unit 8 writing for change

Running Head Unit 8 Writing for Change American Legion Members Aide for Homeless Veterans

1

American Legion Members Aide for Homeless Veterans

Unit 8 Writing for Change

Lacey Frantz

CM220- College Composition II

Professor Debora Aubuchon

Kaplan University

May 15 2015

AMERICAN LEGION MEMBERS AIDE FOR HOMELESS VETERANS


Welsquove all had that moment of clarity when we take a look around ourselves and

appreciate good fortunes Have you ever taken those moments to thank a military veteran for the

freedoms that are often taken for granted the roof over your head the sense of security that

comes with feeling safe surrounded by family and friends This sense of security can be easily

lost for many men and women trying to readapt to modern civilization after returning from war

There are many situations that lead our heroes to losing their homes or becoming addicted to

dangerous substance abuse despite those misconceptions patronizing that theyrsquove made their

beds by choice Misconceptions are what leave our military veterans to call the streets ldquohomerdquo

despite the aide from outside sources Weak support groups lack of income life changes due to

physical and mental disabilities and substance abuse are other contributing issues that lead our

veterans to losing their livelihoods families and homes (HRI 2007 p 9) Giving veterans a

sense of belong to a brotherhood again is a strong footing for veterans from any war past and

present Many opportunities are available to give back and at the same time make a difference

in the community To find a solution understanding the problem comes first As a member of an

American Legion and the community it is important to be aware of the cause and effects and

implement solutions to help local veterans and their families

Many military veterans suffer from mental illnesses and physical disabilities beyond

their control for example Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Typically mental disabilities

are ignored because of pride a hurdle that is often times too high to leap Sometimes veterans

find a positive ways through the mess of transitioning if the support is there but many find

negative alternatives to muddle through the PTSD or physical ailments that bombard their once

peaceful lives As possible assistant for these veterans local American Legion posts could


provide group sessions with other military veterans also dealing with depression PTSD and

mental ailments This form of action could give them a chance to form relationships with other

veterans and their families which in return forms a brotherhood outside of their military lives

past or present Many have seen the charity commercials asking to give charity to a child in need

from underdeveloped countries devoting a very small amount of money per day Among the

14000 American Legion Posts (Stewart 2015 p 1) 2-3 military veterans and their families

could be ldquoadoptedrdquo in the same sense Doing this could catch on quickly among legions and

veterans clubs resulting in bringing the homeless veteran numbers down and is worth

investigating and the possibly of implementing into a plan of action Coordinating this would

need to be ratified to insure correct use and dispersal of funds

As said before there are many misconceptions about homelessness but most believe

become homelessness is a choice That is objectively not the case for many men and women

coming home from the combat zone Pride is just one of many contributing factors to

homelessness among veterans Other more dangerous causes root from dealing with PTSD or

physical disabilities which include use or addiction of illegal substances or to pain pills

prescribed by a doctor or surgeon causing a dependence on these drugs In 2005 70 percent of

veterans that were homeless suffered from some type of substance abuse (NAEH 2007 pg11

para1) An effective alternative could be diverting attention to sport activities that also aim at

collecting funds to aide veteran charities As mentioned before a multitude of American

Legions are located in the United States alone and each American Legion post can begin

forming baseball softball pole and bowling leagues teams of both veterans and non-veterans

members Proceeds gained from concession stands fundraisers raffles and other sales can be

used to build ramps for disabled veterans provide stair climbers in their homes or can be used to


purchase food donations delivered to local soup kitchens serving all homeless or directly to a

veteran in need Alongside substance abuse many have problems adjusting to a non-structured

lifestyle and finding good employment (NAEH 2007 pg11 para 2) American Legions can aide

in the efforts to promote awareness by using funds to purchase billboard signs

Imagine moving from a place you have lived in your entire life a place that you call

home Now imagine leaving this setting and spending years in a struggling combat zone country

Coming home for these veterans is not an easy transition as many might assume Their lives can

spiral out of control causing them to become dependent on substance abuse or give up on

themselves which can destroy families Theyre coming home to a bad economy The country is

different Their families are different They are different Plus they are dealing with PTSD and

other issues around mental health says Gregory Scott president of New Directions for

Veterans a non-profit assistance group in Los Angeles (USA Today para 4) Adjusting to

modern civilization has been known as a difficulty for these soldiers resulting in many

reenlisting as civilian employees to elude a life in the states (Burton amp James 2008 p63) In

2005 homeless veterans made up about 26 of the homeless population (HRI amp NAEH 2007

p 14) Just four short years later in 2009 the number of unsheltered veterans was a remarkable

32200 and increase by 600 the following year (VA 2015 graph 1) In 2013 a significate

number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans joined this list which triples the amount from 2011 of

just the IraqAfghanistan homeless military veterans (USA Today 2014 para 1) Since then the

numbers have begun to decrease due to the effort of the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)

and the partnership the American Legions have with the National Coalition for Homeless

Veterans both aiming to end this epidemic by the end of 2015 (109 Congress Hearing 2006 p

182 amp VA 2015 Para 1)


Clearly the information and interest about homelessness among our veterans is abundant

but the awareness isnrsquot The government and the VA have helped to aid to this epidemic

contributing time to programs such as GrantsPier Diem Supportive Services Housing and

