Earlier this month we had the honor of protecting the home of a 72-year-old Vietnam Veteran with 6 combat medals to his name.
Tom had been unable to work for months due to health reasons but had enough resources to care for himself and help his daughter. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Tom's business shut down and he soon found himself unable to pay bills for the first time in his life. He was overwhelmed with stress and fearful of losing his home.
That's when Veterans Community Project received his two-page, handwritten letter. Tom's request for assistance read more like an apology.
Many people associate VCP with our tiny house village, but a large part of our work is "grabbing a ruck" and helping a Veteran regain his or her footing when life has knocked them dangerously off balance. With the unemployment rate continuing to rise due to the global health crisis, VCP is building up its reserves to help pull more Veterans from the threat of homelessness.
After meeting with Tom, one of VCP's case managers made arrangements to pay his rent and coordinated resources with another agency to help with his utility bills. Because Tom had never registered with the VA, the case manager also began the process of connecting him to his benefits.
As of this week, Tom has resumed work and his case manager is optimistic that he'll be just fine. "I doubt he'll ever need us again, but he knows we're here."
If you are a Veteran in the Kansas City or Longmont, Colorado areas and are facing homelessness due to the COVID-19 crisis, please let us know. We're here for you, too.
