Volunteers of America opens second home for homeless veterans
For Release: April 27, 2009
Contact: Marilee Roloff at 509.624.2378
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION:
The Eagles’ Rest transitional home for veterans
Tuesday, May 5, 12:00 p.m. lunch, 1:00 p.m. ceremony
1523 N Regal (Spokane)
Program will include:
- Marilee K. Roloff, President/CEO, Volunteers of America
- Sharon Hellman, Director, Veterans Administration Medical Center Spokane
- Astri Zidack, Director of Prevention Programs, ESD 101 Spokane Service Team
- Mike Gregoire, Governor’s Office
Spokane, Wash.—Volunteers of America will hold a grand opening ceremony for The Eagles’ Rest—the agency’s second transitional housing facility for veterans—at 1523 N Regal on Tuesday, May 5, 2009, with an all-American barbeque lunch at 12:00 p.m. and a dedication at 1:00 p.m. featuring a traditional blessing performed by Victor LaSarte of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council.
This new transitional living program, funded by a grant from the federal Veterans Administration, provides support for up to six chronically homeless, single men (ages 45-61)—referred from Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)—who are dealing with co-occurring issues of mental illness and substance abuse.* Currently, 90% of the homeless veterans served by HCHV are dually diagnosed; 39% are substance involved and 73% have combat- or non-combat-related mental illness.
With only a handful of transitional housing beds available exclusively to veterans, the housing and support needs of veterans in Spokane are at a critical level. The Eagles’ Rest project adds six desperately needed beds to the community. Volunteers of America opened its first veterans housing program in Spokane—the five-bed Rest & Recoup House—in spring 2008.
The Veterans Administration estimates that the Spokane area has approximately 3,600 persons who are homeless veterans. Of these, some 1,224 are chronically homeless.* In addition, the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans estimates that one out of every three homeless men is a veteran.
“The statistics tell us there are already so many homeless Veterans,” explains Dale Briese who manages the program. “And it’s a population that is about to grow exponentially, so this house fills in a crucial gap, complementing our homelessness to housing continuum. We offer shelters for teens and women; transitional living programs; and permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless, disabled adults—and veterans fall into some of those categories, but it is vital to have a place where veterans can rest for a moment before they begin rebuilding their lives.”
Veterans served by this program will live in a newly refurbished single family unit in the middle of a residential community, with access to services, parks, and other typical residential amenities. A Volunteers of America case manager will provide supportive services to these veterans with backup support from caring round-the-clock staff. They will help each veteran assess his needs, stabilize his life and set goals within basic need areas such as:
- access to education assistance with legal issues
- clothing & personal hygiene
- employment readiness & job placement
- financial & healthcare benefit programs (SSI, TANF, Medicaid, etc.)
- life skills (cooking, housekeeping, laundry services, budgeting, etc.)
- mental health care
- nutritional & dietary needs
- physical health & access to health care
- spiritual & family connections
- substance-abuse treatment
- transportation
- vocational or skills-building
Veterans who live at the facility will be required to participate in community living activates such as weekly house meetings and household chores that build social skills and independent living practices, providing provide a foundation of supports that will prepare these veterans for success in permanent housing.
*CHALENG Point of Contact Survey 2005 and 2006
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