Program in Washington state helps keep rural veterans and their families from going homeless

A program in southwestern Washington is helping keep rural veterans and their families from ending up homeless. In the past, the local housing authority had to wait for a veteran to become homeless before giving assistance, and the programs were for veterans only, not their families. But the newly formed Supportive Services for Veteran Families program "provides guidance to veterans and families who earn 30 percent below the federal poverty level and are most at risk of becoming homeless," Lyxan Toledanes reports for The Daily News in Longview. A $480,000 state grant will help the program start a mobile unit, allowing them to visit veterans in rural Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum counties.

As part of the program, veterans serve as navigators, who "assist case managers in helping veterans understand and find veterans’ benefits and other services, such as health care, personal financial planning, transportation, legal, child care and tenant education," Toledanes writes. Helping out has been beneficial to veterans like Michael Fischer, a Marine who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing combat and ended up homeless before getting back on his feet with the help of the housing authority. Fischer told Toledanes, “We got hired for a reason. We’re open to the guys and giving ourselves to them. They’re going to pick up on that. I know they are, because I was (like them).”

Another veteran who overcame hardships, and now serves as a navigator, is George Brokaw. Brokaw told Toledanes, “For every veteran out there, there is hope. I want to let them know that someone out there does care. I don’t mind hugging.” (Read more) (Daily News photo by Bill Wagner: From left Michael Fischer, Della Mowell, George Brokaw and David Pennington are helping start the program)