Veterans teams combating homelessness in statewide tour
CARIBOU, Maine — Maine nonprofits and state businesses are touring the state to make sure no veteran finally ends up homeless.
The Homeless Veterans’ Cellular Stand Down arrived in Caribou Wednesday outdoors the Downtown Mall. Greater than a dozen native and state veterans applications and neighborhood teams braved wet climate for the prospect to attach with space veterans.
Sponsored partly by the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Companies, cell stand-downs convey collectively organizations that present veterans with housing companies, monetary help, workforce steerage and different companies geared toward curbing homelessness.
The stand-downs kicked off in Brewer Sept. 6 and can go to Veterans Memorial Park in Lewiston Sept. 20, Portland’s Hannaford retailer Oct. 4, the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Companies heart in Springvale Oct. 18 and Togus VA Medical Heart in Augusta Oct. 25.
Distributors credit score the stand-downs with making veterans extra conscious of companies that profit them.
“If we’re in native areas, veterans can truly see and speak to us in particular person,” stated Dan Holmes, case supervisor from Preble Avenue’s Bangor workplace.
Although based totally in Portland and Lewiston, Preble Avenue works with veterans throughout Maine to entry inexpensive housing. Case managers within the Bangor workplace have helped Aroostook veterans as far north as Grand Isle, Holmes stated.
Greater than 200 Maine veterans live in homeless shelters or of their automobiles or sleeping outdoors, based on Preble Avenue’s lately launched No Homeless Veterans Problem. As a part of its Problem, Preble Avenue is working with landlords to deal with 100 veterans in 100 days.
Veterans are particularly susceptible to homelessness in the event that they lose entry to inexpensive housing, battle to search out increased paying work after service or are coping with substance use dysfunction, post-traumatic stress or psychological well being challenges, stated Matthew Kennedy, veterans companies officer at Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Companies.
Touring all through Maine helps the Bureau meet veterans who’re homeless or in danger as a consequence of private circumstances, Kennedy stated.
“[With the stand downs] we wish to have statewide protection and join with as lots of the rural areas as we will,” Kennedy stated.
Although centered on stopping homelessness, the stand-downs welcome all veterans wishing to study extra about native and state companies.
After chatting with Sarah Bernier, profession specialist with the Veterans Ahead Caribou workplace, veteran Karen St. Peter of Caribou loved a haircut from Alphie’s Barbershop. Veterans Ahead partnered with Alphie’s to provide free haircuts Wednesday.
St. Peter served within the U.S. Military from 1984 to 1991 at Fort Gillem in Germany.
“Being a veteran myself, I wish to see what persons are doing to assist,” St. Peter stated.
Zachary Jackson of Caribou returned to Aroostook in 2017 after serving greater than three years within the Military, first at Fort Hood, Texas, then in South Korea and at Fort Drum in New York. Jackson chatted with a number of distributors on monetary companies they provide to veterans.
“It’s good to know who to achieve out to when you have questions,” Jackson stated.
