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 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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http://EzineArticles.com/?Military-Veterans-Who-Abuse-The-System&id=671217

EnergyStar.gov — Check Out Energy Rebates

This is a government site that offers lots of energy saving tips as well as explains what energy saving grants or credits might be available.

Besides the board of realtor sites:  http://theThing.mplsrealtor.com and market data posted elsewhere at http://www.MplsRealtor.com I have a subscription to Realty Trac.  My subscription gives me additional data about foreclosures and trends within certain zip codes.  This is in addition to my daily subscription to Finance & Commerce (a business newspaper that prints all the foreclosure information as well as very timely articles regarding the business community).  If you are looking for someone who has experience and access to information about distressed sales, we need to be working together.  Whether buyer or seller-I can help you understand the market we are in and the options and opportunities available to you.  Give me call today.

These are a couple of my newsletters that have a ton of valuable information. Go check them out.

Foreclosure Market Trends Newsletter
http://www.realtytrac.com/MarketTrends/NewsLetter.aspx?guid=131bd355-1b69-4bd1-99cd-2f0c9a936810

Real Estate Cyber Space Tips
http://www.REcyber.com/cybertips/r11627

Why is it that we forget?

Financial Assistance For Elderly Veterans and Their Widows is a Well Kept SecreBy Sonja Kobrin

Ask an elderly Veteran if they are aware they may be eligible for a pension from the Veteran’s Administration and they will tell you “I’m not eligible because I was not injured in the War.” This is a common misconception which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they well earned by serving our country. The fact is elderly, disabled Veterans and their widows may very well qualify for large sums of money, but they have to apply for the funds. There are several Veteran pensions, but the pension designed to help elderly Veterans and Veteran’s Widows pay for costly Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home fees (if the Veteran is not covered by Medicaid) is called Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance. The pension can pay a married Veteran up to $1,949.00 per month, an unmarried Veteran up to $1,644.00 per month and a Veteran’s Widow can receive up to $1,056.00 per month. The amount one receives is based upon their medical expenses and their current financial and medical status. The pension is paid by check directly to the Veteran or Veteran’s Widow every month as long as they meet the criteria.

The Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance is the government’s best kept secret. I cannot tell you how many seniors have told me that they called Veterans Affairs and were actually told that this pension does not exist or that they do not qualify. For thirteen years, I have assisted Veterans and Veteran’s Widows in obtaining these funds - they really do exist.

To get the maximum pension amount, a Veteran must qualify medically and financially and must have served their country for at least one day during “War Time”. Also the Veteran must have been honorably discharged. Every case is considered individually. If a Veteran or Veteran’s Widow feels they may qualify, they can apply for the pension. The pension can take many months to actually be approved. The average waiting period is three to eight months. The first check will be retroactive to the month the application arrived at the Veterans’ Affairs, therefore the first check may be for thousands of dollars. Subsequent checks will arrive monthly for the approved amount. This pension money can mean the difference between affording adequate care for an aging Veteran/ Widow or having no care at all.

As with any governmental program, success is all in the paperwork. The pension application is many pages long and some of it is in essay form. It is the exact wording used in the essay areas that mean the difference between approval and denial. Also, Veteran’s Affairs does not tell Veterans about all the supporting documents that they would like to see. The better the medical and financial records, the better the chances are of approval. Including the right medical forms signed by a doctor is very important for approval. Also typical of governmental red tape is the frustrating lack of communication. Once the application is filed and in the process of being reviewed, it is nearly impossible to get an update or check on the status of the application unless the Veteran/ Widow make the call themselves. For most of our clients, they are too ill or too confused to make a call like that.

In a perfect world, financial assistance for those who qualify should be easily accessible and easy to get. But the reality is that government agencies are inherently complicated and their application processes are never self explanatory or simple. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse and no one will tell you the rules. The rules are written in a handbook, but the Veterans Affairs is not allowed to give them to you. Seasoned Eldercare professionals can often navigate these processes for you. They may charge for their services, but to attempt to do it yourself and have your application denied, will cost much more money. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs supposedly employs staff to help Veterans and their Widows apply for these pensions for free, but it is these very people who have told so many seniors that they do not qualify, when in fact they could qualify if they made one small change. Perhaps Veteran’s Affairs is afraid that if they made it easy for every Veteran to apply, the pension fund would go broke. Given that War Time includes the Gulf War Era which began in 1990 and has not ended yet, I anticipate the pension fund will one day be either broke or impossible to get. For now, the money is very much available and attainable.

Here are the Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance eligibility criteria for the year 2008.

1) Veteran served in the Military for at least one day during War Time or had a spouse who served at that time. Spouses are people whom you never divorced.

2) Honorably Discharged from the Military.

3) Currently has medical or psychological condition which make the Veteran or Veteran widow dependent on the aid or assistance of a non- family member in order to meet their daily care needs or they reside in an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home ( not on Medicaid). This claim must be supported by physician signed forms, financial data and medical records.

4) Veteran Financial Criteria: Have assets in their own name below $80,000 (if married) or below $50,000 (if single). The car and house does not count as an asset. Annual income below $19,736,.00 (if single) or $ 23,396.00 (if married) after all medical expenses such as insurance premiums/copays, assisted living facility fees, paid caregiver salary, medications, medical transportation/ supplies, certain housing expenses, etc.

5) Veteran Widow Financial Criteria: Assets below $50,000 and income less than $12,681 per year (after medical expenses listed above).

6) Note: Income figures are AFTER MEDICAL EXPENSES. VA may require someone of advanced age to have fewer assets than quoted above. We have seen this when applicants are near 100 years old.

In many cases, if a person has a paid care giver, such as a nurse’s aide, or they pay an assisted living facility, or they pay out of pocket for a nursing home, those expenses impact so greatly on a person’s net income, that they will meet the criteria for the income level.

If a Veteran or Veteran Widow has cash assets above the limit, they are allowed to place those assets into certain investments in order to have them “sheltered”. This sheltering does not have a penalty or “look back period” associated with it. Proper asset sheltering for Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance should be done under the supervision of an elder care professional or attorney well versed in Medicaid planning because one could easily ruin the chances of ever getting Medicaid if the V.A. pension planning was done incorrectly.

With a little professional planning, many Veterans and Veteran Widows can receive pensions that make a significant difference in the amount of care they receive. After all, the reason for this particular pension is to assure that a Veteran or Veteran Widow does not live in a substandard environment in their old age. It takes a little work to apply for this pension, but anything worth having usually does.

Geriatric Care Managers and Elder Health Care Professionals Committed To Providing Senior Care Management, Guardianship, and Long Term Care Planning. Also can call toll free at V.I.P. Care management, inc. 1-877-588-5158.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Financial-Assistance-For-Elderly-Veterans-and-Their-Widows-is-a-Well-Kept-Secret&id=3470434

Thinking about buying a home but don’t know where to start? Why not start by reading the home buyer hand book that we have provided below. It is a great place to start to get the information you need. When you’re ready, we would love to help you find and finance a new home.

I just ran across a new link that I wanted to share– http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/military-families/ There is a report that you can download that has a lot of useful information. Also, I have a link to the IRS as well. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p3/index.html Don’t forget, if you are serving outside the US for 90 days between December 31st 2008 and May 1st 2010 you will have an extra year to qualify for the tax credit. Call us for more details or if you’d like to begin the home buying or mortgage qualifying process.