As you all know by now I’m involved with volunteering help with Veterans issues here in Howard County, Maryland. Most specifically I work in helping Vets get their due VA and Social Security benefits and in getting homeless Vets into short term emergency and transitional housing.
I just received an email pointing out that there is a very effective group in the Pittsburgh area that does this for local Veterans – it is called “Veterans Place of Washington Blvd” and here is their mission statement:
Veterans Place is dedicated to ending homelessness among veterans in the Pittsburgh region. We offer homeless veterans a safe, supportive and regenerative environment as they gain the necessary skills to face real life challenges, secure permanent housing and lead productive and self-sufficient lives.
I called over there and discussed the details of their various programs and have to say I came away impressed with their approach to problem solving. They claim high success rates: 91% of every dollar goes to the missions, 87% of the Vets get employment and/or receive permanent pension or disability payments and they have a 77% overall success rate.
One interesting thing to note that their transitional housing is in ” supportive and sober living environment that can accommodate 48 homeless veterans for up to a 24-month stay in one of our 13 townhouses on Washington Boulevard.” I have found this to be a key ingredient of success in these specific areas of help.
So – if you find an extra few dollars in you pocket or have some hours to fill volunteering for a great cause then this looks like a good place for that. I find it rewarding, educational and many time just plain fun…
Thanks for reading this….
Reed