——————————————————————————————–

A Recipe for Success!

Our Homeless Initiative Program (HIP) sees many success stories as one of the largest and most comprehensive programs for the homeless in Indiana.  This particular story touches on all of the different tools HIP uses to contribute to the success of their clients.

“Smile, you’ve got a job now…”
(story written by: Karin Romani, Employment Specialist at HIP)

A homeless veteran, Ricky Wallace, came to us for help with housing through our Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program(HVRP).

Ricky Wallace proudly showing off his new job and his new teeth!

Ricky had a decent job in Evansville but moved back to Indianapolis to be closer to his elderly, ailing parents.  He couldn’t live with them as they are in an assisted living facility.  So, Ricky’s first thought was to crash with a friend but that didn’t work out, and he came to us.  We helped Ricky get emergency housing.  But one concern was the job he had just found was a very long drive, and he was worried about his car making it out there every day, especially in the upcoming winter weather.  Karin Romani, an employment specialist at HIP, helped him to apply for and get a better job, closer to home, with more stable hours so he could better assist his parents.  Mr. Wallace is now working for IU Health in the Methodist Café and doing VERY well according to his supervisor.  Throughout the job application process with IU Health, the client came into our office periodically to get assistance, and during two of those times, he complained of excruciating tooth pain.  Going way above and beyond, Nurse Practitioner JoAnn Morris stopped what she was doing, evaluated and treated him on the spot. JoAnn also finagled an emergency dental visit not once, but twice for him.  The first incidence of tooth pain came because of a seriously abscessed tooth, and the time after that was due to another tooth breaking and crumbling.  As a team, we helped Ricky get housed, get proper dental care, apply for and make it successfully through a long application process with IU Health, and in addition, our HVRP team helped him get his car towed and repaired (it died on the last day of his former job way out in Avon).  He can now get to and from his new IU Health job consistently.

Mr. Wallace is truly grateful and we were glad to help a man who we knew deserved it and is truly appreciative of it.  Ricky has always thought of others before himself, but this time he found himself in need and did something about it.  HVRP and other HIP services were there to make sure he got back on his feet so he can help his parents and be a true asset to the Methodist food service team.

To learn more about the services provided by HIP visit our website.  To directly support the Homeless Initiative Program, click the donate button in the right-hand column of our blog!

While Memorial Day marks the start of the summer vacation season, we are also reminded that is it more than just a party. It is a day dedicated to commemorating U.S. soldiers who died while in the military service. It is a day of remembrance. Many of us honor the memory of a friend or family member; however, let’s not forget those that fought for our country and are now struggling with the aftermath of certain medical and mental health concerns such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and homelessness.

Consider commemorating the lives of those living and departed by flying a U.S. flag. Or, honor our heroes by honoring those that fought beside them that now need a place to turn for help. Honor them by making a contribution to one of many nonprofit organizations providing health care, housing, job training and mental health service to our homeless veterans.

Almost 1 in every 4 homeless persons is a veteran.  Close to 700 veterans in in Marion County are homeless.  During this Memorial Day Weekend, in the midst of the 100th Anniversary of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, remember that we need to fight for those who fought for us!  It is as easy as donating to our Homeless Initiative Program that includes the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

——————————————————————–

What are some unique ways that you celebrate Memorial Day?
Any suggestions on other programs that help homeless veterans?
Comment below!

———————————————————————

And, one fact that is not at the forefront of people’s minds when thinking about homelessness is the amount of VETERANS who are homeless. According to National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 23% of all homeless persons are veterans.  Almost 1 in 4 homeless persons served our country and protected our right to live ANYWHERE that we want to live, build any kind of house we want, and to be free in doing so.

It is estimated that there are 700 homeless veterans throughout our Marion County community.  These are 700 people who sacrificed a portion of their lives to serve OUR community.

HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program (HIP) has a Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) which is a source for comprehensive veterans’ services.  This program is helping homeless veterans everyday who have fallen to low points because of either Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, an inability to adjust back to civilian life, or started off well and came upon a tragedy.

There are many reasons why people become homeless, but there should not be a reason why we cannot support at the VERY LEAST those who made a sacrifice to fight for our freedoms. Danny Fenster, who writes for change.org ‘s End Homelessness blog, gives information on the End Homlessness Act of 2010.  Through this act, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are able to work hand in hand with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to “provide assistance to homeless veterans in accessing HUD’s Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program.”

You can help too! Help provide homeless veterans with services by visiting HealthNet’s donation page and considering a small donation of $25 to pay for a nutrition pack or a 2-week bus pass.  Help those who PROTECTED us!

Jeff Smith, Marine Corps Veteran

Jeff Smith served in the Marine Corps during the early ‘80s, earning a deployment ribbon and an honorable discharge.  But after the Corps, Jeff fell on hard times.  Alcohol became an addiction—one that destroyed his personal life and nearly destroyed him.  He couldn’t hold a steady job because of the addiction, so he was hustling from day to day just to keep going.

Then he made a bad decision that greatly accelerated a downward slide: He signed a check he had no business signing—just to get some money to eat and pay for some shelter. That act of desperation earned him a felony conviction for forgery in 2007.

Jeff admits today that his arrest was the wake-up call he needed. It forced him to take a hard look at himself and see how far his life had unraveled. Unless he made some different choices immediately, there wouldn’t be anything left to salvage. So Jeff made a Marine’s decision — he faced the truth about his life, his addiction, and his behavior. He asked for help and enrolled into a special substance abuse program for veterans, the R.E.S.T. program (Residential Employment and Substance Abuse Treatment). He stuck with the treatment plan; and by June 2010, he had logged over a year completely free from alcohol. He was proving himself a success—both to himself and to the counselors who worked with him.

