Boston Homeless Veterans Center Getting Makeover

The New England Center for Homeless Veterans is very near to my heart. When I lived in Massachusetts I had a tour of the building and saw the work they do first hand. I sat with some of the veterans for a while and discovered what a difference it made to them to know they were cared about as well as cared for.

Boston homeless veterans center to get $31m upgrade
Boston Globe
By Steve Annear
GLOBE STAFF
MAY 27, 2015

The renovation project will include adding 200 transitional housing units and 38 permanent housing units to the center, as well as upgrades to the 59 permanent living spaces already in use.

Homeless veterans in Boston and surrounding communities will have better access to improved living accommodations, transitional services, and vocational programs, as a center dedicated to helping them begins work on a multimillion-dollar renovation downtown.

On Wednesday, the New England Center for Homeless Veterans will break ground on the $31 million, 18-month construction project to provide state-of-the art resources for its clients.

“The building is showing its age, so we are creating a facility that can be adaptable for veterans for decades to come,” said Andy McCawley, president and chief executive of the Court Street center. “These upgrades will get people into housing faster and more effectively, and offer a full array of services like case management support, vocational training, employment services, and wellness services.”

The project should be complete by the end of next year, said McCawley, a retired Navy officer, and will help aid the more than 1,500 homeless vets that the center assists annually.
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Homeless Navy Veteran still does right thing with found wallet

UPDATE

Job offers pour in for homeless veteran that returned wallet




A homeless veteran found a wallet and brought it to the police station because he knew it belonged to someone else. This is a story that may get you to think about our homeless veterans in a different way. His own kids won't get gifts from him because he has no money. He lives on the streets asking for help but never taking what is not given to him.

Homeless veteran finds, returns wallet filled with cash
Posted by Andrew Ryan, Globe Metro Desk December 14, 2010 10:00 PM
By David Filipov, Globe Staff and L. Finch, Globe Correspondent

Maybe it was the holiday spirit. Maybe it was because it was the right thing to do.

Or maybe it was a little bit of both that inspired Brian Christopher to perform a simple act of kindness.

The 49-year-old Navy veteran was walking near City Hall yesterday when something on the ground caught his eye. It looked like a comic book. Christopher, an amateur artist, picked it up.

It was a wallet with $172 in it. But no credit cards, license or any other identification.

What would you do? While you are thinking about that, consider this: Christopher is homeless. He has no income. He has three children, ages 14, 12, and 10, in Maryland. He really, really could have used the cash.

Instead, he brought the wallet to the closest police station, where an officer found a receipt inside with a name and telephone number. The police officer used that to track down the owner, who picked up the wallet. All the money was there.
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Homeless veteran finds, returns wallet filled with cash

WWII Veteran passes away but will be remembered by Boston's Homeless Veterans

"In lieu of flowers" the family asked for donations to be sent to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. Such a small request to make on the surface but when you think about it, think of all the people this WWII veteran and business man could have known, this is a huge legacy. Anyone reading this obituary will remember the kindness of strangers asking for donations to be sent to take care of homeless veterans.

Proprietor of Mass. Bait and Tackle of Revere

Philip J. Galletta of Winthrop, a former longtime resident of Revere, died on August 3 at the Whidden Memorial Hospital. He was 88 years old.

Born in Boston, he was a US Army Air Force veteran of World War II and the proprietor of Mass Bait and Tackle of Revere.

Son of the late Joseph and Concetta (Pagliares) Galletta, he was the beloved husband of Catherine (Blandini) Galletta, dear brother of Jennie Galletta of Revere and the late Dominic, Lindy, Thomas and Frank Galletta. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were by the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons-Bruno Funeral Home, Revere. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, 17 Court St., Boston, MA 02108.
http://www.reverejournal.com/2009/08/14/obituaries-081409/

New Program Teaches Valuable Life-Skills To Veterans

Jun 24, 2009 7:06 pm US/Eastern
Program Helps Homeless Vets Get Life Back On Track
New Program Teaches Valuable Life-Skills To Veterans
BEDFORD (WBZ) ―


Some veterans, who have been homeless, are getting a fresh start on life with some help.

WBZ reporter Dawn Hasbrouck details an innovative new program that will give homeless veterans a new apartment and the skills needed to succeed in life.

"We're going to take clients who are living in our shelter, but who may lack the skills to live independently. And we're going to take them as a group of four and move them into our brand new model apartment," Dr. Dennis Upper said.

People at the New England Center for Homeless Veterans say they have heard and seen the success stories and hope to add to the numbers.

"Every aspect of my life was in ruins," Steven Holland said.

Holland, a Persian Gulf War veteran, left Saudi Arabia in 1995 with problems.

"I was dealing with a lot of stress. I had child support to pay. I had to find another home and I started to drink real heavily," Holland said.
go here for more
http://wbztv.com/local/homeless.veterans.program.2.1058472.html

Massachusetts Veterans Budget increases by $9 Million

Budget initiatives passed for state soldiers and veterans
Wakefield Observer - Beverly,MA,USA
Thu Jul 10, 2008, 05:05 PM EDT
Wakefield -
Rep. Mark Falzone announced the successful passage of numerous budget initiatives in support of Massachusetts soldiers and veterans. This budget for fiscal 2009 provides more than $117 million for veterans, service members and their families, an increase of more than $9 million from the fiscal 2008 budget. Each of these budget items will assist the growing number individuals and families who have made major personal sacrifices for the security of our nation.
Falzone, the vice chairman of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, said, “The commonwealth of Massachusetts has shown immense appreciation and gratitude as never before to honor the sacrifices and needs of these service members as they go through the often difficult transition back to civilian life. I am pleased that in this budget our concern for their needs has been turned into productive and effective action to assist them with their very real and pressing concerns.”

