From Military.com:
“VA Asks Public for Donations to
Help Homeless Veterans Through Pandemic”
The Department of Veterans
Affairs asked the public Monday to write a check, donate food and contribute
mobile phones to help homeless veterans and those at risk of eviction to get
through the COVID-19 pandemic. "Individuals and organizations are asked to
donate essential items such as non-perishables to combat food insecurity and
new mobile phones to enable veterans to access VA telehealth services,"
the department said in a release. In addition, "monetary donations will
also be accepted to help veterans pay for security deposits for living
arrangements to prevent homelessness," it said. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie
said that the department is "working tirelessly to address the urgent
needs of Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and, with the
help of the community, even more can be done." "These donations can
make a critical difference in the department's ability to protect and serve
vulnerable veterans during this public health emergency," Wilkie said in a
statement. The VA has a record of accepting tax-deductible donations for a
variety of programs, but the latest request indicated the potential impact on
veterans from soaring unemployment rates, inevitable failures to pay rent and
meet mortgage payments, and the long road to recovery expected from the
economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. Last week, the VA reported that
it has been able to increase the number of hospital beds available during the
pandemic, while maintaining supply streams and staffing nationwide. "VA's
team has managed its resources wisely during this crisis," Wilkie said in
the May 13 release. The plea for donations came a day before Wilkie is to defend
the VA's response to the novel coronavirus threat and the department's plan for
reopening facilities at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee. On
Monday, the VA reported that the death toll among its patients treated for the
coronavirus had risen to 1,012 among a total of 12,242 cases. The last count of
homeless veterans by the Department of Housing and Urban Development in
November estimated that there were about 37,000 homeless veterans nationwide --
more than 22,000 in temporary shelters and more than 14,000 "living in
places not meant for human habitation." Veterans service organizations and
advocacy groups have increasingly warned of a rise in veteran homelessness
during the pandemic and called for increased funding from Congress to keep
veterans off the streets. At a virtual hearing of the House Veterans Affairs
Committee on April 28, Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition of Homeless
Veterans, said another $1.34 billion is needed on top of the $17 billion
authorized for the VA under the CARES Act signed into law on March 27. Avoiding
a major increase in veteran homelessness "will require significant
investment in programs to serve homeless veterans," Monet said.
^ For all the faults of the VA I
do believe in helping Veterans (homeless and non-homeless.) I also like that
the VA is accepting cash, non-perishable food and cell phones. Many charities
have become greedy and only want cash (the saying “Beggars can’t be choosers” comes
to mind.) Hopefully people, organizations, the VA and the Federal Government in
general will come to the aid of the men and women who risked everything for all
of us and need a little help right now. ^
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/05/18/va-asks-public-donations-help-homeless-veterans-through-pandemic.html
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