Accidental call to suicide prevention hotline gave family back hope

Veteran, family rebuilding lives after five-year struggle
VOA program targets former service members in need
7:48 PM, Dec. 24, 2011

Written by
Melody Brumble

"I was in the first wave to enter Kuwait in Desert Storm," he said. "I only served in the military four years, though. I didn't think I'd done enough to qualify for benefits."

Brett and Ida Smith are home after a five-year journey that tested their faith and forced them to face the specter of homelessness.

This morning the Smiths and their three children will wake in a place of their own with groceries in the pantry after spending nearly five years in a 40-foot-by-16-foot mobile home with Ida Smith's mom north of Shreveport. A pile of surprises from Santa will be waiting under the tree.

Logan, 17, and Alison, 13, took turns sleeping on the floor. Shannon, 10, slept in a king-sized bed with her parents. The mobile home didn't have heat so the family depended on a gas stove and electric space heaters for warmth. The home also lacked adequate hot water.

"I tried to call the veterans help hotline, then when someone answered I realized I had dialed the wrong number and it was the suicide hotline," he recalled.

The wrong number turned out to be the right answer. Someone referred the Smiths to the Volunteers of America, which enrolled the family in a new support services program to help veterans' families avoid homelessness.

"When I initially met with them, they mentioned that the only thing their children wanted for Christmas was a house of their own," said Gary Jaynes, who oversees the program for VOA.

VOA uses a $400,000 federal grant to prevent veterans' families from becoming homeless or to quickly find them new housing.
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