VA awards millions of dollars in grants to fight veteran homelessness

HOSPITAL.THE OTHERS DIED AT THE SCENE.THE NEED FOR HELP BY HOMELESSVETERANS KEEPS GROWINGAND IT'S MET WITH MOREGOVERNMENT FUNDING.THE V-A AWARDED MILLIONS OFDOLLARS IN GRANTS TO NONPROFITSACROSS THE COUNTRY LAST MONTH.THREE OF THEM ARE IN OKLAHOMA.OUR SIERRA PIZARRO FOUND OUTHOW THAT MONEY IS NOW BEINGUSED.NATSAS RACHEL RUNFOLA FLIPS THROUGHFIVE YEARS OF MEMORIES AS ANACTIVE-DUTY AIR FORCE STAFFSERGEANT - HER LIFE'SHIGHLIGHTS..SHE'S ALSO REMINDED OF A LOWPOINT.05:24:47;38 - 05:24:52;35RUNFOLA: "Just think of one dayyou're in your house and thenext day it's gone."SHE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNES 10YEARS AGOBUT PULLED HERSELF BACK UP WITHHELPAND NOW RETURNS THE FAVOR BYBEING THERE FOR HER FELLOWVETERANS.05:25:12;27 - 05;25:23;40Runfola: "Think about sleepingin your car in the Walmartparking lot because you don'twant to sleep in a shelter, andyou don't know where your nextmeal is going to come from."THROUGH THE 'COMMUNITY SERVICECOUNCIL', RUNFOLA HAS HELPEDHOUSE OVER 4,000 VETERANS IN THELAST NINE YEARS.THEY KEEP GOING WITH HELP FROMTHE V-A.05:18:49;02 - 05:18:55;34RUNFOLA: "This money is criticalto veterans that are strugglingconsistently to make ends meet."THE V-A AWARDED $418 MILLION INGRANTS LAST MONTH.SOME OF THAT MONEY IS ALSO FORTHE 'GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OFCENTRAL OKLAHOMA'.A TEAM THERE IS LOOKING INTO WHYVETERAN HOMELESSNESS CONTINUESTO BE A PROBLEM.THEIR RECIDIVISM RATE OF AVETERAN'S HOMELESS PREVENTIONPROGRAM IS 18-20%.0:05:51;08 - 00:05:58;02Amara lett, director, training &employment services, centraloklahoma goodwill industries"That's a pretty hefty numberwhenever you're looking at thenumber of people who are comingback into a program like this."AMARA LETT SAYS MANY OF THEIRCASES FALL UNDER TWO CATEGORIES:MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION.ANOTHER ROADBLOCK IS WHEN INCOMEIS ABRUPTLY CUT IN HALF.05:19:15;29 - 05:19:24;46RUNFOLA: "One of the primarythings that we're seeing intoday's environment are elderlyVietnam-era veterans that areretired, and their spouse passesaway."WHICH LEAVES SOME OF THEM UNABLETO SUPPORT THEMSELVES ANYMORE.05:21:31;53 - 05:21;37;35RUNFOLA: "Some people are lucky,and they have friends they cango to, and others are not solucky.

So, we are here to servethose that served us."OKLAHOMANS CAN CALL 2-1-1 TO BECONNECTED TO HOUSING HELP.'GOODWILL INDUSTRIES' IS ALSOLOOKING FOR MORE LANDLORDS ANDEMPLOYERS TO PARTNER WITH...IN PROVIDING VETERANS JOBS ANDHOUSING.