Urban Development for Veterans (HUD-VASH) and other programs focusing on getting our

soldiers back on their feet (NCHV 2013 para 2) Even with all that Government programs can

provide the funds for shelters and housing are not there to handle the capacity of homeless

veterans and their families in need of help Involving community can help decreasing the rate of

homeless military veterans and make the goal of ending homelessness among our veterans by the

end of 2015 a reality As an American legion member awareness can be spread by simply

volunteering time We can provide assistance with funds to our local veterans at high risk of

being homeless or that are already on the streets Men and women who have served our country

should never feel the fear of losing their homes families or independence when they come home

from protecting for the freedoms we enjoy each day of our lives Putting the communitiesrsquo

hands together can help bring down the rate of homelessness among our military veterans Even

the ease of sitting down at a meal with a veteran would be more than thankful and bringing them

sense of gratitude in a world that seems to be moving too fast to focus on the thing that really

matter


References

USA Today Zoroya G (2014) Up to 48000 Afghan Iraq vets at risk for homelessness retrieved from magazine website httpwwwusatodaycomstorynewsnation20140116veterans-homeless-afghanistan-iraq-wars4526343

One Hundred Ninth Congress House of Representatives (September 2006) Committee on Veteransrsquo Affairs Hearing Second Session Serial No 109-63 (82) eBook Retrieved from httpsbooksgooglecombooksid=tqNS_-sampsource=blampots=xdqJi9005Campsig=Th0nTtGu4CSP2T5HeZFk3Oj4kO8amphl=enampsa=Xampei=o8MmVaXRDMHwsAW1t4C4Cgampved=0CFgQ6AEwBwv=onepageampq=what20is20the20American20Legion20doing20to20help20homeless20veteransampf=falsse

Buton C amp James K (2008) Homelessness in America Chapter 5 Homeless and Veterans-Untangle The Connection(page 61-64 72- para 2) eBook retrieved from httpsbooksgooglecombooksid=EDVQRx0ZHxICamppg=PA63ampdq=Veteran27s+story+about+being+homelessamphl=enampsa=Xampei=WI5HVdW7CsOgNqHggcgNampved=0CEUQ6AEwBAv=onepageampq=Veteran27s20story20about20being20homelessampf=false

National Alliance to End Homelessness (2015) Snapshot of Homelessness The Big PictureVeteransRetrieved from httpwwwendhomelessnessorgpagessnapshot_of_homelessness

The Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness (Nov 2007) Vital Mission Ending Homelessness among Veterans PDF retrieved from httphomelesssamhsag fUQFACamppg=PA182amplpg=PA182ampdq=what+is+the+American+Legion+doing+to+help+homeless+vetera n ovResourceFilesfile_Vital_Mission_Finalpdf

US Department of Veteran Affairs (2015) Annual Point In Time Count Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Retrieved from web address httpwwwvagovopaissuesHomelessnessasp

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (Jan 2 2013) Congressional Update Retrieved from website httpwwwnchvorgindexphppolicyupdateslegislative_update

Stewart EB (2015) American Legion Post 16 Para 1 Retrieved from website httpwwwroseburglegionpost 16org



Welsquove all had that moment of clarity when we take a look around ourselves and

appreciate good fortunes Have you ever taken those moments to thank a military veteran for the

freedoms that are often taken for granted the roof over your head the sense of security that

comes with feeling safe surrounded by family and friends This sense of security can be easily

lost for many men and women trying to readapt to modern civilization after returning from war

There are many situations that lead our heroes to losing their homes or becoming addicted to

dangerous substance abuse despite those misconceptions patronizing that theyrsquove made their

beds by choice Misconceptions are what leave our military veterans to call the streets ldquohomerdquo

despite the aide from outside sources Weak support groups lack of income life changes due to

physical and mental disabilities and substance abuse are other contributing issues that lead our

veterans to losing their livelihoods families and homes (HRI 2007 p 9) Giving veterans a

sense of belong to a brotherhood again is a strong footing for veterans from any war past and

present Many opportunities are available to give back and at the same time make a difference

in the community To find a solution understanding the problem comes first As a member of an

American Legion and the community it is important to be aware of the cause and effects and

implement solutions to help local veterans and their families

Many military veterans suffer from mental illnesses and physical disabilities beyond

their control for example Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Typically mental disabilities

are ignored because of pride a hurdle that is often times too high to leap Sometimes veterans

find a positive ways through the mess of transitioning if the support is there but many find

negative alternatives to muddle through the PTSD or physical ailments that bombard their once

peaceful lives As possible assistant for these veterans local American Legion posts could
















































182 amp VA 2015 Para 1)


















matter


References


One Hundred Ninth Congress House of Representatives (September 2006) Committee on Veteransrsquo Affairs Hearing Second Session Serial No 109-63 (Page 182) eBook Retrieved from httpsbooksgooglecombooksid=tqNS_-sampsource=blampots=xdqJi9005Campsig=Th0nTtGu4CSP2T5HeZFk3Oj4kO8amphl=enampsa=Xampei=o8MmVaXRDMHwsAW1t4C4Cgampved=0CFgQ6AEwBwv=onepageampq=what20is20the20American20Legion20doing20to20help20homeless20veteransampf=falsse






















































182 amp VA 2015 Para 1)


















matter


References


























matter


References










References









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