Thank you for your kind comment, but more importantly for the work your organization does. It is indeed an affront to human rights and dignity that disabled veterans – all veterans – have been relegated to the streets, mostly due to the VA’s inadequate (some would claim, inept) services for our veterans and disregard for what is right. The VA is not living up to its mission statement when hundreds of thousands of veterans are forced into this “life.” Thirty percent of the veteran homeless population fall through the “cracks” of the VA system in that they are not substance abusers and have no diagnosed mental illness; that is, they didn’t when they hit the streets. After a while of that, it’s doubtful that anyone could come out psychologically unscathed. But the VA has nothing to offer those veterans – 3 in 10 – who would in fact be more than capable of reclaiming their lives in society if only they were offered a slight hand UP from the VA.

I will visit your organization’s Web site often, and will direct others who seek to be involved in this fight towards it.

-Tracy Early

Peace,

John Lozier
National Health Care for the Homeless Council