Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / May 28, 2015, edition 1 / Page 5
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Photo by Erin Mittlfe for the Winston Saleni Chronicle US. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC-12), visible as second from the right, shares lunch with homeless veterans and members of her staff and the staff of Veterans Helping Veterans Heal on Friday, May 22. U.S. Rep. Adams visits veterans homeless center in Winston-Salem BY ERIN MIZELLE FOR THE CHRONICLE On the morning of Friday, May 22, and on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC-12) was nowhere to be found that one might expect ? she wasn't in a secured meeting room in Washington, D.C., and she wasn't off working on her recently announced amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), recommending improved medical care for service members with PTSD and mental health disorders. She was, instead, where it mat tered most, side-by-side with the ones who have fought day-in and day-out for our freedom. Adams was with the veterans. For over two hours, she walked and talked with everyday heroes, right in the midst of Winston-Salem, during a tour of the Veterans Helping Veterans Heal (VHVH) Center, at 3614 Glenn Ave. Veterans Helping Veterans Heal, a transitional housing program for homeless veterans, is a two-year resi dential program for male veterans in Forsyth County that provides shelter, life-skill and financial literacy train ing for those in need to become self sufficient through the help of case workers, like senior lead case manag er Marques Ford. "I tell my staff, 'Don't work hard er than the vet; it is their life and their plan,' and we try to hold everyone accountable to that," Ford said. "Ultimately, if the vets are going to be successful, they have to buy into their own life. But, if they are willing, I will walk hand-in-hand with them through their journey and help get them to a better place than when they came in." Adams needed to look no farther than across the table to find all the affirmation she needed. "After a workforce reduction, I lost my house, my job, and my mar riage - all within one month. I ended up being homeless for five or six years. Ever since that time when I first came here (to VHVH), 1 have been getting better and better, and a lot of it is because the staff here is so hopeful. They helped me get my life back together," said Mark McCray, SS. "I have learned how to reach out to people who are there for me to help me through these things, these chal lenges that I face on a regular basis," said Charles Hinnant, U.S. Army. "I have a great support system here ? 1 always thought the streets were help ing but, but they weren't at all. I have a lot of people on my side that 1 never knew I had, and 1 appreciate the VHVH for every thing they have ever done for me." After the grace was given and the lunch was finished, Adams and her staff left the Veterans Helping Veterans Heal center with an even greater appreciation for those who serve our country, saying numerous times how much she appreciated the words and stories shared with her on that special tour with several of the over 37,000 veterans in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District. HARRY Executive Director Ciat Shabazz (second from right) with veterans (left to right, standing) James Broadway, Woodrow Haney, Melvin Davis Jr. and (sit ting) Ronald Ferguson. Aljonzo hoy a is one oj the attendees at the HARRY Veteran Community Outreach Services' seventh annual Commemoration and Picnic. Veterans from page Al Adams' outreach director. State Rep. Paul Lowe, whose wife is a veteran; Mayor Pro Vivian Burke, whose late husband was a veteran and Mayor Allen Joines all spoke. Joines said that the city has a goal to eliminate homelessness among veter ans by 2016. "I feel very confident. that we'll be able to announce before the end of the year that we've ended veterans' homelessness in Forsyth County due to a lot of individuals, a lot of organizations that have supported us." The effort is part of the Zero: 2016 campaign being led by Community Solutions, a New York based nonprofit, with 69 communities across the nation taking part, includ ing Greensboro. Locally the United Way, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Homes 4 Our Heroes and HARRY are among those helping veter ans find services and per manent housing to get Winston-Salem closer to its goal. Many of the veterans that are part of HARRY where on-hand helping with Monday's activities. HARRY Board Member Ret. Sgt. Alfonzo Boyd served 10 years in the Marines. He said it was a childhood dream of his to serve because his father was a Marine, boyd, who fought in the first Gulf War, said transitioning from a structured military life back into a civilian one was challenging, especially with complications like post-traumatic stress disor der, which is very common among combat veterans. He said HARRY helped both him and his father get their VA benefits. Another HARRY vol unteer, Ret. Staff Sgt. Melvin Davis Jr. served six years in the Army, which included seeing combat in the Vietnam War. He said anyone who serves in com bat never forgets the expe rience and he knew soldiers who lost their lives in the war. "I can't speak for them, but 1 feel if they were here, they'd tell you they'd done it for their country," he said. A purple heart recipi ent, he said that he had to enlist the aid of a congress man to get his VA claim started. He said he still experiences complications from those old war wounds and still has to fight for his VA benefits. HARRY Founder and director Ciat Shabazz wore earrings adorned with a photo of her late brother Harry Smith, a veteran who died of colon cancer that was undiagnosed and untreated by the VA. It was his difficulties with the sys tem led her to found HARRY. Though veterans still have a lot of require ments they must meet to get benefits, Shabazz was hopeful about change at the VA, which had a booth at Monday's event where VA Winston-Salem Regional Office Director Cheryl Rawls spoke onstage. "This director here is definitely interconnected with the veterans and trying to meet the needs of the veterans," said Shabazz. "She has an open door pol icy, you can email her, you can talk to her." Rawls, who is an Army veteran, became head of the local VA office, which processes claims for North Carolina and other states, after it had made national headlines in 2012 when the sheer amount of back logged paperwork appeared "to have the abili ty to compromise the integrity of the building" according to an inspector general report. There were 1,481 claims that were 2 years old when a massive initiative began to get those claims completed. By September 2014, Rawls told a veterans town hall meeting that the number of claims that were over 1 year old had been reduced by 94 percent. On Monday evening, at 6 p.m. in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a more somber commemoration was held, as the name of every fallen service member in Forsyth County since World War I was read. Juneteenth volunteers sought The 11th annual Juneteenth Festival will be held Saturday, June 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the historic Winston Mutual Building on Fifth Street and Martin Luther King Drive. Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, children's area, stage, parking and information. Food vendors and exhibitors are also needed. For more information, please visit www.triadculture.org or call 336-757-8556. Contact e mail is info@triadculturalarts.org. May 31st is World No Tobacco Day. Interested in quitting? Email info@smokefreeforsyth.org for more information on Cessation course&atartino in Julyf^y Forsyth County ft .?f I W?ffc *>MwUiH Itinnrttif I two I LEADERSHIP WINSTON-SALEM J^uiMa d$efferduhire> FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. Together, we can do great things. Apply for our annual Flagship program to engage with other leaders in the community, expand your local knowledge, and help shape the future of the place you're proud to call home. ^pp^oSa^P AT LEADERSHIPWS.ORG Final deadline June 17, 2015 V?qW>o<\ fit ;!?: A' ^*H?eeds 4th Annual We've Got Roots Celebration Saturday, June 6, 2015 ? 6pm-S:30pm Winston-Salem State University, Anderson Center - McNeil Ballroom ? 601 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Orfcntmwf Formard TogftW ?ij Wi'm Got Roots Awards Honorcct Join hi as we embark upon our a?th Anniversary year! We're honoring our intergenerational wisdom, strength, and knowledge to build stronger, safer, more self-determined neighborhoods. We are honored to have our Keynote Speaker Hazel Mack. Regional Managing Attorney at Legal Aid NC; Founder A President of Carter C. Woodson Charter School UgKflMdnktp Htcq/iewt UmdaSmtkm OwmvohtmArtfcp Cleveland Avenue 1 ransformatinn leam-CATT ; 1 Amm+t klfM 1 Mkfcarl CWto Jazz, Dancing, and Dinner Come ready to Celebrate! To purchase tickets or for more information, contact
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 28, 2015, edition 1
5
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75