A new program through Catholic Charities is trying to help struggling veterans get back on their feet through temporary funding and housing assistance.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families started up Oct. 1 after Catholic Charities of Jackson won federal grant money to start the program throughout the state.
The program serves 65 counties throughout the state from four regional offices, including one in Greenwood.
The government shutdown has held up federal grant money, but Melissa Ivory, Delta regional case manager for the program, has been busy reaching out to homeless and impoverished veterans throughout the Delta.
“They served their country for so many years, but I feel like now they’re a forgotten population,” Ivory said.
Ivory is running the program’s Delta regional office from space donated by Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Greenwood.
She said that there’s a shortage of services available to veterans in the Delta. “There are a lot of needs that aren’t being met in north Mississippi, especially in the smaller towns,” Ivory said.
The program focuses on providing veterans and their families temporary emergency financial assistance for housing, utilities, child care and home repairs.
The overall goal is to get veterans back on their feet and “to get them to a place where they can life off their income and be comfortable,” Ivory said. “We work within their budget to get them back on their own.”
Their focus is currently on temporary financial assistance, but Ivory said they’d love to find additional funding to expand the program to cover additional areas in which veterans need help, including with medical care.
She’s also working closely with Cleo Massey of Leflore County Veterans Services and Melvin Woods from the Greenwood WIN Job Center to connect veterans with all the benefits to which they’re entitled.
“If I come across someone who isn’t receiving their full benefits, they help out with that,” she said.
Many veterans need a helping hand as they adjust to life outside the military. Some must cope with mental illness, and others deal with physical disabilities.
Many veterans struggle to find a job for a number of reasons.
“A lot of them disabled or may have lost a limb. It’s hard to find work because many employers don’t want to take a chance or they’re classified as overqualified for positions,” Ivory said. “Many veterans feel like if they have a mental illness or served in a war zone, they may be looked down on by potential employers.”
Ivory said housing is the first challenge many face. Whether they’re homeless or staying with friends and relatives, Ivory said she’d love to find all veterans a place to call home.
One possibility she’s looking into is securing funding to rehabilitate an old building and turn it into a dormitory for transitioning veterans.
“We’d like to get them their own space where they can move out and get adjusted to life, find a job, get situated and save some money,” Ivory said. “Let them be able to have life at a normal pace, come home, have a place to cook, to watch TV and have a bath to soak your body.”
Any veterans needing assistance are encouraged to call Catholic Charities at (601) 355-8634.
