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Local partnership to help veterans in crisis

Daily Independent - 6/4/2019

June 04-- Jun. 4--ASHLAND -- Helping veterans in need.

This is the goal of a new partnership featuring members of the local faith-based community, the Veterans Administration Outreach Center in Huntington and Shelter of Hope. The Ashland Area Ministerial Association (AAMA) detailed the program Tuesday -- an endeavor that will assist with the emergency needs of low-income or fixed-income military veterans in the community.

"It's an opportunity for veterans to have services that otherwise wouldn't exist," said Rev. Stanley McDonald of New Hope Baptist Church.

The "Veterans Emergency Fund Program" seeks to fill a void in other veterans' assistance efforts, and "bridge the gap in services," said McDonald.

The association has enlisted the support of the Veterans Administration Outreach Center in Huntington and the Shelter of Hope, an Ashland-based non-profit agency, to assist with program management and veteran screening.

Shelter of Hope Executive Director Debbie Sivis said the non-profit -- which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing in the FIVCO area -- will act as a program manager for the Veterans Emergency Fund Program.

"We've already been able to help one person with the little bit of money we've already received," Sivis said. "He had a problem with his car, it was going to cost well over $400 and he needed to get to his medical appointments and he didn't have that kind of money. A lot of these veterans are on fixed-income."

The Shelter of Hope, which has it's own veteran's shelter program, will not be merging it's veteran's shelter program into the Veteran's Emergency Fund Program, said Sivis.

Anne Robinson, the Homeless Outreach Specialist with the VA, will be working to screen applicants as well as identify needs.

Robinson said the program begin when Sivis asked her if there were unmet needs for veterans in the community. Robinson went back 12 months and was able to identify 100 veterans she had contact with who had some type of financial need that was not being met. Robinson said out of the 100 veterans, 50 of the needs could not be addressed with current community services available.

"A lot of resources are being cut," Robinson said. "The VA used to have a veteran transport that used to pick veterans up from Ashland and take them to the VA. It's not available anymore."

Robinson said veterans who are requesting emergency assistance can contact her at (304) 657-8867, and she will then verify their veteran status through her database or via their DD-214. Robinson will then refer them to Shelter of Hope to coordinate disbursement to a vendor, such as a landlord, utility company, auto repair concern, etc. Assistance will be limited in the cost and frequency and there will be a cap of $500, said Sivis.

Neither the Shelter of Hope, nor the VA will be providing funding for the program. The program will be solely "donor driven," said Sivis.

Donations can be made to the AAMA, in care of Rev. Larry Sivis, Treasurer at First Chrisitan Church, located at 1930 Winchester Ave.

The members of the AAMA are New Hope Baptist, Calvary Episcopal, First Presbyterian, First Nazarene, South Ashland United Methodist, First Methodist, First Christian, Holy Family Catholic Church, Beech Street Christian Church, King's Daughters Medical Center, and Community Presbyterian.

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