I have my own opinions about the “epidemic” of homeless vets, but regardless of our opinion about it, they still need help. The following letter was sent to me by a Soldiers’ Angels team leader and I’d like to pass it along.

Dear Friends and Fellow Americans,

Somewhere tonight sleeping under a bridge or on a sidewalk are many of this great country’s Veterans. Somewhere tonight, going to bed without much if anything for dinner are children, wives, husbands who are veterans themselves or families of veterans. I am speaking of those who have given so much for you and I to have the freedoms to protest, go to work in a safe environment, worship as we choose and to vote for the candidate of our choosing in free and honest elections. I have found that there are so many things that we take for granted on a daily basis that thousands of our countrymen have given the ultimate sacrifice for. If you take time in your daily life to look around you; you will see many things that we are free to do that would not be possible if not for these great Americans.

Through my volunteer work with Soldiers’ Angels I have come to realize just how widespread the problems that our Veterans face on a daily basis are. I am speaking of those Veterans from every place our troops have ever been deployed. From World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Somalia, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. During my time spent as the Southwestern US VA Team Leader I have worked with and talked with those who have served and their families. The VA tries to meet the needs, but have found themselves so overwhelmed and not knowing how to handle the influx of Veterans in recent years. Soldiers’ Angels has stepped up to help make a difference and close that gap between their military salaries being gone and their VA Benefits starting. We work daily to help them not only transition back home, but with personal and financial needs until their VA Benefits start coming in, this in itself can take up to six months.

Personal stories are different, but the one constant is that these men and women need our help and support. I cannot tell you how many are on the brink of losing their homes, cars and are finding themselves unemployed and needing to feed their families. A young family comes to mind that dad has come home with PTSD( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI(Traumatic Brain Injury) and finds himself jobless, no VA Benefits coming in and needs to feed his family. Many of these heroes are too proud to ask and only after seeing that they can’t provide for their families will they ask. So many have said to me, “I don’t need anything, but I do need to feed my children.”

How can we as a country say no to these men and women who have given and continue to give daily so that you and I can enjoy our freedoms?

I come to you today asking for your help in taking care of those who have stood so proudly for us over the years. Soldiers’ Angels can’t do it alone! We are a 501 c3 organization and need your help to take care of those who have given so much for us. Our Veterans team is now celebrating its first birthday and we are so proud of the work that we have been able to do. We want to start our 2nd year out by helping more of these brave warriors than we did last year.

I am asking that in honor of our Soldiers’ Angels VA Team beginning their second year of making sure that we have “NONE FORGOTTEN” that if you can donate $2.00 or more to help us let them know that we will NEVER FORGET their sacrifices’ and that we as a nation will help to take care of them as they have us for so many years.

With heartfelt thanks and on behalf of Soldier’s Angels Veterans Support Team, thank you for any donation you can give. All of your donations are tax deductible.

If you would like to make your donation in honor or memory of a veteran, Soldier or someone please contact me at twylachoate@tx.rr.com and I will tell you how to do that.

Your tax deductible donations can be mailed to Soldiers’ Angels, 1792 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104. Please indicate on your check that it is for the Soldiers’ Angels Veterans Support Team.

From my heart,
Twyla J. Choate
Southwestern US VA Team Leader
Soldiers’ Angels

And thank you for your support!!