Serving Those Who Served
Project HOME staff member Nicole Paul, who coordinates the Philadelphia Alliance for Supportive Services for Veteran Families, recently gave testimony at Philadelphia City Council’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Housing, Homeless and Neighborhood Development, on September 11, 2012. She spoke about Project HOME’s efforts, in partnership with other local agencies, to work with veterans and veterans’ families who are experiencing or are on the brink of homelessness.
I am here today to provide a brief testimony on behalf of Project HOME and in solidarity with the many veterans who are currently experiencing homelessness as well as with those veteran families who are on the brink of homelessness. Veterans are far more likely to experience homelessness than other Americans, in part because of their high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, physical injuries and disabilities, and other factors that make reintegrating into civilian life and employment difficult (HUD Evidence Matters, Summer 2012).
Project HOME and its partners have been targeting services that specifically address housing, employment, education, and medical needs of veterans who are currently experiencing homelessness in our community.
Nearly one year ago to this date, Project HOME in collaboration with The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center, Impact Services Corporation and the Homeless Advocacy Project was awarded a million dollar grant from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families program to provide homeless prevention and rapid rehousing supportive services to 165 veteran families in the County of Philadelphia. With this funding, Project HOME has been able to expand our veteran programming, which currently includes the St. Elizabeth Recovery Residence Grant Per Diem program (also funded by the VA) and a 9-month veteran work training internship program funded by PECO Excelon Corporation.
Project HOME and its partners are pleased to report that we were able to exceed our goal by serving over 230 veteran families with our initial grant and will receive renewed funding for the 2012-2013 grant year to continue the path to ending veteran homelessness in Philadelphia.
We understand that the most vulnerable veterans in our community rely on critical permanent supportive housing programs such as HUD-VASH, and Shelter Plus Care to prevent homelessness and help to foster connection to critical life thriving services that many community-based agencies provide in our city.
Army veteran and Project HOME’s Kate’s Place resident Stanley Shelton understands this critical service first hand.
After losing his son to street violence in the early 90s and his wife a couple years later, Mr. Shelton turned to different substances to ease the loss and anguish he was experiencing. He lived on the streets and in shelters for several years. After suffering a stroke two years ago, the three-year former Army soldier decided to start on the road to recovery. He began going to the Perimeter, a drop-in center for homeless veterans run by the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service and Education Center (PVMSEC).
Mr. Shelton recalls fondly the encouragement and kindness he experienced there. The PVMSEC staff eventually referred him to a new program for veterans, Philadelphia Alliance for Supportive Services to Veteran Families. Working in partnership with a PASSVF Case Manager, Mr. Shelton applied for and soon moved into permanent supportive housing at Project HOME’s Kate’s Place residence. Stanley’s successful transition from the streets to permanent housing represents why the PASSVF program was started.
In addition to sustaining permanent housing, Stanley Shelton is a frequent participant in various community groups at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and is currently enrolled to begin computer training courses at the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs at Project HOME He is looking forward to continuing his educational studies now that he has settled in his new home. Stanley firmly believes that participating in supportive help and therapy, taking classes, and sharing with others are great tools for overcoming life’s obstacles. As he put it: “We can’t do it alone.”
We at Project HOME, along with the Philadelphia Alliance for Supportive Services for Veteran Families and our other partners, appreciate and look forward to working with City Council towards ending and preventing veteran homelessness in our city and continuing our work to ensure Philadelphia is a thriving and supportive home for veterans who have dutifully served our country.
