I am service-connected disabled Veteran who became homeless in 2008 – November 27th, 2008 to be exact. That was the day I got out of prison. I was incarcerated on a four-year sentence for felony DWI and possession of a controlled substance.

I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the Gurney Unit of TDCJ, and rededicated my life to Christ. Although I was paroled on November 27th, 2008 and I had rededicated my life, that didn’t mean my life became perfect. I struggled with homelessness and substance abuse which made it very difficult to become a contributing member of society. I sought help through many avenues about both my homelessness and substance abuse issues.

I was taken in by my ex-wife in Cooke County and then by some wonderful friends from my church.

In June of 2014 I was awarded Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation benefits from the VA and am now attending Grayson College pursing a degree in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling. I have been clean of any substance abuse for 21 months.

Approximately November, just before Thanksgiving 2014, I was re-acquainted with an old friend who is a HUD-VASH recipient. He told me of his life’s turmoil the last 3 to 4 years and how the HUD-VASH program had changed his life, I applied… and on April 9, 2015 I was approved for the program.

Having housing assistance has given me a new lease on life. This new freedom has given me back my self-esteem, self-worth, and independence. I can now pursue my educational goals at college and have my own place to come home to – to study, cook, sleep and live independently – something I have not experienced in over 9 years.

The HUD-VASH program not only provides me with housing assistance, but through the VA it also provides may other valuable services that help me in achieving my goals and maintaining my sobriety.

I am personally grateful to the Veteran’s Administration and the HUD-VASH program for helping me by giving me this new lease on life and helping me to become a functioning and contributing member of society, a long standing dream.

How you can help

By making a contribution, you can help give a Veteran a fresh start, a place to call HOME.

Donation Type

You may choose to donate an amount different than what is listed below (minimum $5 increments). Simply select one of the values from the drop down menu and continue to PayPal. The payment form will allow you to adjust the quantity of the denomination you select.

Make a choiceHome Sweet Home (All Categories) $2,500.00 USDBunker (Living Room Essentials) $1,000.00 USDRack Room (Bedroom Essentials) $700.00 USDFront Line Funding (Deposit Assistance) $300.00 USDKitchen Patrol (Kitchen Essentials) $250.00 USDLatrine Duty (Bathroom Essentials) $150.00 USDSquared Away (Cleaning Essentials) $100.00 USD
50 Dollars $50.00 USD25 Dollars $25.00 USD10 Dollars $10.00 USD5 Dollars $5.00 USD

If you would like to make a contribution in an amount other than what is listed above, please contact Rayleen Bingham at (903) 813-3536.

Housing Homeless Veterans

On any given night there are more than 67 thousand homeless veterans in the United States, with Texas as one of four states that account for more than 50% of all homeless veterans. There are over 130 homeless veterans right here in Texoma and they are suffering. They are suffering from combat related physical and mental health issues and are 20 times more likely to commit suicide, as many feel lost, alone, and forgotten.

We enjoy freedoms that no other country in this world enjoys. Those freedoms were fought for and continue to be protected by our service men and women. As Americans, we owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans. A pat on the back and a “thank you for your service” may suffice for most of our veterans, but our homeless veterans need more from us.

Recognizing the disturbing reality, Dr. Susan Thomas, TCOG Executive Director, said, “The fact that there is one homeless vet in Texoma, let alone 130, is simply inexcusable, and as a community we have to acknowledge the problem, agree it is unacceptable, and work together to ensure that none of our veterans feel forgotten.”

Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) administers the Veterans Administrative Supportive Housing Program (VASH). The program is a collaborative effort between two federal agencies; the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Veterans Administration (VA), and the program represents the first time these two federal agencies have worked together to deliver a program.

The concept of the collaboration is sound; the VA provides homeless veterans with long-term case management as well as medical services and HUD provides a housing voucher. However, one minor detail in the development of the program was overlooked. Homeless veterans have nothing to put inside their new home; not a bed, a couch, not even a spoon or a fork.

Housing a Veteran without the necessary and basic essentials to create a home has been identified as the primary reason they return to their homeless community. We can provide all the mental health and medical services they need; we can place four walls around them and put a roof over their heads. However, if they don’t have a place they can call home – a place where they can lay their head at night on a pillow, in a bed, and feel secure – they are much less likely to succeed in their effort to re-enter society.

On April 21, 2015 TCOG will initiate a campaign to secure approximately $62,500 in financial support to fill this gap and to create the “homes” our homeless veterans deserve. Donations will be used to purchase essential furniture and household items such as a bed, couch, kitchen table and chairs, cleaning supplies, linens and kitchen items. The cost to provide these essentials to each veteran is approximately $2,500. TCOG is seeking corporate, non-profit and individual sponsors to support this effort. 100% of all funds raised will be used to purchase items for Veteran’s homes. All gifted items become the property of the veteran. Contributions are tax-deductible and can be made via TCOG’s website at www.tcog.com/vash.

Commenting on the prospects of reaching their fundraising goal, Thomas stated, “We know that we will have a more successful program with higher retention rates and that we will be able to transform the lives of these deserving veterans if we provide them a safe, secure, and stable environment to live in. As a community, if we pool our resources and each give what we can, whether its $25 or $2,500, we will be well on our way to ensuring that all veterans in Texoma receive the respect, honor, and support they deserve. I feel very confident our community will respond to this call.”

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson Counties. Established in 1968, the Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Either directly, or through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

GRAYSON COUNTY, TX — Officials with the Texoma Council of Governments say nearly 10 percent of the homeless population in Texoma are veterans.

Many live on the streets and go from shelter to shelter but one organization is working to help provide them with permanent housing.

TCOG officials say helping our veterans should be a top priority in the community, that is why they have been working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans to help out our homeless veterans get back on track to a normal life.

Since 2012, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, or VASH, has been helping veterans like Steve Norby get back on their feet.

“I’m living a great life filled with purpose,” Norby said. “Everyday is a good day.”

It wasn’t always good.

The navy veteran says after he left the service, he faced problems with money, alcohol, and depression.

That downward spiral led to life on the streets, constantly moving from shelter to shelter.

“I went seriously down at one point and went far far down,” Norby said.

Things turned around for Norby when the Texoma Council of Governments came to him and awarded him with one of 25 vouchers for the HUD-VASH program, helping him get a home of his own.

The program’s goal is to provide homeless vets with Section 8 housing, as well as helping them with other VA benefits.

Now, TCOG has been awarded 25 more vouchers to help even more veterans in need.

“Housing and having a place of your own is very important and the VASH gave me the opportunity to have that,” said Norby. “It’s not an opportunity I would have had otherwise.”

Rayleen Bingham, TCOG Section 8 Program Manager, says the award of 25 more vouchers is a blessing.

Usually communities only receive around 10-15 vouchers.

“This offers stability for them and that’s something some of them haven’t had in a long time when they come to us,” Norby said. “Stability means they can focus on other things now that they have a roof over their head now.”

TCOG Executive Director, Susan Thomas, says the award of more vouchers would not have been possible without the community’s support.

“The community stepped up in tremendous fashion in the last round of vouchers and provided items, clothes, linens, toiletries, and everything that veteran needed to make that house a home,” Thomas said.

Veterans for the HUD-VASH program are chosen by a VA case manager.

For more information on this progam, contact the Texoma Council of Governments

http://www.texoma.cog.tx.us/

Source: http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/TCOG–266531411.html