Homeless Army veteran receives support from newfound friends

What started as a simple hello has forged a friendship between a homeless veteran, his dog Sadie and three coworkers – and resulted in the Veterans Community Project stepping in to help.

NEW AT TEN --HE PUT HIS LIFE ON THELINE FOR OUR COUNTRY....AND NOW THECOMMUNITY IS JUSTHOPING TO PUT A ROOFOVER HIS HEAD.41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORGABRIELLA PAGAN SHARESTHE STORY OF A UNIQUEFRIENDSHIP.... THAT'SSPARKING ACTION FOR ALOCAL VETERAN.Steph"There is some thing aboutrabbits personality that justdraws people to him."Aaron: " it's snatches you andby the heart, truly and itjust...Steph: I think it's because he'sa humble man."Aaron: "yeah."SEVERAL MONTHS AGOWHAT STARTED WITH ASIMPLE HELLO HASFORGED A UNIQUEfriendship BETWEEN THREEstore EMPLOYEES... AVETERAN EXPERIENCINGHOMELESSNESS... ANDTHE DOG that's always BYHIS SIDE.MEET SADIE... AND HEROWNER, RABBIT.Jessica Coin"They were just hanging ouon the sidewalk, I walked by, Ithink Rabbit struckconversation and said heyhow is your day going?

Aaronwill talk to anybody whobreathes."Rabbit"These guys are so awesome,the first time I met Aaron overhere, they just befriended me,all of them did and Sadiebefriended them.A FRIENDSHIP FORGED ONNEED.Coin"it started with with friendshipand then when we realizedthat there were some of hisneeds that weren't being met Ithink just as friends wewanted to step in and give himwhat he needed.""Rabbit keep in mind neverasks for any of thisFound out he wasn't sleepingwith a bed and only ownedone blanket."A BLANKET HE INSISTSON SADIE HAVING.Coin"I think it felt differentbecauseof the way he demonstrateshis love for Sadie every day.He's said on multipleoccasions that I don't eat untilshe eats or I might have thismany resources or this manydollars but half of that is forSadie so I can't touch thathalf."RABBIT -- whose real nameis Micahel McElravy - IS ANARMY VETERAN WHOsimply fell on hard times andlater, homelessness.THAT DIDN'T SIT WELLWITH HIS NEW FRIENDS.AFTER TURNINGSOCIAL MEDIA FOR HELP....THEY MANAGED TO RAISEA FEW HUNDRED dollars -ENOUGH MONEY TO PUTBOTH RABBIT AND SADIE INA HOTEL FOR MORE THANA WEEK.Coin"I am blown away by theamount of people who haveeven just followed up andchecked up, came andbrought dinner to not onlyrabbit but people have startedbringing dinner to us as wellso we can all sit down andhave dinner togetherSteph"The minute I met rabbit therewas something about him, himand I were able to discuss I'ma vet of 12 years so we kind ofwere able to go off of thatrelationship."THE BIGGEST HOLD UPFOR RABBIT RIGHT NOW -IS A PIECE OF PAPER.SPECIFICALLY, HIS DD-214- A FORM LARGELY USEDBY THE V-A TO SECUREVETERAN BENEFITS.Steph"The hardest part has beenthe vet stuff.

Getting a DD-214is not easy especially duringCOVID, so I put in to get hiDD 214."STEPH IS STILL WAITINGFOR THE V-A TO PROCESSTHE REQUEST.SHE SAYS IT'S BEEN OVERA MONTH.Steph"it's one of those struggleswhere I've kind of internalizedthis and gone I never realizedhow hard it was for someoneon the street to get tir lifeback."Aaron"There are peoplthey don't even want to takethat risk... he took that risk,Steph took that risk and that'ssome thing that needs to berecognized."41 ACTION NEWSCONTACTED VETERANSCOMMUNITY PROJECT TOMAKE THEM AWARE OFRABBIT'S SITUATION.THEY'RE NOW STEPPINGIN TO HELP.BECAUSE WHEN THEHOTEL MONEY RUNS OUT -this group will be BACK TOGIVING RABBIT PROPANETO KEEP WARM ANDDINNER WHEN THEY CAN.- "Well let's try and figure outasolution between then, I thinkthat's very possible."Aaron" it's made me tear up at timesand it's made me upset and Ican only imagine how Rabbit'sfelt about it.""Even though there's a lot ofthings that should bring himdown to a level that makepeople wanna take, makpeople wanna lie make peoplejust want to turn away fromthe good side, he has notveered away."RabbitPeople like these guys giveyou the - a reason to keepgoing.""I wasn't sure why they choseme... but I'm glad they did."IN KANSAS CITY,GABRIELLA PAGAN, 41ACTION NEWS.JESSICA UPDATED USTONIGHT....SHE SAYS VETERANSCOMMUNITY PROJECTPLANS TO HELP RABBIT ASLONG AS HE STAYSENGAGED WITH THEORGANIZATION.