Army vet, Homeless, humiliated and hungry. WOW...can we just take a look at that image above for just a second more. This is crazy. Not only are are CURRENT ACTIVE members going to food banks and shelters for help, but our VETS that served their time are now facing a growing number in cities across the USA. These are hard times and its just not fair.
Our veterans have had experiences that most of us can’t even comprehend. Stories and scars inside that can’t compare to what real life looks like. Despite their sacrifices, veterans and tens of thousands active-duty military families still have to worry about putting food on the dinner table. Here are some hard facts taken from www.moveforhunger.org. Twenty-percent of households that are supported by Feeding America have a veteran or someone that has served in the military. In fact, 27 percent of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have struggled to provide food for their families. Food insecurity among veterans often stems from the mental health issues that our veterans endure. Understandably, veterans experience great difficulty adapting back to civilian life when they return overseas, especially those who don’t have any support system from their family or friends. Veterans, like millions of other citizens, experience the same shortages of affordable housing, low living wages, and healthcare, however, are also more likely to have symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and mental health issues. Fifty percent of homeless veterans have a serious mental illness, and 70% have substance abuse problems.With those obstacles to overcome, it is no wonder the projected number of homeless veterans all over the age of 55 is expected to increase. And he is right. These shocking numbers are further confirmed by a study from Cambridge University, which shows that more than 25% of veterans reported food insecurity in the past calendar year with 12% reporting “very low food insecurity.” The Cambridge study also pointed out that veterans experiencing food insecurity were more likely to be younger, not married or partnered, living in houses with children, have lower incomes, and are more likely to engage in tobacco use and more frequent binge drinking. Rich Synek, founder of Feed Our Vets, the only national non-profit working tirelessly to feed America’s hungry veterans says, “Feeding a hungry veteran is a great way of saying thank you for their service, to say that we have not forgotten about you.” The individuals that sacrifice so much for our country’s well-being are more likely to suffer from food insecurity, mental health problems, and poor access to healthcare. This predicament severely impacts millions of veterans who suffer from hunger on a daily basis. Synek implores that we do more to help feed veterans. “I don’t think anytime in the next several years we will be getting any federal funding, so the country needs to donate to organizations feeding veterans,” he said. “Individuals also need to contact their representative in Congress, their Senator, and raise awareness on social media about the plight veterans are facing with hunger.” We believe that veterans shouldn’t have to choose between food and having a healthcare plan. ~ Written by Zachary Sobol Synek is right. We do need to do more. We need to share resources that help, not harm. Build not break. We need answers that only one can get from having people helping people. Directly. Here within the confines of this awesome website lies a solution that can help our veterans and military members with finances that will allow them better opportunities and a chance to retire with dignity and hope. Our hidden solution lies that takes one person, one month to see a future 1-3 years down the road and it is all done for them. Share this resource with others so that we can help with our collective database of hungry fighting solutions. ~ Zachary Sobol ~ Beverly Gonzalez A former Wound Nurse and Hyperbarics Director, with over 20 years of web design and marketing, founded and built 5 online companies and is now sharing the good news to all in one place, www.RenewedAwakening.org.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author~
|