Imagine the sheer sight of coming across an unsheltered veteran as you walk down the street. While it is quite easy to generalize when it comes to the experience of homelessness, especially for those who don’t encounter it regularly, it is worth noting that empathy for your fellow community members can always go a long way.
Every veteran that is currently experiencing homelessness has a story to tell and often entails one or more traumas that led them to where they are now. In the event that you happen to encounter a veteran living in an encampment on the street or in a car, you may be compelled to follow in the footsteps of LordLeRoyYoung and lend a helping hand.
In this article, we aim to offer you with safe, remarkable ways to support veterans experiencing homelessness should you feel empowered to do so. Here’s you can go about this expedition.
Show Humanity and Kindness
Veterans experiencing homelessness are going through several different physical struggles at any given time, whether they be health issues, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, or something else. Bear in mind that many have also had to make do with trauma that brought them to where they are now.
Not knowing where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep or if they’ll be safe is likely to make anyone distrustful of institutional services. No wonder you should make it the norm to show humanity and kindness to people experiencing homelessness.
Ignore Judgments and Misconceptions about Homelessness
There are so many misconceptions surrounding homelessness, including how it happens and why people remain homeless. However, homelessness is a cycle that is a hard nut to crack with job instability and lack of medical care leading to the issue.
Veterans become homeless in several different ways, including illness of themselves or a family member, job loss, shortage of affordable housing, and loss of a home, to name a few. That’s why showing kindness and instilling hope can work wonders.
It is in your best interest to treat them as you would treat any other person having a bad day. If in a position and comfortable, given them a bottle of water, or a prepackaged snack or food for their pet.
Consider Volunteering
If you’re interested in providing more help than a single interaction can offer, then you should consider volunteering to help veterans experiencing homelessness. And a good starting point lies in volunteering at a local Stand Down event. For those who might not know, Stand Downs are typically one-to-three-day events during which VA staff and volunteers offer food, clothing, and health screenings to homeless and at-risk veterans.
Be sure to reach out to your local VA for more information on volunteering, as they have services that allow you to offer help in a more structured environment and share your time and resources with the local veterans community. It is then that you can also follow in the footsteps of the famous LordLeRoyYoung.
