DEAN N E
They fight for our freedom, for our ability to live the way we do, talk, act and teach what we do in this great nation, the US of A. And the ironic part about it all is their own sacrifices defending our cherished freedoms have left them in great need. It’s our United States veterans, a group of young men and women who enter a warfare that is far greater than anything we see in our everyday comings and goings, and sometimes they can’t erase it all from their minds. Too many times, these young men and women return to their moms and dads, wives and kids as changed individuals, quiet, confused and complacent beings that they weren’t before.
Veterans Affairs, and a whole network of staff counselors, county workers, hard-working volunteers, and even staff counselors from the local University of Southern California. In fact, 80 percent of their staff are veterans themselves, who relive and relate to each one of their servicemen and women, brothers and sisters, remembering how hard the transition back really is.
The rehabilitation process for vets who are served by Veterans First starts with an extensive assessment, examining the needs of the person, and setting specific goals to reach. Goals for each former soldier can range from Rewind 40 years to a group of returning Vietnam better social skills, improving their hygiene, job veterans in 1971. Doing their very best to reintegrate placement, finishing their academic degree or into society, these veterans saw a need for an agency even recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. in addition to what the US Department of Veterans Each veteran receives a different kind of care and Help local veterans by Affairs was offering returning war heroes. The charity different concentration services, and may, therefore, contacting Natasha Ulibarri, was really founded as part of the national Disabled complete the program at Veterans First at different Community Relations Director American Veterans, Jack Fischer Chapter, with a lengths of time. “Everyone is different,” tells Deanne at (714) 547-0615, or visit www. mission statement: “Made up exclusively of men and veteransfirstoc.org. The opening Tate, President and CEO, “and our goal is to be able women disabled in our nation’s defense, the Disabled to get our returning veterans out working again.” of their first 24/7 emergency American Veterans (DAV) is dedicated to one, single shelter in OC will need volunteers Stories like that of Daniel Foster, who came to purpose: building better lives for all of our nation’s Veterans First seeking assistance amidst a messy and funding and you can get disabled veterans and their families.” This initial vision situation, was eventually able to get help stopping involved. and soul of building better lives is still true forty years his foreclosure and go through advanced security later. In 1991, the Board of Directors made a decision to guard training school to make a career for himself. sever relationships with the national DAV and became Veterans Charities William Jenkins is another success story name out of the program. of Orange County. Then, a few years later in 1994, now President and Once a homeless vet from the Civic Center in Santa Ana, Jenkins CEO Deanne Tate joined the agency as the Executive Director. In her completed the rehabilitation program with 23 months of sobriety, role as Executive Director at the time, Deanne quickly learned that the is now in permanent housing and working full-time as an outreach real need facing veterans in Orange County was homelessness. There worker for Veterans First. Jenkins introduces other homeless veterans was absolutely no community-based agency exclusively dealing with to the program. He was, after all, once in their shoes. homeless veterans in Orange County, and there were tons and tons of Exciting news for Veterans First is their new location in Santa Ana that them. Deanne picked up the pace, worked late nights, got out and met provides 24/7 services, including case management, life skills, job connected community members, and eventually birthed a program to training and placement, benefit counseling, mental health counseling, help our US heroes get off of the streets and back to good. In 2001, the hot meals, peer counseling and legal assistance. They will also open Board of Directors renamed the organization to be called Veterans First, a 100-bed emergency shelter in Anaheim to provide a safe haven of and for over 18 years now, they have helped rehabilitate upwards of a shelter and assistance for veterans and their families, too. With these thousand veterans off the streets and into permanent housing. new developments, the inspiring vision for Veterans First was, and Veterans First doesn’t do it alone: they have a strong partnership continues to be, providing men and women a safe harbor to turn to with the OC Mental Health Agency, as well as the US Department of when mental, health or financial limitations exist.
| Holiday 2012 Issue | 149