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Air Force veteran Daniel Rine’s long travels have finally ended at a condominium in Pittsfield, shared with roommates and managed by the veteran support nonprofit Soldier On.

On Christmas, the 34-year-old New York native was cooking food for 100 veterans. He assisted in the preparation of the prime rib and ham, and he worked with a staff of about a half dozen to provide an orderly Christmas dinner.

“I have a reason to try and be successful and a means to do it,” said Rine, who couldn’t always say that.

“We’ve all seen worse than just the military,” said former Navy veteran and kitchen assistant chef Mike Davidson, who spoke while Rine attended to his duties on Tuesday afternoon.”No one comes here without a problem.”

Rine is still young, but he’s already dealt with a lifetime full of personal challenges.

He enlisted in the Air Force after graduating from high school, following in the footsteps of family members. He served a tour of duty at the Air Force base in Aviano, Italy, but was discharged after breaking down from the stress and homesickness.

Rine temporarily lived with family members in California and New York before moving on. He boarded public transit, rode out of New York and arrived in Springfield by chance more than planning.

Admittedly lost in life, Rine said he started walking the Massachusetts Turnpike toward Palmer before a police officer spotted him and provided him a ride the rest of the way.

Over a five-year period life started to come together in central Massachusetts. He got a full-time job repairing air-conditioning units. He found love and got married. Then came the Great Recession. He lost his job.

A divorce followed and Rine said he arrived at Soldier On an emotional wreck.

“I was devastated,” Rine said of the divorce’s impact. “I was a mess.”

The Air Force once provided for his needs. Now, he was living on his own, and reeling from personal turmoil. He needed some support.

Soldier On provided it and imbued him with purpose.

Over the last three years, Rine said he’s gone from the transitional shelter to an independent-living condo.

He worked on the volunteer desk and then on the construction team, but he is most passionate about his current job in the kitchen.

Rine believes he has the tools to improve his life further.

To contact John Sakata:
jsakata@berkshireeagle.com
or  (413) 496-6240

Read the article from the Berkshire Eagle: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_22260017/solider-proves-good-landing-spot-air-force-vet

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Only 17 percent of veterans at Soldier On have driver licenses; most of have lost their driving privileges because of struggles with alcohol or drug dependence.

But now that they are sober, it is often too complicated to get their licenses back.

Making that process easier would not only help the veterans get back on their feet but would also help even more people, veterans at Soldier On told Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray on Thursday.

According to John “Jack” Downing, chief executive officer of Soldier On, of the organization’s $10 million budget, $800,000 is spent annually on transportation — gas, repairs and tires — for its 39 vehicles.

Those costs set a minimum level of density a housing complex needs in order to be financially viable. For example, Downing said there have been talks with North Adams officials about opening a new locationthere, but it wouldn’t have the density needed to make transportation costs worth it.

Getting veterans their licenses back would ease transportation expenses.

“If they could give us a waiver for veterans who have gone through the programs, it would be a huge weight off our shoulders,” Downing said after showing Murray around the Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community and explaining the program. “The more our people can do themselves, the lower the costs.”

Murray visited the site during a swing through the city to listen to the concerns of the program’s participants. He also visited Pittsfield High School in the morning to look at its STEM (science, technology, engineering and math program) and took a tour of General Dynamics, which was closed to the press.

Veteran Tom Clark recapped the struggles many have had trying to earn their driver’s licenses back. Downing said the formerly homeless veterans don’t have the money to jump through all the hoops required.

“It is so tedious, so difficult that people give up,” Downing said.

Clark said he’s spoken with congressmen, the state delegation, the governor and now Murray, but no one has been able to help.

Clark was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive personality disorder after his service and eventually landed in jail after nearly running someone over. Clark has multiple college degrees, and after going through counseling for his disorder, he feels ready re-enter the work force.

In the Berkshires, transportation is a much more important for employment than anywhere else in the state, said state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, because the public transit system is “woefully inadequate.”

“You can’t rely on our public transportation,” Farley-Bouvier said.

Senior staff member Robert Reilly said the residents are talented but can’t turn their skills into employment because of the lack of transportation.

Murray said he will contact Secretary of Veterans Services Coleman Nee and  Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian to see if there are ways to smooth that transition.

“The practical solution is having our Department of Veterans Services work more strategically with the Registry of Motor Vehicles to help veterans. That’s something that doesn’t cost any money, it is just getting people to work together and smarter,” Murray said.

Finding ways to “work smarter” was one of the goals Murray had in multiple stops in Pittsfield on Thursday. The state’s revenue has come up short and cuts to the budget are looming. However, Murray reiterated his support for veterans housing, which mixed two of his roles as chairman of both the Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness and the Advisory Council for Veterans Services.

