Photo Not Available's video: Homeless Veterans Find Help Hope Documentary Short

SAN DIEGO HIGH SCHOOL, UPPER ATHLETIC FIELD (CBS News), July 2010 - "Some veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan into the recession are finding themselves homeless. Scott Pelley reports on an annual encampment in San Diego where veterans can find hope, help, and services." How many homeless veterans are there in the U.S.? According to Pelley, "[There were] a quarter of a million on the streets last year." © 60 Minutes Nine years later apparently not much has changed. In Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State homelessness looks like it is on the rise. From Sacramento to Seattle I see men and women pushing overloaded bicycles along the shoulder of Interstate 5 and panhandling on freeway off-ramps, tent cities growing like multi-colored wildflowers under overpasses, shopping carts overflowing with personal belongings abandoned on city streets, and human beings, sometimes with a dog or cat in tow, living in cars, spending the night in vacant storefronts, resting on benches at bus stops or sleeping on sidewalks made of concrete. This is beyond sad. This is unconscionable. That said, in no way am I criticizing the dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to make a dent in this complex problem happening right now, to quote Lee Greenwood, from Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA. They go above and beyond the call of duty to fight an uphill battle. I salute them for their outstanding performance of duty, which reflects greatly upon themselves and their organizations. During my time at the California Department of Veterans Affairs I volunteered at stand downs in San Diego, Long Beach, Ventura County, Sacramento, and the East Bay. My lasting impression? As Phil Ochs sang, There but for fortune may go you or I. Below is a list of California stand downs and organizations helping homeless veterans break the cycle of homelessness and links to two pertinent reports my colleagues and I submitted to the California Veterans Board and/or the Office of Gov. Gray Davis in 2002. STAND DOWNS IN CALIFORNIA San Diego Stand Down (the first Stand Down in the U.S.) https://vvsd.net/standdown/ Developed by Jon Nachison and his colleague, Robert Van Keuren. Currently led by Chaplain Darcy Pavich USN, Ret. Los Angeles Veterans Stand Down https://mva.lacounty.gov/ Supported by the late Col. Joe Smith USMC, Ret, director, LA County Military & Veterans Affairs. Ventura County Stand Down http://www.venturacountystanddown.org/ Currently led by Claire Hope. Supported by Dr. Cal Farmer, PhD. Santa Barbara County Veterans Stand Down https://www.sbcountystanddown.com/index.html Ridgecrest Veterans Stand Down https://www.ridgecrestevents.com/ Central Valley Veterans Stand Down https://www.centralvalleyveterans.org/central-valley-veteranrsquos-stand-down.html Sacramento Stand Down https://www.sacramentostanddown.org/ Founded by Don Harper. Previously led by Don Harper, Barbara Ross. Placer Veterans Stand Down https://placerveteransstanddown.org/2019-2/ Yuba-Sutter Veterans Stand Down http://www.yubasutterveteransstanddown.org/ Nevada County All Veterans Stand Down https://www.ncavsd.org/ Plumas County Stand Down https://www.tpcvc.com/contato-1 Stand Down on the Delta https://www.deltaveteransgroup.org/stand-down-on-the-delta East Bay Stand Down https://eastbaystanddown.org/ Founded and currently led by Denver Mills. North Coast Stand Down https://www.northcoaststanddown.org/ ORGANIZATIONS (community-based, non-profit, non-governmental) UNITED STATES National Coalition for Homeless Veterans http://www.nchv.org/ ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, NEVADA, TEXAS, WASHINGTON D.C. U.S. VETS | United States Veterans Initiative https://www.usvetsinc.org/ Currently led by Steve Peck. Previously known as L.A. VETS. Housing Homeless Veterans in Los Angeles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vcQUyaVQIY ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, NEVADA Veterans Resources of America https://www.vetsresource.org/ Currently led by Peter Cameron. Previously known as Vietnam Veterans of California, Inc. CALIFORNIA California Association of Veteran Service Agencies https://californiaveterans.org/ SAN DIEGO Veterans Village of San Diego (founder of Stand Down) https://vvsd.net/ Previously known as Vietnam Veterans of San Diego. Formerly led by Cdr. Al Pavich USN (Ret.). LOS ANGELES New Directions for Veterans https://ndvets.org/ Previously known as New Directions. Formerly led by Toni Reinis. SAN FRANCISCO Swords to Plowshares https://www.swords-to-plowshares.org/ Currently led by Michael Blecker. REPORTS A Study on the Status of Homeless Veterans in California Contributors included Stephen Peck, MSW, whose contribution was invaluable. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/2002_CA_Dept_VA_Hmeless_Vets-reduced.pdf Recommendations of the Interagency Task Force on Homelessness https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/recommendations-interagency-task-force-homelessness https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012408231 # # #