A Tribune Op-Ed
The following was originally published on April 22, 2017.
As a country, we're failing our military veterans.
From suicides to a high
unemployment rate and a frustratingly persistent problem with
homelessness, far too many of those who served us are not being served
by us when they need help.
Despite heroic work by many, that's as true in northern Colorado as it across the country.
Recently, charitable agencies
in Weld and Larimer counties have begun to work together
collaboratively to tackle the issue of homelessness among vets in the
region. The group started its effort this past year. In a little more
than 12 months, the organization identified 261 homeless veterans in
Weld and Larimer. They've managed to find places for 121 of them. From
January through March this year, the group identified 43 homeless
veterans and managed to house 28 of them.
We're glad to see many
organizations in Weld trying to help veterans. The effort to coordinate
services across county lines is a big step, and it's worthy of praise.
Events such as the Veterans Stand Down Days, which bring together a host
of services for veterans in need, offer an excellent example of some of
the meaningful work that's being done.
But overall, as a society,
the issue of homelessness among veterans highlights just how far we've
fallen short. As a country, we've made the choice numerous times in
living memory to send our soldiers to war, but we haven't made the
choice to adequately take care of them when they return.
Click here for the full article.
Source: http://www.greeleytribune.com
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