S:US Honors & Supports Veterans
November 11 is Veterans Day. On this day and every day at S:US, we honor and support veterans. Like all the individuals we serve, we believe that our veterans deserve to live with dignity.
S:US will take part in the 2021 Veterans Day Parade. When we participate in the parade, we are not just honoring them, we are helping to raise awareness for the issues our vets face every day on the home front.
New York City has had the highest number of homeless veterans in New York State, and has reduced veteran homelessness by nearly 90% since 2011 (New York State Division of Veterans Services 2020 report). S:US partners with 3,000 veterans and their families to prevent homelessness, receive rapid rehousing support, find employment opportunities, access resources, and stabilize their lives. S:US also provides behavioral health and other support services to help veterans plan for long-term stability.
In addition to serving veterans with the greatest barriers to independence, S:US serves the needs of veterans at the highest risk of suicide due to the effects of chronic homelessness and unemployment, untreated PTSD, disconnection from their families, and a variety of social supports.
Hear from some of the veterans we serve:
Kenny enrolled in the S:US Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program in December 2020 after his landlord informed him his home was up for sale. Kenny was rehoused by the S:US SSVF team. Through coordination and support, S:US helped Kenny secure mental health support in an all-Veterans apartment building. Kenny feels proud to be maintaining his own one-bedroom apartment while working with his case manager on continuing to build on his success. In addition, S:US assisted Kenny in increasing his income via a VA Non-Service-Connected Disability Pension and connected him to a Veterans’ Benefit Advisor to help pursue a Service Connection Pension for PTSD. Kenny’s application for Canines for Companions has been accepted and they will begin training his service dog at their facility. Despite Kenny’s history with trauma, tragic loss, isolation, and substance use, he has worked to prioritize his goals which are important to him. Today, Kenny is focused on his own wellbeing, sobriety, and being an active father in his daughter’s life.
Vincent, a U.S. Navy Veteran, and his spouse enrolled in the S:US SSVF program in February 2020. At the time, Vincent was recovering from a stroke, and he and his spouse needed to be rehoused as their home was put up for sale by their landlord due to financial losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vincent and his spouse are senior citizens and rely on the limited income they receive from Social Security. Vincent’s S:US Benefits Coordinator and Service Coordinator connected the family to community resources. Vincent and his spouse were placed into Emergency Housing by the S:US team while working closely with the local Veterans Affairs office to secure a HUD-VASH voucher. Through coordination and support from S:US, Vincent and his spouse secured a HUD-VASH voucher, which will provide long-term housing stability and case management support. The family has made their new apartment a home and will benefit from an increased quality of life because of the interventions S:US provided.
The needs of the veterans S:US supports are great. We welcome you to get involved with S:US’ Veterans Services through volunteerism, partnerships or by making a donation.