For this interview, I met with Ashley Jones, a Peer Support Specialist through Lake County Veterans and Family Services foundation and Dryhootch. Ashley herself is a United States Army Veteran. Ashley was deployed in combat operations in 2007 and spent 16 months in Iraq as a wheel vehicle mechanic and a member of the female search team. Ashley has been a peer support specialist since 2010 and has worked for multiple organizations serving Veterans and their families, including Lake McHenry Veterans and Family Services, Department of Veteran Affairs, Vets Prevail, and Dryhootch.
Dryhootch, located in Grayslake, IL, is a nonprofit organization started by combat Veterans to help Veterans during their transition home. Dryhootch is a setting where Veterans could gather casually in a coffee house, making it a safe, comfortable, drug and alcohol free environment. There are many Dryhootch locations, including Madison,
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Some programs the organization provides includes but are not limited to, peer support, legal assistance, addiction, counseling, housing resources, and assistance with applying for benefits. The Dryhootch location I conducted my interview with was the Dryhootch located in Grayslake, IL. Unlike other Dryhootch locations, this location does not provide the services mentioned above. Dryhootch in Grayslake, IL is simply just a location where service members can meet in an informal setting, drink great coffee and hangout. Ashley explained that it is a drop in center, where veterans, service members, or family members can stop in to have a cup of coffee, utilize free computers with wif-fi, get information regarding programs or services, or seek out case management services. However, within the same building of Dryhootch in Grayslake, IL, is Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation. These two agencies have partnered up and together provide services to Veterans and their
Donna was working for a social outreach program that was mainly focused upon helping women and children find alternatives to prostitution and drugs. Donna is currently under a considerable amount of stress as she was recently divorced and laid off from her job. Donna has admitted to recently relapsing with the use of alcohol and has recently shaved her head in a personal
The WWP helps out veterans and their care takers with financial and unemployment needs. As executive Director Steven Nardizzi explained their mission was “To foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation's history” (WWP). By this they mean that they want to have the most veterans served than any other company or nonprofit while at the same time having the highest quality service. Over the last 10+ years the WWP [Wounded Warrior Project] has helped thousands of veterans and current soldiers who have been mentally or physically injured while in the United State Military. They will also help out ve...
The sandlot was a vacant lot we especially used for unorganized sports. It was a place during my childhood years where I could go and not have a worry on my mind, except being with my best friends and playing some baseball. The lot was a place where the memories of endless fun and games took place. I can still hear the voices of neighbors yelling at us to go home because of the tennis balls we hit against their houses and off their windows. To us the sandlot was better than Wrigley Field, nothing else could compare to all the times we had there.
Thesis: In our generation we are hearing many stories of returning wounded veterans that feel like they cannot do the things they once have and need a sense of purpose to get back on their feet; an organization needs to help these young men and women hero’s to live a sustainable and a fulfilling life.
Veteran homelessness must be attacked at multiple levels in order to ensure that it does not turn into a revolving door. So beyond simply providing temporary housing support we will also have to improve our veteran’s lives for the long-term. This entails treatment for their PTSD by providing them with access to health and wellness clinics, recovery resources, peer support groups, and individual counseling. (Note: Key information from HYPERLINK "http://www.voail.org" http://www.voail.org).
Mercy Drops is a local nonprofit organization, whose vision is to reach into the chaos of life and bring the good out of every person, family, and community it encounters. This vision is practiced through a variety of outreach efforts throughout the Portsmouth area. The oldest outreach, established in 2014, is the care package ministry. The care package ministry consists of handing out care packages, every Monday (regardless of the weather conditions or holidays) at two locations in Portsmouth to the homeless population and elderly community. Mercy Drops currently distributes 100 packages each week, totaling 5200 packages annually. Our desire to further grow this ministry to impact more people and we are asking for your help to do so.
