Homeless for the Holidays

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! The holiday season usually inspires good cheer and warm feelings all around. While I'm thankful for a loving family and home to go back to at this time of year, my new position at Habitat has opened my eyes to others who don't have the same luxury. I decided to simply Google Homeless for the Holidays to see what information could be gathered and what could be done about the situation.

What I didn't expect to find was an article written by retired Air Force Colonel Terry Stevens about veterans who have returned from war and will be living on the streets this holiday season. The statistics regarding this were mindblowing. One in particular, "The VA estimates that, conservatively, one-in-three homeless men in America have at one time, worn a military uniform.", was downright appalling. What started off as quick surfing to learn more about my community and the poverty Habitat stives to fight against turned into something much more. After reading this article and a little light research my entire perception of individuals suffering from homelessness and the factors leading up to that tragedy have been completely redifined.

Homeless for the Holidays
by Terry Stevens
http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,181752,00.html