September 2010

For Vets-Fannie Mae Will Offer 6 month Forbearance

If you are a family who has a service member who has been injured or killed in the line of duty, you may be eligible for this program.  I was just told about this today, so I don’t have a lot of information.   You will want to call and discuss this with your existing loan servicer if you have a Fannie Mae Loan.  In case you need the explanation of how a forbearance generally works, visit  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbearance

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Data.gov - A Cool Site With Lots Of Great Info

http://www.Data.gov I just found this site and wanted to share it.  It has a ton of info and reports.  If you have a project or just an “inquiring mind”, this is sure to be a hit.  Check it out and get the data you need.

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Homeless Veterans - A Short Message

By Laverne John Riley Jr.

Our Nations veterans are a national treasure. That’s right… a treasure. Unfortunately in today’s culture, veterans are rarely acknowledged. I mean sure, you can ask someone if they know a vet or if they respect a vet and most will readily say yes, but where is their action? I can tell you… I am a combat veteran, and much of the social perceptions and cultural understandings of sacrifice and commitment of veterans is completely misunderstood, ignored and even looked down upon by many young people today. Now, due to the Iraq War there are many young veterans and they of course understand this issue and the problems veterans face, and they are all heroes! However, there are many others who really have no clue. For this I am disheartened. What I am however, is impressed by the motivation, policy and movement by our government in creating more resources, programs and systems for veterans. The Veterans Administration is committing a great deal of funding and man power to helping veterans today. I am impressed by the action of many of our leaders in helping veterans today in finding employment, helping with housing, mental health, substance abuse, suicide, family issues and many other problematic conditions plaguing veterans. There seems to be a call for duty among our leaders to help these hero’s! However, there is still much work to be done and many are still suffering! If we are to combat homelessness and other veterans problems it will take ALL OF US.

Homelessness

According to the Veterans Administration there is an estimated 200,000 veterans chronically homeless. On any given night during a year there is an estimated 400,000 homeless veterans. According to the Urban Institute on Homelessness approximately 23% of all homeless people are veterans; about 1 in 3. Of course, these stats are not accurate. There is no way to accurately quantify the number of homeless veterans; it is estimation, and one that is unacceptable!

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, many of the homeless veterans (about 96% are male) and about 4% are female. Many come from poor communities, have little support structures of family, suffer from mental illness (about 45%), have substance abuse problems (about 50%), many served for 3 years (about 67%), and many served in combat zones (about 33%).

Why Are They Homeless?

Understand that many suffer from ecological conditions beyond their control as well as individual choice issues. They lack affordable housing, a livable earning wage, they lack consistent health care, lack of support structures and many suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse issues (NCHV, 2008). Furthermore, it is a compilation and a manifestation of many issues and problems for which homeless veterans find themselves living on the street. One interesting fact is that much of the funding in the system to help homeless veterans are structured in good faith to help veterans and their families and or woman from becoming homeless; however this leaves single male veterans at very high risk and the evidential outcomes prove such statements (NCHV, 2008).

Even with the Veterans Administration helping veterans it is estimated that they only reach about 25% of needing veterans. This means that there are many areas and needs for programs that will reach veterans in many areas they have been missed (NCHV, 2008).

What Do Veterans Need?

Veterans need motivated and compassionate people, services and resources willing to reach out and make a difference? Are you that person? If so, contact your local VFW or Veterans Administration and ask them how you can help!

Veterans need community based programs for which have been deemed most effective through qualitative and quantitative research. Well funded community based programs by federal, state and local funding with a strong level of feasibility and variability is important. Areas of need include; mental health programs (outpatient / residential), substance abuse treatment (outpatient / residential), housing programs, transportation programs, rehabilitation programs, homeless programs, food programs, employment assistance, etc. There are so many needs, but these are just a few! Most of all, veterans need and deserve your emotional and social support as a friend, family member or leader.