“We’ve had much more difficult budgets than this year and I think the standards in which we make decisions are the same. We protect safety net programs, programs that serve our most vulnerable populations and programs that serve out veterans,” Murray said.

With hundreds of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Downing said the need for programs such as Soldier On is growing. He is confident that state and federal government officials recognize the need and will continue to support programming.

“They both know transitional housing doesn’t work,” Downing said of Murray and Farley-Bouvier.

In closing a roundtable with veterans, Murray said the state has “the best programs in the country” and promised that the administration will continue to be “aggressive” in keeping that prestige.

“Soldier On is one of the best in helping veterans and their families in a real positive way,” Murray said.

Click here to view the story and photos from Lt. Gov. Murray’s visit to Soldier On.

Monday, December 3, 2012
(Published in print: Tuesday, December 4, 2012)

Northampton will soon get a new kind of homeowner — the homeless veteran kind. And that’s a good thing. That’s why we hope Soldier On’s push to build permanent housing for about 60 homeless veterans at its host campus in Leeds proves to be a worthwhile endeavor, not only for veterans in the Valley but across the country.

It better prove worthy, though, given the amount of taxpayer money that could eventually end up going to similar projects if the new housing model is replicated at many of the 123 campuses under the VA’s control — as Soldier On officials predict may happen.

The VA has already ponied up a majority of the roughly $8 million Soldier On will need for its five-building development on the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System campus in Leeds. Plans call for construction of 44 units in a four-building cluster for male veterans and a 16-unit transitional center for women veterans and their children.

With such funding comes great responsibility for Soldier On. The nearly 20-year-old organization must develop a transparent measuring stick to gauge whether the VA’s investment of millions of dollars nationwide is worth it.

One such clue might be taking shape in Pittsfield, where Soldier On built a similar permanent housing complex more than two years ago. The Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community houses nearly 40 military men in attached units that look more like high-end housing than affordable housing.

Not only do veterans own a share of the complex, they get a voice in how the place is run and, perhaps most importantly to their recovery, they become neighbors within a community of veterans. While there, they are surrounded by the services they need and with access to support from other veterans.

This community and service-under-one-roof aspect of the model is what excites veterans agents like Steve Connor in Northampton, who has watched far too many veterans work through various homeless veteran programs only to end up back on the street after a well-intended housing voucher program leaves them feeling isolated at a vulnerable time.

The nonprofit’s plan for Leeds is unique in that the housing complex will be developed on federal property and in partnership with the VA.

The project in Pittsfield and others planned for the former State Police Training Academy in Agawam, the vacant Chapin School in Chicopee and elsewhere are slated for private property that Soldier On acquires.

Similar to Pittsfield, the Northampton housing complex will enable veterans to earn equity in their units. The program requires veterans to buy their units for $2,500 and then make ongoing rent payments that are used in part for the upkeep of the units. The rent will be tied to Housing and Urban Development guidelines, which Soldier On estimates to be about $600 a month. Leftover money at the end of the year is returned to equity holders.

There’s no doubt the need is great. Soldier On estimated as recently as this summer that 85 percent of the veterans it serves are dealing with substance abuse, 80 percent have mental health issues and more than 70 percent have both.

Less than one-quarter of the homeless veterans have valid driver’s licenses, which makes getting to appointments difficult and sets them up for failure.

This new model is worth a try.

Click here to read this article.

PLYMOUTH – New Hampshire’s Soldier On project, which is working to find permanent housing for homeless veterans, will kick off its fundraising effort at an event Nov. 29 at the Common Man Inn and Spa.

Soldier On is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that works with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other agencies to provide veterans with shelter and support in an environment that offers dignity, integrity and hope.

The organization’s mission is to offer a permanent source of care for veterans that includes immediate and long-term housing with services delivered where they live. The project is designed to assist them in their transition from homelessness to homeownership.

The event will formally mark the beginning of a fundraising effort for Soldier On’s first New Hampshire permanent housing community, said Cathy Bentwood, director of the Bridge House Homeless shelter in Plymouth and a member of the local Soldier On leadership team.

The project has had strong local support from veterans, business leaders and state and federal political leaders, all of whom are committed to providing the kinds of services and assistance that veterans themselves say they need and want, Bentwood said.

The goal is to alleviate the problem of homeless veterans in the North Country and statewide, she said.

The group is planning a veterans’ housing facility in Holderness, though details of the project are still being worked out.

“It’s an honor to be part of Soldier On’s New Hampshire initiative,” Bentwood said. “Soldier On is ahead of the curve in solving this problem.”

Local Soldier On team members have been meeting this fall with potential contributors to the project. Those meetings went well, and there is now a more detailed project plan, which will be shared at the event, she said.

The goal for Phase 1 of the fundraising project is $75,000, which will cover the predevelopment costs.

Common Man owner Alex Ray has offered a 1-to-1 match for the first $25,000 committed.

