Grant to help older Westside vets transition
By CHRISTINA WALKER Special to the Daily Press
DOWNTOWN Homeless veterans that have served time in Los Angeles County jails will get a new lease on life as a result of a $317,000 grant to the Volunteers of America.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs issued the grant to help the organization establish a 25 bed rotary house to assist homeless veterans over 60 years old transition back into society after serving time in jail.
Besides the construction of the beds, the three-year grant will also be used to serve meals to the veterans and to hire a social worker to oversee the house. Many of those who will benefit from the grant could come from the Westside since the majority of homeless veterans reside there, the reason being they see Santa Monica as less threatening, said Jim Howat, director for adult services with Volunteers of America and a former U.S. Navy serviceman.
Although the grant money will fall under the Volunteers of America program VS 21, which stands for veterans over 60 in the 21st Century, the rotary house program is a new program. Howat said getting to the veterans before they hit the pavement is very important in preventing recidivism and the program will fill that need.
“Once they pay their debt to society we’ll be there to pick them up,” Howat said, further elaborating that this is part of the founding philosophy of the organization. “We really do care about the veterans.”
Even with a slumping economy the organization is still able to find jobs for the veterans re-entering society, said Howat.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 25, 2008. Read the original PDF.