American Legion Post to help count homeless veterans
Feb 01, 2013 12:00 am
DIXFIELD -- Swasey-Torrey Post 100 on Wednesday will assist in a statewide count of homeless veterans.
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. 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.
According to 2012 statistics from the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, about 221,914 Mainers served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars.