Homeless veterans hope turned to nightmare

Homeless vets say program promising help was 'a nightmare'
KING 5 News
by LINDA BYRON
Posted on March 6, 2014

Kathie King is still adjusting to her whirlwind move from New Mexico to Oak Harbor -- a move that began last summer after she saw an ad on Craigslist. King said the ad intrigued her because it was titled, “Homes for Heroes, Homes for Veterans.”

King clicked on the ad, which took her to the Making a Difference Foundation website and its Homes for Veterans program. The website stated: “Our program provides safe and secure housing and counseling, financial management, credit repair, legal services, health and social services to veterans and their families as needed. If the veteran successfully completes our program they will be eligible to purchase the home in which they are living in or another home.”

“It all looked really good in the beginning; it really did,” said King, who had been living in an RV.

King said the Making a Difference Foundation program appeared to be offering her a needed lifeline. Founded by Ahndrea Blue, the nonprofit charity's goal is to help people with basic needs like food and housing, according its website. The foundation runs a food bank in Tacoma that won recognition for Blue in 2011 when she was selected as a Washington State Jefferson Award winner, which honors people who do extraordinary things to improve their communities.
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