WASHINGTON — On a cold and rainy day, homeless veterans came inside where it’s warm and where doctors and nurses were waiting to provide them the health care they earned and need.
The VA Medical Center in D.C. conducted its 21st annual day-long clinic in which veterans are given health screenings, dental care, vaccinations and psycho-social services.
“I’m getting the best of the care that I need, stuff that I want I’m getting,” says Kevin Robinson, a veteran who served 11 years in the Army.
For months, the city’s shelters and VA personnel have identified veterans among the homeless to make them aware of the event called “Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down.” The vets are bused to the hospital for the day-long care. Last year, 712 homeless vets were treated and organizers expected to treat as many or more this year.
Women are among the city’s homeless vets and the head of the VA’s women’s clinic expected that 60 to 100 would file through.
“Every year we’ve noticed our numbers have increased and every year we have also increased our services for them,” says Gale Bell, Women’s Veteran Program Manager for the VA Medical Center.
The director of D.C.’s VA hospital, Brian Hawkins, estimates that about half the city’s homeless population are military veterans.
“You can be homeless for many reasons — medical, to include physical and mental, or what we see a lot in the District of Columbia, underemployment. It costs so much to live in this area, a lot of people are just one paycheck away from being homeless,” Hawkins says.
The vets get more than health care at the annual event. Also made available to them are employment, education and financial counseling. They can even get a haircut, a new toothbrush and toothpaste and warm clothes and boots
The homeless vets seemed thankful for the care, the freebies and the personal attention.
“I don’t know if they are as grateful as we are to be able to serve them,” Hawkins says.
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