Local veterans’ groups to aide in homeless count
Jan 25, 2013 12:00 am
Local veterans’ groups to aide in homeless count
Photo:
Photo: From left in the front row are Jim Neary, Service Officer Post 82 Norway; Jerry DeWitt, VISTA Volunteer; Ronald Snow, Commander Post 82; and Sheryl Briggs, State Representative from Mexico. In the back row are Mavis Powell, auxiliary member; Oscar Herbert, Commander Post 100 Dixfield; Robert Lavertu, Commander Post 112 Oxford; Edward Ellis, Adjuntant Post 100; Randy Canwell, member Post 100; and Richard Hatch, member Post 72 South Paris.
REGION -- Local American Legion members recently met with Jerry DeWitt, a VISTA Volunteer for training on filling out forms for the upcoming homeless count.
The intent is a statewide count of homeless individuals/families in the state. Government funds are sent to states and agencies based on the number of homeless that live in each community.
American Legion Posts from Norway, Paris, Oxford, and Dixfield are assisting in this worthwhile endeavor. They are hopeful that they will also be able to identify homeless veterans.
Ron Snow, the Commander of Stone Smart Post 82 of Norway, says that finding homeless veterans is important as most of these individuals may qualify for veterans’ services and assistance.
The Posts named assisting in this project will have their posts open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30. They encourage all individuals who are homeless to stop by and let them get a true count for Oxford County. The Dixfield Post and the Norway Post will have soup/sandwiches for all that show up.
Homeless does not have to mean living on the streets, you could be staying in an emergency shelter, transitional housing, hotel/motel paid by voucher, unsheltered, safe haven, marginally housed (couch surfing or doubling up), at imminent risk of becoming homeless or being evicted within the next 14 days.