s budget of $2.8 billion.  But all three organizations acknowledge that strong partnerships between government, private, and non-profits will be needed to close the needs gap that veterans face.

“It is the hope of our three organizations that by working together we can be of service to the veterans that have sacrificed their physical and mental well-being to serve their country. We all see every day how great the need is,” noted St. Anthony Foundation Interim Executive Director Linda Pasquinucci.

The San Francisco VAMC Downtown Clinic is a comprehensive center for homeless veterans, offering on-site and immediate medical, mental, and social work assistance. www.sanfrancisco.va.gov

Swords to Plowshares’ mission is to heal the wounds, to restore dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency to all veterans in need, and to reduce homelessness and poverty among veterans. www.stp-sf.org.

Since 1950 St. Anthony Foundation has addressed root causes of poverty with compassion. St. Anthony Foundation’s programs offer gateways to escaping poverty by addressing immediate and long term needs. St. Anthony Foundation does not accept any federal, state, or local government money, and is entirely funded by private donations.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA November 11, 2008 From 10:30am-11:30am, card-carrying veterans visiting St. Anthony Foundation will receive a special gift of chocolate, energy bars, rain ponchos, and tea. While many may be categorically eligible for the VA housing loans which will be made available through Veterans’ Bond Act of 2008 (S.B. 1572, which was passed on November’s ballot), the reality of the mental health challenges and addictions which afflict many homeless veterans make qualifying for the housing loans difficult. Veterans Day is one of St. Anthony Dining Room’s busiest days of the year.

Veterans make up almost a quarter of the homeless population in the United States, with the Veterans Administration (V.A.) estimating there is approximately 2,075 homeless veterans in San Francisco. Many who turn to St. Anthony’s Dining Room are veterans who have sacrificed their physical and mental well-being to serve their country. Today, they spend Veterans Day struggling to secure food and housing.

“The best way to honor our veterans on Veterans Day is to help direct them towards the services and programs that can help them, and that they are eligible for.” noted St. Anthony Foundation Executive Director Fr. John Hardin.

Bobbie Rosenthal, Regional Manager for homeless programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs will also be on site to discuss the award of 105 housing vouchers as part of the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program.

Gifts bags for the veterans were made with donations from local Bay Area businesses, including Clif Bar, San Francisco Chocolate Factory, and Numi Tea.

St. Anthony Foundation was established in 1950 to care for San Francisco’s poor. St. Anthony’s continues to offer a number of programs to improve the lives of poor and homeless San Franciscans, including a Free Medical Clinic and the Employment Program / Tech Lab. St. Anthony’s does not accept any federal, state, or local government money, and is entirely funded by private donations.