Remember, veterans were not born with an identity for preference; they earned it. Every veteran sacrificed a great deal for their identity. Regardless of what they may be suffering from; they deserve treatment, they deserve respect and they deserve your love in helping them in their time of need. In times for which this country needed them, all volunteered or were ordered; never the less they served and the American culture and people must stop and take the time to realize this enormous sacrifice. I realize that no man or woman could possibly fathom the sacrifice without actually being inside the shoes of these heroes, but I am asking America to at least try to become educated; try to gain insight to the incredible sacrifice these veterans have made regarding themselves and their own families.

I will now close with a poem for which my experiences can relate as a veteran. I write for all those veterans who have sacrificed; regardless of their branch of service or position; regardless of their race or creed. They are my brothers and sisters… I stand with them.

A Soldiers Wish

By L. J. Riley Jr.

Ordered to those far off lands; into God and generals hands.

Circumstance where faith must roam; wish for me to soon be home.

Prepared for this? No one can say. Duty calls my place today.

Between commitment and my life; I hope I live to see my wife.

Beyond such want, and even more; behind my will I lock the door.

Courage calls and I must say; what plans lay kept for me today?

Marching toward uncertainty; unto grips of destiny.

Hands are filled with cold blue steel; I pray for strength, to God I kneel.

Men mingle in their deathly dance; compromise has lost its chance.

Over bodies, trenches, mines; seared within my shattered mind.

Fight or flight to live or die. Over head those bullets fly.

Behold my life, has lost its gold. Spent by hate before I’m old.

Explosions lamp, a rumbling noise; waypoints hold a soldiers poise.

Guided glow by compass hand, in darkness through this foreign land.

One eye open, one eye shut; a soldier digs a shallow rut.

Taking turns, a resting day; I hope my dreams take me away.

Staring stars bring thoughts too soon. Does my lover see that moon?

Is it that to call our own? Somewhere between the lands we roam?

A soldier thinks, a soldier cares, a soldiers boots begin to wear.

Soldiers pray mail calls their name; letters keep a soldier sane.

As some may live, some will die; leaders laugh, leaders cry.

When ugliness of man has spoke. When battle fields have cleared of smoke.

Some will ride among a plane; some will ride upon a boat.

Families wait and set their clocks; the silent ones ride in their box.

Home will never be the same. Parts of me do not remain.

Deathly faces in my dreams. Wakened by familiar screams.

Within my role, I’m still not here. My soul is forced to live in fear.

Time is served but never done; a mind at war that’s never won.

So if it’s said; if it’s lied. That veteran soldier’s never cried.

That killing fuels a soldiers will. That soldiers crave a battles thrill.

That vision’s of a man’s demise excites a soldier through their eyes.

If any carry such a thought; you’ll know they never truly fought.

Trust me to say…I know too well.

Somewhere between this life and hell; they sacrificed themselves as well.

If soldiers had a chance to say; a statement gave upon release.

A soldier my friend…would wish for peace

Poem Copyright2005 / Published2005

Compassionpwr@juno.com

L.J. Riley Jr. is a Michigan native, a graduate of Davison High School, a graduate of the U.S. Army Combat Infantry School, Bradley Fighting Vehicle School and Dragon Missle School. L.J. or John Riley is a combat veteran and served in Oper. Desert Shield / Storm. He left the military and enrolled at Mott Community College, graduating with Phi Theta Kappa and pursuing a BSW at the University of Michigan Flint where he won the “Maize and Blue” Scholar Award. L.J. then was accepted to the one year Masters program at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor MSW Program for clinical social work. He graduated in 2007 with a 4.0 and the acceptance of the Howard and Judith Simms Fellowship. L.J. loves people, loves helping people and seeks to change lives directly and in-directly through his writing.

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Military Veteran’s Who Abuse The System

Military Veteran’s Who Abuse The SBy Nona Nixon

I have became so frustrated with the system which advocates for military veterans. I continually work within the military veteran community only to view how many people who actually work within this system do not care about military veterans. One would think this is enough to become frustrated, but there is more. What’s even more frustrating is viewing the military veterans who abuse the very system which abuses them.

