Homeless veteran makes strides in HVAF program

Michael at HVAF

Michael served in the Air Force from 1973-1975.  His father made the military into his career, so Michael decided to follow in his footsteps. “There wasn’t anything to do. [I was] in the middle of nowhere so I though it was a good option, “ he said.  In 1975, Michael started to struggle with depression but didn’t know why. He turned to the base hospital and went to counseling. Years had passed and Michael had moved from Arizona to Indiana. He got his bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and minored in Philanthropy from IUPUI. Michael says he could not find a job working as a telemarketer, when he tried to take his life. That’s when the VA referred him to HVAF. Through HVAF, he met his case manager, Jennifer. Jennifer cares about Michael and wants him to succeed. He respects her so much and considers her a friend. Michael lives at Manchester Apartments and is starting a new job.  “Things are looking up. I’m gonna get through this.”

Students volunteer at HVAF

Students from IUPUI and Ivy Tech joined forces to paint the women’s clothing pantry at HVAF. The fresh coat of paint brightens up the room which is used to store, sort, and distribute clothing. Ten percent of the veterans HVAF serves are women.

On any given night in the United States, nearly 40,000 veterans are homeless. That's according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. A 2014 study from Disabled American Veterans found that eight percent of those homeless veterans are women.

Students from IUPUI

Volunteers worked all day in the women’s clothing pantry which is bustling during HVAF’s outreach hours held every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30-3:30pm. During outreach voluntees help fill orders of clothing requests from the veterans.  

A new smile through new dental partnership

Leah T. is anxious to look into the mirror and see a smile full of healthy teeth for the first time in years.

Leah T.

This month, Leah will sit in a chair at the IU School of Dentistry, where she will get a dental examination and treatment, her first in five years, thanks to a new partnership between the School and HVAF. The 44-year-old Army veteran says years of being homeless and having no insurance led her to neglect her teeth.

“Our goal is to help the veterans become more employable by giving them the kind of dental appearance needed for jobs in the public eye,” said Karen Yoder, director of civic engagement and health policy and a professor of preventive and community dentistry.

The School has been working with case managers at HVAF to identify veterans with positive job prospects. The idea is to alleviate pain, improve health and boost self-esteem. Surveys show the first thing people look at is your smile, and these first impressions can create lasting ones.

“A person without front teeth, for example, is likely to find it difficult to be hired for a job in a restaurant,” Yoder said.

Yoder applied for and received a $12,000 grant from the Dental Pipeline National Learning Institute for the HVAF partnership. The IUPUI Solution Center granted an additional $20,000.  The funds will be used to cover the costs of dental laboratory and oral surgery fees. 

When Dr. Yoder researched the limited dental care that many veterans receive, she immediately took on this project.

“Our goal is not to make anyone glamorous, just aesthetically prepared for a job interview,” Yoder said.

“This is a tremendous benefit to our clients and they are all very excited about their upcoming dentistry appointments,” says Bryan Dysert, Director of Programs and Services at HVAF.

Criteria for the dental program include official discharge documentation, a previous record of employment and a desire to become employed. Participants must also agree to align with a social service agency that supports learning and display personal qualities that tend to sustain employment.

Leah is just weeks away from her appointment, but she’s counting down the days on the calendar.

"This will change my look and self-confidence and hopefully land me a new job," she says.

More than ten veterans have already been identified to benefit from dental work through IU.

Living the MLK legacy with service to homeless veterans

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

Students representing the IUPUI Black Student Union with other volunteers from the university's Black Faculty and Staff Council will answer that question on the 13th Annual MLK Day of Service, Jan. 20, when they provide vital service to HVAF and the homeless veterans we provide for each day.

"Our volunteers come to HVAF to honor Dr. King's legacy through service," says Jen Halford, Assistant Director of Community Service and Civic Engagement at IUPUI's Office of Student Involvement. "It is only through the help of our dedicated community partners, like HVAF, that we are able to enlighten our students with the understanding that there are many social movements continuing today that need their help and empowers them to do it."

For their service work at HVAF, the IUPUI team will deep clean floors in the HVAF headquarters' basement and warehouse. It's crucially important to keep these spaces clean because clothing and other basic needs donations for homeless veterans are stored in these areas prior to distribution.

"We are proud to host the IUPUI team as they honor the MLK legacy with service to our military veterans," says Debra Des Vignes, VP of marketing and communications. "At the root of Dr. King's messages were the ideals that people provide service to others and pursue freedom and equality for all, and no group has sacrificed more to uphold these ideals than our U.S. military members."

If you or your organization would like to volunteer at HVAF, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Tina Mullins at tmullins@hvaf.org or 317-951-0688.

HVAF Case Manager featured in Indy Star story

HVAF Case Manager Abby Hardin escorted soldiers through the deserts of the Middle East. She guarded ammunition and bombs. She handled lethal weapons. But finding a job was a new battle.

On Sunday, July 7, Indianapolis Star reporter Laura Newberry interviewed Abby for a story on the struggles Indiana veterans face in finding employment.

Several agencies were quoted in the story including Jim Brown, director of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs; Jason Hansman, senior program manager at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; Jim Bauerle, legislative chairman for the Military Veterans Coalition of Indiana; Charlie McBride, program director at the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Doug Gibbens, chairman for the Indiana chapter of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Read the full story here:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013307070017&nclick_check=1

Volunteer spotlight: IUPUI students gather thousands of items for homeless veterans

IUPUI graduate students Adriene Tynes and Erin Braun visited HVAF of Indiana, Inc. on a cold evening that left them thinking about veterans without coats, gloves or sweaters. They then learned  that up to 500 homeless military veterans were living on the streets of Indianapolis, they decided they had to do something. In 2011, they held their first food and clothing drive, titled "Meat & Heat Drive" under the auspices of the IUPUI Public Affairs Student Association, netted 750 items.

 

They wanted to do more in 2012 and set forth with a lofty goal. Find out how the two made a big difference in the lives of homeless veterans at HVAF. Read the full story here: http://inside.iu.edu/editors-picks/campus-life/2012-12-12-campus-life-homeless-vets-iupui.shtml#

Special thanks to the 2012 participating organizations:
1. Indiana University Public Policy Institute 2. Fred Astaire Dance Studio North 3. Indiana University McKinney School of Law 4. IUPUI Center for Teaching and Learning 5. IUPUI SPEA Public Affairs Student Association 7. School of Public and Environmental Affairs 8. Occupational & Physical Therapy Club 9. IUPUI Student Veterans 10. American Legion Student Post 360 11. IUSM Internal Medicine Residency Program 12. Bepko Learning Center 13. IUPUI University Library 14. Office of Intramural and Recreational Sports -- Natatorium 15. Elmore's Firearms & Accessories 16. IUPUI School of Nursing 17. IUPUI School of Education 18. University Place Conference Center & Hotel 19. Crowne Plaza Union Station