· $47 million was awarded to Soldiers’ Homes, a veteran center offering quality health care and full-time residential accommodations.

· $18.5 million for annuity benefits were granted; $420,000 more than the previous fiscal year, in order to reach the increasing population of veterans.

· $20.9 million was awarded to help veterans in need and to ensure local veteran’s agents have the training needed to provide the best assistance possible, an increase from last year of $5.7 million.

· A new Special Commission to Study the Hidden Wounds of War was created to examine the establishment of a mandatory mental health treatment program for national guard members; a state military family leave policy for primary caregivers of returning service members; and a statewide education training program to assist law enforcement, corrections officers and other first responders in recognizing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

· $5 million will be split among 15 organizations who are dedicated to helping homeless veterans as well as $2.2 million for the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans.

· In addition, $2.3 million will be shared by 17 veteran outreach centers who give struggling veterans needed educational and career opportunities.

· The budget provides $2.3 million to ensure that the Department of Veterans’ Services continues to provide various services, such as increased outreach to veterans.

· $3.4 million will be used for National Guard Tuition and Fee Waivers for those members who attend state colleges.

· The budget also allows for the extension of the pay differential law for National Guard and Reserve by three years making up income for state workers who are National Guard or Reserve members and are called to duty.

· The Massachusetts National Guard has been provided with $9.2 million for their budget, an increase of $1.8 million from last year.

· $1.7 million has been provided for the Massachusetts National Guard Life Insurance Reimbursement Program, to provide partial reimbursements of policies worth up to $400,000.
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There have been several post on this blog addressing the necessity of local law enforcement agencies to become aware of the unique needs of combat veterans. There has been a deplorable history of our veterans being treated other than honorably when they have been wounded by PTSD simply because the authorities were unaware of the far reaching changes PTSD causes. These changes not only affect the lives of citizen soldiers in the National Guard and Reservists, but also the older veterans and yes, even their own fellow officers.

We tend to forget that many in the National Guard are also law enforcement officers. They have adjustment issues needing to be addressed as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but return to more traumatic situations as law enforcement officers in the line of duty back home.

Being a law enforcement officer is traumatic as it is but when you add in combat experiences, these officers face a greater need than those who come home to relatively peaceful lives. Firefighters also face PTSD in their occupation and yet again, we see some who are also in the National Guard returning from combat.

There is much we do not consider when deploying the citizen soldiers into combat. We tend to ignore the unique problems they face. The citizen soldier is expected to return to their normal lives, but when they have been deployed into combat zones, their "normal" lives are anything but normal. As we try to do the right thing for the regular military, the citizen soldiers are the last to be served. This budget will help to address what the rest of the nation needs to do in their own communities.


Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

New wars added 662 homeless veterans to New England Shelter

Tallying up the human costs of war

Mélida Arredondo

It’s been five years since the United States began war in Iraq and seven years in Afghanistan. Yet according to a survey recently released by the Pew Research Center, more than one-quarter of the American public — 28 percent, to be exact — is unaware that nearly 4,000 U.S. troops have died in Iraq over the past five years.

No matter what the reason, there is a disconnect among the people of the United States and the impact of the wars our nation is waging, both here and abroad. The numbers are startling. According to the latest government statistics, 4,458 U.S. troops have died and 68,529 U.S. troops have been wounded, injured or become sick while in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Locally, the state Department of Veterans’ Services reports that a total of 78 troops with ties to Massachusetts have died in Iraq, and 15 have died in Afghanistan.

The number of the dead is low in comparison to Vietnam, where 60,000 U.S. troops were killed or went missing. However, according to The Associated Press, about 15 troops are wounded for every fatality during the current conflicts. This is five times the injury rate of troops who fought in Vietnam.

Dr. Gerald Cross of the federal Veterans Health Administration recently testified that there are 300,000 veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan treated at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, and that more than half are treated for serious mental health conditions. Post-traumatic stress disorder accounts for 68,000 cases.

According to VA research obtained in February by The Associated Press, 144 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan committed suicide from 2001 through the end of 2005. Statistics from 2006 and 2007 are not yet available. In addition, almost 300,000, or about one in four, of the nation’s homeless are veterans. Locally, 662 new veterans have joined the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans this past year, many bearing the signs of trauma from the current wars.
go here for the rest
http://www.baystatebanner.com/issues/2008/03/27/opinion03270858.htm

WWII veteran passes away with homeless veterans in his heart

Donations may be made in his name to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veteran’s, 17 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108 or to the All Saints Church, 44 Park Ave., Whitman, MA 02382.

Herbert G. "Herb", II Corliss
Whitman, Mass
Friday, February 22, 2008
Herbert G. “Herb” Corliss, II, 85 died Wednesday, February 20th after a period failing health. He was the husband of the late Eleanor G. (Morgan) Corliss. Born and raised in Rockland he was the son of the late Levi J. and Effie (Duffett) Corliss and attended Rockland schools. Herb was a veteran of the United States Army from 1943 to 1945 and served as a Sergeant during World War II. He was awarded a Victory Medal, and a European-African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon.
click post title for the rest to read a tiny bit about what this man accomplished in his life. He will accomplish even more for homeless veterans because of his life.