I understand that there could be a veteran who could possibly need assistance at the time that I would be gone, but the Vet Center is a comfortable, welcoming place for them to wait out of the weather and the staff knows where I keep all of the food for those who might need it. Additionally, there is another service officer for those veterans who might need assistance with their benefits or in filing for a copy of their discharge papers. The director of the Vet Center, Ralph Yunkey, has told me that they support the idea and his staff will assist in any way they are able. The time away would not be excessive and the number of veterans served could increase by many. The requirements to keep a program open, according to the director of the homeless veterans programs, is to serve at least 35% of the estimated homeless veteran population in our area. We are at 29% currently and in order to keep our program operational, we need to find ways to let veterans in our area know that we have programs to assist them. In addition to losing staff if this program closes, we will lose budgeted money for other services included in this program, such as transportation allowances to Veterans Hospitals and for prosthetic devices. I believe that if I am able to do community outreach to the shelters, I will be able to find more homeless veterans who are in need of healthcare services.

I have discussed the problem of finding clients to serve with other homeless veteran programs and there are some programs that have started an outreach program with good success. Most of the centers in fact, have some type of outreach program. Community outreach will allow those veterans who have not previously had access to...

In addition to servicing the needs of more veterans, this outreach can help keep this program, the staff and the budgeted funds. Also, by reaching more veterans, the veteran's organizations who have assisted us by donating funds, backpacks, food and other items will feel gratified that we are helping as many veterans as possible. This will further the feeling of cooperation between the service organizations and the administration of the Veterans Administration.
I would appreciate it if you would consider allowing me to initiate a community outreach program to reach homeless veterans beginning next month. I would go to Helping Hands Mission on Monday from 8:00 to 10:00am. Mr. Mixon has agreed that the service officer and I can set up in their dining room right after breakfast is served and he will have the veterans ready to see us. On Wednesdays, we will go to the Jesus Cares Mission from 8:00 to 10:00am and Pastor Browning has offered us the prayer room to conduct our interviews in. On Fridays, we will go to Salvation Army from 8:00 to 10:00am, where the director, Ms. Franklin, has offered us her conference room to interview veterans. Each facility has agreed to inform all of the residents who are in their facility the night before we come that the VA will be there the next day and will have the veterans available during the times we will be there.

Community outreach for homeless veterans would be a good way to increase the number of veterans served and to increase our exposure in the community. I would be grateful for your consideration of this idea.

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