Homeless Veterans Research Paper

Words: 970
Pages: 4

After fighting a war, should soldiers be put on the streets to fend for themselves? No. They should not have been. Twenty-three percent of the homeless population are homeless veterans (“Facts About Homeless Veterans”). Fifty-three percent of homeless veterans are disabled; two-thirds of homeless veterans struggle with substance abuse problems (“Homelessness”). My Dad, Grandpa, and Sister were all in the military. With that comes frequent visits to the American Legion and forming relationships with those who are members there. I spend a significant amount of time around military veterans and feel as though I have a deeper understanding of them than the average person. So, when I’m on the streets of Harrisburg during ArtsFest, or walking around …show more content…
Because they lack support, nutritional meals, stable housing, physical health care, mental health care, and substance abuse therapy and aftercare (“Facts About Homeless Veterans”). One of the top risk factors for substance abuse is mental illness. So when veterans aren’t taken care of after their service, they may turn to drugs to numb the pain and suffering of the events that they witnessed, or pain from injuries. Who are these veterans, where are they from, and what are their stories? Most Homeless Veterans served in World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the military's anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America (“Veteran Homelessness Facts”). These wars date back as far as 1945, and the treatment of some of these people after they came home from war was appalling. When Vietnam veterans came home, they were not welcomed, looked down on, people didn’t support what they were doing. Now, after all this time, some of them are suffering on our streets. What ideas have been proposed to combat homelessness in the veteran …show more content…
What I like about this program is its willingness to help, and its determination to get veterans in better positions. 40,000 is a significant number; however, there are still veterans on the street. What can we as a society do for them? I have a few ideas for this situation. Stop ignoring homeless veterans on the street, even a few dollars could help them Stop assuming that every homeless person has poor intentions Buy them a meal (even a cheap one) Regarding solution one: Many people walk past homeless people on the street for fear of danger, false identity, and discomfort. I believe that as a society we need to remember that the person that we are passing on the street is still human, and if we were in their situation, we would want someone to help and take care of us. Solution two: Many people refuse to help homeless people/give them money for fear that they are putting on a false identity. For fear that they are faking homelessness for money. This isn’t entirely true, though, as less than 1% of panhandlers in America are not truly