Happy Veterans Day!
To all who've served, and to the families of our servicemen and women, I want to say thank you.
Your service is often taken for granted or underappreciated but it is why we are in The Land of The Free.
Homeless Coalitions have marked veterans as the top demographic group in prioritizing needs. The goal of the Gulf Coast coalition is to have all local homeless veterans housed by the end of the year.
With Eric, they reached this goal.
Eric was the vet I wrote about a few weeks ago. Mounds of red tape and V.A. backlog drug out a fairly simple process and, after a year, he'd given up all hope.
Nine months in, I was discouraged when I mentioned the delay to director of the coalition.
"No, he's been housed."
"What?" Surely there was some mix-up. I visited his tent twice a week. I knew where he lived. Housed people don't camp in Tent City for the s'mores.
"Right here," she read off his name, DOB, and social security number. An organization assigned to help him marked him as housed.
I came unglued.
I may get mad at my homeless guys, but I'm also very protective of them. This organization thought they'd look good on paper but not do their job?!!
After initially telling me they didn't have him marked as housed, then trying to say someone else had the same name (and DOB and SS, hmmm....), they finally (without admitting guilt) amended the paperwork.
I'd lit a fire and I held that match there for the next three months.
The V.A. was actually very helpful once I became involved, and the original organization started the ball rolling on their end as well. I talked to them both twice a week and even though there were delays, communication stayed open and he moved in right as I went on vacation.
Today was my first day to see him. Having moved nearly an hour away (but next to the V.A.) I'd dropped by once before but he wasn't home. Today, fittingly Veteran's Day, a friend and I caught him at home and we unloaded dishes, groceries, and clothes.
In the last few months, every homeless person I've visited in their new apartment had a home that resembled their homeless camp. Trash, beer bottles, food, dirty clothes littered the floor. I wondered if one could ever actually get out of that mode.
I found out today that the answer is YES.
Eric's place was immaculate. There wasn't any trash anywhere, his new bed was perfectly made up, and his new furniture (shared by neighboring tenants) looked amazing. He was clean-shaven and sober and had a new lease on life.
I was so excited. It is that rare fruit of my labor that the Lord allows me to see on occasion that gives me fuel to continue on.
It is great that I had such a high to rest on since my other two "vet" experiences today were disheartening.
Colonel Robert Sharp, as he calls himself, was out professing his service to mankind today. He "has not reported" this year so he "doesn't know what his duty will be" but he stands and stares at the sky for hours each day as part of his service. I think he truly believes he is a veteran, though.
Pitbull, on the other hand, is extremely lucid and knew exactly what he was doing when he bought an Army t-shirt and cap and headed to the off-ramp of I-10 today. Pitbull has never served in the military but he knows how to play the game.
Having a son, as well as many other family members who've served or are currently serving in the military, I was offended. It is probably the most upset I've ever gotten with Pitbull, who by the way, was the very first homeless person I helped after moving here and the first step toward it turning into a full-time ministry.
I had to remind myself of that today.
Love the unloveable.
Even when they are in fake military gear.
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