Duty First

Working with homeless veterans is a tough job but it has great rewards. Since January of 2008 I have worked as the Director of Veterans Services for the Albany Housing Coalition. Every night when I go home I know that today I made a difference to some veteran in need. Part of my job is to supervise a case management team that manages the Veterans House in Albany. The Vet House is a 28 bed transitional housing for veterans. The Vets who come to our home have multible challenges in their lives. Substance abuse and mental health issues are at the top of the list. Some have serious criminal histories. Others have been out of contact with their families for years. They come to us with broken hearts and broken spirit. They come to us with little more then the clothes on their back and two duffle bags of trouble. But when they come to our house...we don't focus so much on where the've been. We don't much care. The only thing that really matters is they used be soldiers and marines, airman and sailors. They were brothers and sisters in arms. Now they are veterans. They served. Now we serve them. And honor them. So when someone asks what I do I tell them. They served. Now I serve them. Duty first!




-- Post From My iPhone