Giving Heroes a Hand
The American Legion was full of Veterans for the Stand Down event in Bloomington.
Steve Roberts served his country for seven years, fought off bacterial meningitis contracted during his military stints and weathered the severe depression and other health maladies his illness left him with.
But when Roberts lost his job more than two years ago, the man who had served three years in the Army and four in the Navy found himself living in homeless shelters in Martinsville and Bloomington.
Now Roberts lives in a Bloomington Section 8 rental that the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program helped him find. It is this kind of service that organizers of South Central Indiana Stand Down for Homeless Veterans event hoped to help educate veterans about, particularly those who are homeless or in danger of becoming so. The event was held Thursday at American Legion Post 18 in Bloomington.
The four-hour event — sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, Monroe County Red Cross, American Legion Post 18 and Ivy Tech Community College — featured booths with representatives from 25 agencies and organizations with information to offer veterans. Among them were the Veterans Benefits Administration and Social Security Administration, which could help veterans apply for benefits, as well as support groups and health care organizations.
“They served our country, and we want to make sure they are taken care of and have enough resources to do what they need to do; we don’t want them to be homeless,” said HUD-VASH social worker Maryjane McNabb, who estimated that 15 to 20 percent of the homeless population are veterans. “We want them to have enough resources to improve their situation.”
Many veterans face difficulties with re-entry to the community after service, especially those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Community and Family Resources office manager Kathy Mayer said. Roberts also said that many veterans struggle with drug and alcohol problems.
Vet to Vet Bloomington was one organization on hand that aims to help veterans who are having difficulty after their time in service, often because of post-traumatic stress disorder. The group has peer support group meetings Monday nights at Ivy Tech, where veterans can talk about the symptoms they are dealing with.
“Veterans don’t like to ask for help, because they are taught to be strong,” Vet to Vet peer facilitator Cathi Johnson said. “We try to teach them that it’s not weak to ask for help.”
At another booth, HUD-VASH nurse Susan Kessler checked veterans’ blood pressure and blood sugar. For people who are struggling with homelessness, treating diabetes is not always a top priority, nor can they always eat properly. Untreated diabetes sometimes leads to amputation, renal failure or blindness, so it is important to keep it in check.
Todd Peabody, assistant professor in the Indiana University School of Optometry, was giving eye exams.
VA homeless veteran outreach coordinator Marion Clinkscales helped attendees identify what benefits they were eligible for and helped them with applications. A lot of veterans, he said, are not aware of the benefits they are entitled to. “It’s a big problem — homeless and veterans, that’s something that shouldn’t go together,” he said.
It was the second annual Stand Down event in Bloomington. Tim Gunter, who served in the Marines from 1980 to 1986, attended both years and praised it for having services all in one place. Gunter, who is disabled, was homeless for six months in Bloomington and before that in Indianapolis, but about a year ago he found an apartment through the HUD-VASH program.
Roberts noted that in addition to his housing, he also takes a van to Indianapolis when he needs to see his VA doctor, and at Thursday’s event he got his flu shot and a haircut.
“I’ve got the best services from the VA in Bloomington that I’ve had anywhere,” Roberts said. “They’ve helped me with my home and everything. ... It’s been great. Things have only gotten better.”