Upon achieving this benchmark in his recovery program, Jeff now was authorized to deal with employment issues. And that’s when the Homeless Initiative Program’s HVRP staff met him. Jeff applied to the HVRP career program. After assessment by staff, he was assigned to the HVRP Skills That Work workshop, a weeklong training program that equips HVRP veterans with an eye-catching resume, special job-search and internet computer tools, as well as professional interviewing skills. He completed the workshop, impressing HVRP staff with his commitment and seriousness. Staff found him to be extremely pleasant, humble, and realistic.  Moreover, he wasn’t work shy. He performed every task assigned to him with grace and good humor.

The next step for Jeff was the HVRP Guided Job Search program. For three days each week, he spent several hours in the HVRP Job-Search Room, under the tutelage of staff, working to follow up on job leads. He proved to be responsible and dependable.  So it was with concern and disappointment that staff watched him apply for job after job without a job offer.

He was applying for jobs for which he was qualified, but employers weren’t responding to his applications. HVRP staff suspected that the problem was his recent criminal conviction—the felony forgery conviction from 2007. Most employers require that a felony be at least 5 to 10 years in the past before they will even consider a job application—if they agree to consider it at all. Jeff’s conviction was simply too fresh.

But Jeff was a veteran fighting hard to win his life back. He had proved that. And one of the missions of HVRP is to help veterans like Jeff get that second chance at life. So we took special action. HVRP had developed a relationship with Denison Parking, a local employer that wanted to help veterans. HVRP staff thought that Jeff would be a perfect fit. So HVRP made a special appeal to Denison executives to advocate for Jeff, outlining the successful steps he had taken to change his life. We asked Denison to give Jeff serious consideration for an available maintenance position, despite his criminal history. We also pledged that HVRP would stand with Jeff and would follow up with him after employment to ensure his success.

The recommendation Jeff received from HVRP persuaded Denison Parking to hire him on a trial basis. For three months since, he has earned recognition from Denison as one of its stellar employees. In fact, Denison recently promoted him to a better shift and has entrusted him with greater responsibility. Jeff is grateful for the second chance he’s received, and he’s making the most of it. He is a persuasive example that offering a veteran a second chance simply makes good business sense. And the Homeless Initiative Program’s HVRP staff is pleased to have helped make it happen.

Stories like these happen everyday, but they are not always highlighted because they slip through the cracks.  Help us continue to make these stories happen, Blanket Indy with Care. Our Homeless Initiative Program serves over 2500 homeless individuals in Indianapolis, a simple and quick online donation can go a long way.

Feel free to leave comments/questions below.

“Smile, you’ve got a job now…”
(story written by: Karin Romani, Employment Specialist at HIP)

Ricky Wallace proudly showing off his new job and his new teeth!

A homeless veteran, Ricky Wallace, came to us for help with housing through our Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP).  Ricky had a decent job in Evansville but moved back to Indianapolis to be closer to his elderly, ailing parents.  He couldn’t live with them as they are in an assisted living facility.  So, Ricky’s first thought was to crash with a friend but that didn’t work out, and he came to us.  We helped Ricky get emergency housing.  But one concern was the job he had just found was a very long drive, and he was worried about his car making it out there every day, especially in the upcoming winter weather.  Karin Romani, an employment specialist at HIP, helped him to apply for and get a better job, closer to home, with more stable hours so he could better assist his parents.  Mr. Wallace is now working for IU Health in the Methodist Café and doing VERY well according to his supervisor.  Throughout the job application process with IU Health, the client came into our office periodically to get assistance, and during two of those times, he complained of excruciating tooth pain.  Going way above and beyond, Nurse Practitioner JoAnn Morris stopped what she was doing, evaluated and treated him on the spot. JoAnn also finagled an emergency dental visit not once, but twice for him.  The first incidence of tooth pain came because of a seriously abscessed tooth, and the time after that was due to another tooth breaking and crumbling.  As a team, we helped Ricky get housed, get proper dental care, apply for and make it successfully through a long application process with IU Health, and in addition, our HVRP team helped him get his car towed and repaired (it died on the last day of his former job way out in Avon).  He can now get to and from his new IU Health job consistently.

Mr. Wallace is truly grateful and we were glad to help a man who we knew deserved it and is truly appreciative of it.  Ricky has always thought of others before himself, but this time he found himself in need and did something about it.  HVRP and other HIP services were there to make sure he got back on his feet so he can help his parents and be a true asset to the Methodist food service team.

To learn more about the services provided by HIP visit our website.  To directly support the Homeless Initiative Program, click the donate button in the right-hand column of our blog!

An excellent video and article done by Bob Woodruff and Ian Caemeron for ABC News captures the feelings of three of these homeless veterans.

“It was embarrassing,” [Jose] Pagan says.  “Honor, pride, duty, loyalty, all these things that we — that kick in as a soldier, you know. And then to find yourself here,” as he points to the park benches where he slept for almost two months.

Jose was one of the soldiers highlighted in this report.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tries its best to make sure no veteran is left alone when they come home, but there are plenty of gaps that some may fall into.  The VA even seems to think the number of new homeless vets may be greater than 9,000.

“The military is beginning to understand why more veterans are homeless. ‘I think we have to do a better job of ensuring that all soldiers, not just those that are seriously wounded, are informed of the services that are available to them and so none of them leave the service and find themselves in a situation where they have nowhere to live,’ the Vice Chief of the Army General Peter Chiarelli told ABC.” – from  the ABC News report.

Helping Veterans should top our list when thinking about housing the homeless.  These people gave the ultimate sacrifice to serve us and our country.  They deserve a fighting chance when they come back home. Help HealthNet serve the veterans.  Our Homeless Initiative Program (HIP) has the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) that provides employment training and home search services.  Donate directly to HIP or help raise awareness for homeless veterans everywhere.