Homeless Veterans

Mike & Friends Blog

Dan Rackley

Dan Rackley is a US Naval veteran living in Philadelphia and a contributor to "Will They Ever Trust Us Again?"

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February 28th, 2011 11:43 AM

Is Enough Being Done?

By Dan Rackley

My wife and I were watching the news the other night when something came on about homeless veterans. I sat and listened to the story and was absolutely dumbfounded that in a country like ours; well over a hundred thousand men and women that served in the military are without a place to stay. The fact that there is one single veteran that is without a hot meal or a place to live is absolutely absurd. Of course there are programs and things of that nature, but the fact that the number is so high is ridiculous. Something needs to be done.

I consider myself to be a blessed man. I’ve got a good home, and a wife and son that love me very much. Other folks unfortunately aren’t so lucky. On the surface, when the average person looks at the number of homeless veterans and thinks that it isn’t that high in comparison with the total number of homeless in the country; it doesn’t seem that high. But to someone like myself, who goes into a VA hospital on a regular basis and sees the other men and women who gave so much sticking around well after their appointment simply because they have nowhere else to go; it’s staggering and it’s sick. I have said in previous columns that veterans pay a higher entry fee than anyone else, and some of us don’t even get allowed into the conversation. They are forced to mill around, looking for the nearest shelter or soup kitchen that can give them some relief from the struggle they are going through.

When it comes to homelessness, I will be the first to say that this is a continuing problem that needs to be eradicated. But at some point in our country they veterans need to come first. But how? There needs to be some kind of actual housing specific for homeless veterans that doesn’t have the same stigma of shame that regular shelters have. Someplace where these men and women can go where people are waiting for them with open arms to help them. Someone that will greet them with a smile and tell them, “this is yours; use it as long as you need.” More emphasis needs to be put on educating and helping these guys get jobs. Because let’s face it, a good portion of the homeless veteran population are men that served decades ago. They didn’t know about, or didn’t have access to the educational opportunities that the people leaving the military have today. Homeless veterans need not be mocked when they are passed in the street; or a blind eye turned to them when they ask for help. There should be more enthusiasm put towards helping homeless vets than any segment of the population. There should be more money dedicated to it. Because everyone deserves a place that is theirs; especially the men and women who served. They paid a lot more than most. When it comes to handing out help, they should be moved to the front of the line.