Decade of service, no benefits, living in car

Decade of service, no benefits, living in car
Jun. 2, 2012
Written by
Dustin Barnes

Fast Facts

•There are an estimated 205,644 veterans living in Mississippi as of Sept. 30, 2010.
•Veterans comprise roughly 7 percent of the state population.
•In the tri-county area, there are more than 31,300 veterans.
•Nearly 5 percent of homeless veterans in the country are female.
•An estimated 67,000 veterans in the U.S. are homeless on any given night.
•8 percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

Paula Frazier is an average, middle-aged woman who doesn't draw attention to herself.

But over the last six months, she's had to reach out - make herself known - because she needs help.

Even though she served with the Army National Guard for roughly a decade, Frazier doesn't meet the requirements to receive veterans benefits.
v So, she's living out of her car.

"I feel lost. Empty," said Frazier, 47. "It's just a constant roll of stress going over me.

"What do I do tomorrow? What do I do today?"

Frazier's efforts to reach out may be paying off - not with the local Veterans Affairs office but with a homeless advocacy group.
read more here


Former Army National Guardsman Paula Frazier, 47, lives out of her car. After learning she doesn't qualify for many benefits because she was never deployed, Frazier has been struggling to find work and save enough money to put a roof over her head. / Greg Jenson/The Clarion-Ledger