NEWS FROM THE STREET

Life After the Duffel Bag by Alexander M. Yarborough (formerly homeless)

By and large veterans comprise the largest unemployment population in America. Not only does unemployment pose a crises situation for veterans but posttraumatic stress, alcohol, narcotic, amphetamine, barbiturate and hallucinogen addictions are problematic causes of noncompliance to societal norms.

Although there are numerous benefits that are afforded veterans, due to recent changes in the benefit plans, certain veterans who fall in these categorical changes are left to fend for themselves and eventually become burdens to society.

Veterans are then left to panhandle for handouts, they overpopulate food stamp programs, depend on shelters, soup kitchens, clothing banks, sleep in abandoned buildings, cat-houses, abandoned cars, under bridges, and when push comes to shove, eat out of trash cans or dumpsters.

When you add addictive behaviors to the veteran's plight, because of their intense training, the crime waves or sprees intensify.

When you really put some thought to the veterans, they have been trained to adapt and overcome. Should they begin to band together such as your outlaw motorcycle gangs, they could become a dominant and negative force in today society. Such a force could present catastrophic complications to society at large.

However, if outreach programs were set in motion designed to house, assist, re-educate, retrain, provide job training, job readiness and placement combined with a gradual monetary assistance reduction stipend; the veteran could become a viable tax paying contributing member of society and thereby assuring that there is life after the duffel bag.

The South Wilmington Street Center assigns all veterans to a Veterans Service Officer who provides counseling, guidance, referrals, follow-up, suggestions, crises intervention and on-going lifestyle structure in order to provide the veteran with viable tools for eventual societal re-integration.

The veterans are organized and meet on a regular scheduled basis in order to present and explore problems, ideas and solutions. They also plan wholesome activities, which they attend or participate in as a group as well as attend and participate in outside events that relate to veterans or their affairs.

In addition, a veteran's newsletter is published and distributed which is designed to disseminate updated information on veterans' affairs as well as benefits provided by the Veterans Administration.

It is hoped that as additional funding from the county becomes available, the veterans program can be enhanced and expanded to provide a greater range of assistance.