A View of the Parking Lot/in /by
Today’s Case of the Week comes from our corporate office in Liberty Township, Youngstown Ohio.
A View of the Parking Lot
I am the Executive Director of Veterans’ Outreach. My office is located on the front of our building facing the parking lot. As I work through my day, I often notice the many veterans coming in and leaving our building. They all enter a little differently, most dealing with their various physical problems and the pain associated. Their hands are empty other than the cane or walker or wheelchair. When they leave, they are loaded down with food, clothing, coats, shoes, and the like, not to mention whatever help they receive with their bills. 
Just this morning, a volunteer was organizing our donated clothing room to get ready for a big donation from a church in a couple of days. He told me about a box of infant clothing and should he take it to another agency. I told him “No, put it out, and someone with a baby will come in sometime.” 
Just now, as I was in a meeting with another agency, I saw a young veteran in the parking lot, his wife changing an infant on the seat of the rusted out car. We were able to give that young couple food, a whole box of infant clothing, and shoes for the parents too.
Sleep Well Deserved/in /by
Today’s Case of the Week comes from our Sarasota Office, written by Jan Worrel, our Event Coordinator. 
A Veteran called in and needed assistance with his Duke Energy bill. He told me he had to have unexpected oral surgery and it took all his extra money for the month and he wasn’t able to pay his electric bill. He told me he hadn’t slept for the past week, worrying about his electric. Duke did give him an extension until October 11, but he still didn’t have the money to pay it. We were able to guarantee the bill. When we called to tell him it was guaranteed, he broke down and cried. Thanking us so much for what we do for veterans and his final words were ” I will be able to sleep tonight”
Education Paid Off/in /by
Today we want to share a “Case of the Week” from our corporate office in Liberty Township, Youngstown Ohio.
Education Paid Off
A veteran had an appointment to meet with our Service Director, Bob Julian. He had a big problem. He had a $20,000 school loan from the 1970’s that he has been deferring since then. He is disabled and receives $1,000 per month. He’s been heavily hassled in the recent months and really needed to get rid of the stress.
He visited various agencies hoping that they could help with the problem and no one was able to do anything. While he was here, Bob made some calls. One call was to the loan holder. Bob explained that the veteran only had $1,000 coming in monthly and that the loan would never be able to be satisfied, and that the veteran was suffering a hardship because of it.
The lady on the other end of the line was named HOPE and she was quite sympathetic and pulled a few strings or chains in this case to waive the entire debt and penalties.
The veteran left here with a spring in his step and the heavy hand of debt thrown aside.
Nimble & Compassionate- We Are/in /by
This week’s Case of the Week comes from our Sarasota, FL office written by our Regional Manager, Bob Graham. 
One of the VA counselors contacted our Sarasota office to assist a veteran. He was to move into a VA supported home with a promised independent inspection on August 1 to ensure that as a move in date – as happens, that did not happen. 
To avoid the veteran being homeless, the case manager suggested the vet should move in anyhow. The landlord was agreeable but when the inspection did not happen until August 15, he felt that the veteran owed $250 for the unpaid time. He was amenable to the vet “working off” $150 of that amount but insistent on a $100 cash payment. 
Since the peculiarities of the VA system do not permit that kind of a payment, the case manager turned to Veterans’ Outreach as the only agency “nimble enough and compassionate enough” to step in ……which we did, to everyone’s relief!
100% Disabled Veteran & Single Mom of 4 Receives Support Needed/in /by
Today’s Case of the Week comes from our Sarasota, FL office written by our Regional Manager, Bob Graham. 
Today we had a veteran contact us who is also a single Mom of 4 children. She is 100% disabled with PTSD and is committed to moving to Florida within the next week to be closer to family and hence to a needed support system and ongoing counseling/monitoring. 
She can cover the move and required deposit but needs financial assistance on the application fee and the first month’s rent. Searching online for potential support she found Veterans’ Outreach, contacted our Ohio corporate office which referred it to the Sarasota regional office which provided what she needs. She’s very happy that she can move ahead with her plan!
Rolling in Victory/in /by
Today we want to share a very “special” case from our Liberty township, Youngstown Ohio office.
Rolling in Victory
A couple of weeks ago, I got a frantic call from a VSC caseworker. He had a disabled veteran all lined up to go to the Special Olympics in Atlanta, but the veteran had no way to get to the airport and time was quite short.
The veteran lost his leg and needed a special van with a lift that can haul his chair. At the last minute, a few phone calls were made and Veterans’ Outreach was able to make arrangements to get him to the airport. He participated in bowling, basketball, swimming, and javelin. No gold metals this year, even though he has won the gold in the past, but he did place in some of the events.
Then it was time to come home, and the same thing happened – no arrangement had been made. We were able to pool our resources and get him home safely. It’s very rewarding when we work with several groups to achieve victory over a tough problem, and it all comes together to benefit the veteran.
Bathroom Restored For Veteran with Cancer/in /by
This week our Case of the Week comes from our Sarasota, FL office written by our Regional Manager, Bob Graham.
The Sarasota office was approached by a friend of a veteran who has advanced cancer and is spending his available money on treatments. The friend said he has to have emergency repairs to his bathroom which currently is not usable – she would advance the money but cannot afford to be out of pocket more than briefly and will only do it if we can reimburse her. We looked into the situation, determined that she was accurate, reimbursed her for the repairs and the cancer patient has restroom facilities again! 
We are so happy we could help this veteran who so desperately needed it.
Homeless Veteran No Longer/in /by
This week our Case of the Week comes from our Sarasota, FL office written by our Regional Manager, Bob Graham.
The prospective landlady of a homeless veteran, dedicated to helping such vets but not bearing the full cost, approached the Sarasota office on his behalf. 
All the application elements were in place except for the requisite fee – we stepped in, guaranteed the fee in advance of the actual check, and she waived the waiting period for the check to arrive and allowed the veteran to move in immediately. He’s happy and so is she!
We are so happy we could help this veteran is no longer be homeless!
Unfortunate Tides Befall Veteran in Need/in /by
This week’s Case of the Week comes from our Sarasota, FL office written by the Regional Manager, Bob Graham.
We were contacted to assist a veteran on an energy bill he cannot meet.  He is unfortunately disabled from a service-incurred back problem which has limited his ability to work. And, Now – due to his bus being rear-ended, he cannot work at all.
I’ve counseled him on how to pursue a more meaningful VA pension and have covered his utility bill.  He is vastly relieved and will pursue enhanced benefits to help meet his obligations.
We are so happy we could help!
WWII Veteran in Desperate Need/in /by
This week’s Case of the Week comes from our Hartselle, AL office written by our Event Coordinator, Mike Johnson. 
We had a family come in that had “adopted” a 96-year-old WWII vet. They had stated that he was living with his son and had been living in conditions that would be hard for young people to endure. 
Winters were 30 degrees in his house and summers were stifling hot. Church folk that they are, when they went to visit the vet, she told her husband that day that the man was coming home with them. 
They came to our office and we supplied them with some food and clothes from our pantries and will help with their next utility bill. The people had heard of us through our employees at a Walmart, our contribution tables also serve as an advertisement as to who we are and what we do.  
We are very glad that they came in.