How many times have you gotten up and at some point in the day thought, it can't get any worse? We've all felt that way. Usually, our day gets better and we often think about other things and become re-engaged with our lives and our family.
Some of our military members and their families, and many times veterans who are already out of service, find themselves thinking "can it get any worse?" Usually it's when a member of the family is deployed, the car breaks down, the hot water heater breaks, the dental bill for Suzy's braces comes in or the family finds that someone in the family needs new glasses. These are challenges we all have but for our military families, many of these crises are faced with either the husband or wife deployed and the family left behind must fix what needs to be fixed or support what needs to be paid with a higher level of anxiety because they are making the decisions and making the changes on their own.
A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom came to me last week and after the normal hugs and "how are you's", we sat and chatted to catch us each up on the other's life. Our veteran told me about being released from the transitional housing program at the local VA Hospital and that he is in a small apartment with a job at the local university. He's doing food service and catering right now and hopes his job won't disappear if the economy continues to be a challenge. He walks the 15 blocks to and from work and said as soon as he's saved enough money for a car, he hope to be able to drive again. You see, he lost his car when he became homeless less than a year ago and had to sell the car to eat. Finding a space in the transitional housing program was a great help and now that he is out, he has a job, a renewed look at life and waits to receive a call from the national donor registry since he's on dialysis due to a shrapnel injury in Irag which left him with 2 damaged kidney's. He's eating as well as he can since the VA pulled his teeth and he's waiting on his dentures. But, he claims all in all, eventhough he has some bad nights with his PTSD and he often awakes finding himself sleeping in his closet for safety, life is good.
Our veterans serve in silence and ask for very little in return. In fact, when they are in trouble, they are often too proud to admit it and therefore, by the time they ask for the help they need and deserve, they are many times in over their heads. Operation Homefront Hampton Roads help military families and wounded warriors who need help and you can help too. Although our Veteran is out of service and we are unable to assist directly, you can help by helping us find a donated car. This will help him stay employed if his job is lost over the summer due to decreased food service needs at the college. Please contact Operation Homefront Hampton Roads if you'd like to hear more about how YOU can make a difference for a military family or wounded warrior in need. www.operationhomefront.net/hamptonroads
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