VETSPACE commenced in 1994 when Dr. Elizabeth McMahon, PhD and fellow Gainesville veterans concluded a need for local community efforts in the growing plight involving homelessness. Governmental endorsement and laws help provide a foundation of support; however, assistance from within the city allows physical aid to veterans in need. Dr. Elizabeth McMahon PhD felt a personal interest in contributing to the cause due to her relationship with a former war hero. Captain Joseph “Mac” McMahon Jr., Elizabeth’s brother, served the United States in the Korean War from 1953 to 1954 in the army. His time spent
Vet Centers understand and appreciate Veterans’ war experiences while assisting them and their family members toward a successful post-war adjustment in or near their community." Their aim is to serve Veterans and their families by providing a continuum of valuable care that will later add value to the Veterans, their families, and communities. “Care” comes from the professional readjustment counseling, community education, outreach to special populations, the brokering of services in the U.S. Department of Veteran
They are much like shelters for other specific causes, however, this one is very much dedicated to helping veterans get back into the swing of an ordinary life. Veteran homeless shelters provide many things. One of the many things would be health benefits. According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, “A person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable may qualify for VA health care benefits.” (2015) Another thing that these organizations do is help homeless veterans become more social among each other as well as provide them with hot meals, a place to sleep, shower, and a new pair of clothes. Places like the homeless shelters for homeless veterans even help them get a job and get their life back in order before they were
The research is based on one of the poorest neighborhoods of the United States, Skid Row located in Los Angeles. Most of the homeless you see in Skid Row are recent discharge
VLP is committed to ending Veteran homelessness and works tirelessly with their community partners, members of the communities they serve, as well as federal, state, and local government to reach that end. VLP also partners with local government and social service agencies to provide essential support services and referrals. VLP has been recognized by the United Way of Allegheny County (Agency of Excellence); National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (Agency of the Year); Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Outstanding Achievement by a Community Organization); and Call of Duty Endowment (Seal of Distinction). VLP is committed to giving our region’s Veterans access to the resources they need to improve the quality of their lives. It is Veterans Leadership Program’s vision to see a roof over every Veteran's head, employment for all Veterans who are able to work, and for all Veterans to not only achieve and maintain self-sufficiency, but to thrive. Until that day, Veterans Leadership Program will be there, ready to serve those who have served our
It seems that within the United States, today, there seem to be a concerning issue about veterans, who are homeless. These veterans are suffering from various mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse, and other disorders. One-third of the homeless population are veterans, who cannot find or maintain housing and are unemployed. Unemployment and homelessness are the two biggest concerns for veterans in the United States. Veterans lost their homes and employment due to the prolonged tours in Iraq, Vietnam and etc. All of the wars that veterans have been involve in has ruined their health. According to National Coalition for Veterans (2011), veterans have a difficult time finding employment that will not cause any more damage to their
Hartland Memorial Hospital, located in Westfield was established eighty-five years ago. The hospital is accredited for a full range of medical and surgical services. Elizabeth Parsons is the vice president for Nursing Services at Hartland Memorial Hospital. Within her seventeen months of employment, she was instrumental in finding innovative ways to create a self-scheduling system, a compressed work week, and a performance appraisal system
This is one of the purest organizations that provide help and assistance for veterans that there is. It was the wives of military veterans started Hope for the Warriors in 2006. While the focus of the charity is to help improve the quality of life for soldiers’ post-9/11, their efforts provide needed assistance for thousands of disadvantaged veterans.
...ogram that gives legal resources, lawyer referrals, help with special needs estate and lifetime planning as well as help navigating the justice system which is something that greatly helps those with mental illness who sometimes aren’t aware of their benefits and help dealing with legal issues. Another program NAMI provides is the Veterans and Military Resource Center which is a center that provides resources, support, education on mental health to; active duty military personnel, veterans with mental illness and their family members. They cover many mental illnesses and issues that relate to veterans and are common issues amongst veterans; they provide information about the diseases, treatment, screenings, data research and more. This is very much needed as many of our veterans suffer from illnesses like PTSD, depression, and other mental or brain injuries.