What The difference a home makes?

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 12:10:42 -0400

What The difference a home makes?

'I got a second shot. I’m not going to let it pass'

Veteran has a chance to change his life for good - what do you think RP members?

Veteran Housing should be on the agenda for the next POTUS as well!

http://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/the-difference-a-home-makes-1.326664

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A simple rule guided Travis Goodman during the years he sought shelter in vacant houses across Ohio’s capital city.

“Go in late, get out early.”

Slipping into an empty home after nightfall and vanishing before daybreak reduced the risk that a neighbor would spot him and call police. If he moved only in the dark, he could sleep unnoticed in the same house for days, sometimes weeks.

But now and then alcohol and pot loosened his discipline. The cops would show up and arrest the former Marine, charging him with trespassing or drug possession or both. He might stay in a homeless shelter for a stretch before resuming his particular style of house hunting.

Goodman worked a string of construction and warehouse jobs that earned him enough to afford a place of his own. He chose instead to invest in his vices, and when money ran short, he turned to petty theft and check forgery. There were more short stints in jail as lessons went unlearned.

He spun in that cycle for more than a decade until the day in 2011 when he received a call from his sister. She had seen a report on TV about a new housing community for disabled and homeless veterans. She urged him to apply for an apartment there.

The call coincided with his growing sense that he needed to change. The old military man felt hollowed out in body and mind.

“I got tired of being tired, and I got tired of being ashamed,” said Goodman, 54, who grew up in Columbus and joined the Marines in 1978 for a three-year stint. “Your conscience starts to get to you. You start seeing yourself as less than human.”

In summer 2012, he received approval to move into the Commons at Livingston, a red-brick, three-story housing complex of 50 one-bedroom units run by National Church Residences. The nonprofit housing provider, based in Columbus, expanded the campus last year, doubling its capacity to house 100 veterans.

The difference a home makes

Living with fellow veterans in permanent supportive housing offers a healing camaraderie, an oasis of shared experience and empathy. “For some of them, being here is the first time they’ve felt connected to anyone since they got out of the military.”

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Sep 21 at 2015 12:15 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 12:15:53 -0400

With all of the houses that are sitting empty due to foreclosure, or just abandoned and the issues with run down communities, I am all for letting the veterans who need a hand move in, work the area, and make a better life for themselves. I am glad that this is being addressed. It is about time that the US was more concerned about saving our own than saving the world.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Sep 21 at 2015 12:16 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 12:16:09 -0400

The number of homeless in general in this country is an embarrassment. A large percentage of these are of course veterans. This is a scourge. No-one in the richest country in the world, the most powerful country in the world, should be homeless. Certainly no-one who has worn a uniform...

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Sep 21 at 2015 12:25 PM

SSG Warren Swan — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 12:25:00 -0400

I'm not going to focus on the negative, but look at the positive. He went through trying times and was beat up as a man and a Marine. But with support from family and a desire to TRY both the man and the Marine are good to go. You can't ask for more than that. Glad he got some help and a chance to start anew.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Sep 21 at 2015 12:48 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 12:48:55 -0400

The apartment is a refuge and a constant in a sea of variables.

Response by CMSgt Mark Schubert made Sep 21 at 2015 1:04 PM

CMSgt Mark Schubert — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:04:23 -0400

This is an excellent example of someone who had the ability all along to make a change, but just needed a little bit of help! It doesn't take much sometimes for someone to realize that there are people out there who do care - and a little encouragement can go a LONG way!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2015 2:41 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 14:41:59 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I believe every aspect of a veteran's rights should be dealt with.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 21 at 2015 7:09 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 19:09:36 -0400

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, thanks for sharing Sir. Although this is only a small step in the right direction of fixing the homeless issue amongst veterans, it's a necessary step and I'm looking forward to seeing more improvements and stepped up efforts from our government in the future.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Sep 22 at 2015 10:46 AM

LTC Stephen F. — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 10:46:40 -0400

A house or place to stay is not a home. A home is someplace secure even if only in our mind as the victims of abuse can testify to.
Everybody who has served in the military for at least a couple years has been sent to places that they lived in that were not home in any sense of the term. We have been sent to places where we were transients who were either ignored or unwelcome.
Travis Goodman's plight is not unique to veterans and his experience is not either. Communities of people are the best helpers of other people - the difficulty can be connecting with a "good "community.
Federal government solutions for the homeless, the indigent, and the outcasts of society usually adds a stigma to those ho receive the services - even if that is not an intended consequence it frequently accompanies welfare solution.
The best and most stable home solutions that I seen or heard of are those like Habitat for Humanity which requires sweat equity on the part of prospective owners and heklps them secure their own home.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Sep 24 at 2015 6:00 AM

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 06:00:19 -0400

Hopefully this will the boost he needs to permanently change his life.