There are military veterans who abuse the system. This is performed with not caring how many other veterans truly need the aid as well as services provided, due to military veterans abusing the system, this creates a backlog which holds up aid to military veterans who are in dire need of help. What I speak of in this instance are military veterans who are constantly in and out of the drug and alcohol rehab programs. I do understand that people whether military veterans or other groups of people can suffer relapses, but when I continually view these particular veterans entering and exiting out of drug rehab sponsored by the “Veteran Affairs”, this informs me they are not serious about truly escaping drug and alcohol abuse, they are merely concerned with having a place to go as well as a roof over their head when they hit rock bottom.

This is of course compiled with “VA Employees” who do not genuinely care about aiding veterans and are merely there drawing a government paycheck as well as benefits. I feel that our country can not truly care about the veteran community until veterans as a whole start caring about themselves. I am not stating that the majority of veterans are lazy bums nor am I stating that majority wise they do not care, but there is that minority that screws everything up for the “good” ones. I feel military veterans are very moralistic, proud people, whether they are male or female. Most military veterans do not even want to utilize the “Veteran Affairs Medical Center”, for obvious reasons, but they do not have a choice due to high costs of insurance rates as well as many other expenses, basically veterans do what they have to do, in order to receive medical care. It’s the lowlife’s which consist in all groups of people who continually abuse the systems who should first and foremost be ashamed of themselves, but then again, when one is tweaked out on drugs or alcohol or both, caring is not a priority.

Something else that really makes me see “red”, is while these “bums” are blatantly abusing the system, they will be the first ones to stand on self-made soapboxes and scream “I”m a veteran and YOU owe me”! I have news for these bums, I personally do not owe them anything, for I have served my time, I feel that where our nation should be grateful and treat veterans better, one only deserves respect and honor from our civilian population only when we act in a way which deserves respect and honor. We veterans should hold ourselves to a higher standard, reason why? We have represented our country and to lower ourselves to demeaning behavior as well as becoming career criminals or drug addicts as well as abusers of alcohol is a disgrace to the service most speak so highly of. Do I not understand that life is cruel sometimes and people in general screw up? Of course this happens, but where is the line drawn on obtaining the knowledge that one has to straighten their lives out and stop believing that you are excused for this behavior on the sole excuse that you are a military veteran.

Our country does owe we veterans a lot. Do we get what we deserve? Of course not, this is even more the reason to not abuse the system. Veterans are dealing with a system that is seriously backlogged as well as uncaring, one should understand that the “Veteran Affairs” is not an advocacy group, they are a Federal Entity which has been deemed by “Congress” to oversee affairs for our military veterans, in fact, all funds allotted to the “Veteran Affairs” is channeled directly from Congress, therefore, veterans need to understand that sometimes particular monies are not available due to budget cuts, this should wake up all veterans in knowing that sometimes veterans do not get the help they need due to particular slots not being open in particular programs, which is due to veterans abusing the system.

I say we need to weed out these bums and start placing limitations on their many returns to our drug and alcohol rehab’s within the “Veteran Affairs Medical Centers”. When a veteran is discharged clean and sober, I feel that they should have to stay away for at least a year, as far as the drug/alcohol abuse is concerned, if they decide to get high or begin abusing alcohol once again, force them to go to the local rehab’s and forced them to pay out of their own pocket’s, this might be a wakeup call for these people.

I’m tired of viewing people who are not abuser’s of the system being turned away, merely because they do not know the ins/outs of the system. Let’s hope the “Veteran Affairs” wises up to this crisis soon, especially in knowing of the huge wave of veterans coming back from the current war, we have to make room for these kids coming back, they need our help, and I personally do not want to see them turned away because someone is spending their fifth stay in the drug/alcohol rehab center in two years, it’s not fair, it’s not sane. If you want to be a proud veteran, then lead the life where one can be proud of, do not scream everyone owes you, for our country has proved how they owe us nothing, even more importantly, life itself owes us nothing, but we on the otherhand, owe everything to life. I wish more veterans would contemplate the true meaning of honor and respect as well as pride, if they did, they would not be the bums which abuse the very system which abuses them.

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