The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. and will feature remarks by Jack Downing, president and CEO of Soldier On, as well as members of the New Hampshire leadership team.

Those wishing to attend or seeking more information may call 536-3720 or email kristine@lruw.org. Gifts of all sizes will be accepted.

Read the article here: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121122/NEWHAMPSHIRE09/121129657

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Northampton, Mass. (WWLP)

Women veterans are the fastest growing segment of the military and  they’re also the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.

The Soldier On home in Northampton on the campus of the VA Medical Center is a second chance for the 12 women who live there.

Constance Zamora, an Air Force Veteran, told 22News, “It’s literally saved my life. it’s changed my life.”

The women are all veterans and each ended up homeless after serving their country.

Denise Jefferson, an Air Force Veteran, told 22News, “I went into the service because my father was in the service and my grandfathers and I was keeping up the stuff.”

Jefferson said, “I was literally on the street. When I walked in here I had a paper bag.”

Some were sexually assaulted during their time in the service, many suffer from mental illness and substance abuse.

Dawn Lehouiller, an Army Reserve veteran, said, “I ended up committing crimes to support my drug habit I did some time in jail.”

With few resources for women veterans and an overwhelming stigma towards their issues, it took these women years to  find the help they need.

Katie Doherty with Soldier On’s Women Program said, “Women are not served the way that men are served.”

This inequality something that isn’t lost to the Veterans Administration, but change has come slowly.

Jim Seney, a program manager at the VA of Central and Western Massachusetts, said, “In a real male dominated culture we’ve really come a long way. There’s this misconception that women don’t go to the front lines but they are supplying to front lines so they are right there they are experiencing military trauma that is a misconception that they don’t have, they do and the after effects of that can be just as devastating for women as for men.”

The VA has hired a women’s veteran care coordinator and is pushing for more funding to address the issue.

Soldier On, which is a non profit organization, plans to add 16 more beds to its program for women and open up their units to veterans with children.

Lehouiller said, “I think the stigma with women is that especially in the military is that women are supposed to be responsible not supposed to have problems we’re not supposed to be homeless we’re supposed to be well put together and they don’t realize we’re people too things happen and we need help too.”

To view this story and video click here.

COLONIE — Albany County Executive Dan McCoy rolled out Sunday what he says is the first phase of transforming the former county nursing home campus into a sprawling services and housing center for veterans struggling to adapt to life after combat.

The county and the nonprofit group Soldier On have turned a long vacant two-story office space not far from the Ann Lee Home into the headquarters for the Albany County Veterans Resource Center. While plans to turn the former nursing home just across from Albany International Airport into a housing center for homeless veterans are still far from completion, the offices of the resource center should be open in roughly a month.

The center will help guide veterans of any age to the resources available and also aid those in need of temporary financing for those looking to find a home.

McCoy, himself an Iraq veteran, was joined Sunday outside the new offices by a host of other elected officials, military personnel and a couple hundred veterans.

“We have to service our vets,” McCoy said. “We have to be there for those suffering financially, from (brain injuries), from PTSD, whatever. We want to be a one-stop shop. We want to set an example.”

The project is being funded by Soldier On with the help of grants and donations and will come at no cost to the county. Soldier On has set up similar programs in Massachusetts.

McCoy hopes the Albany branch will eventually be a campus-like setting, with housing and ways for vets to take classes there through SUNY. The project is ambitious and will take time to complete, McCoy says, but he believes the newly opened resource center will immediately aid the more than 18,000 vets in the county, many of whom face emotional and financial issues that are only fully understood by others who have served their country.

McCoy knows this firsthand. When he returned from Iraq, he said he avoided confronting the toll his tour took on him.

“I saw too many burials of my brothers and sisters oversees. I said I would never go to a VFW post,” McCoy said, speaking Sunday to a tent full of generations of veterans in front of the new veterans center. “I just didn’t want to deal with what I had to deal with, because it makes you think about stuff. It’s easier to shut things down and move on … you just do the mission and come back.”

Problems plaguing returning veterans are well documented: depression, post-traumatic stress, self medication with alcohol and drug abuse, problems finding a home and a job. Many returning troops come from families living below or near the poverty line, making them much more susceptible to those roadblocks.

Having a place where vets can speak with someone who understands what they’re going through goes a long way, McCoy said, as many returning troops cannot bring themselves to confide their darkest hours of combat to even their loved ones.

“There is an epidemic of disconnect,” said Col. David Sutherland. The special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who focuses on military and family programs gave a rousing speech at Sunday’s news conference. Places like the veterans resource center are in place, Sutherland said, to help vets “Achieve what they want to achieve: A balance of education, meaningful employment and access to health care. It takes a whole of society approach.”

John Downing, president and CEO of Soldier On, said he wants to help vets of all ages who are suffering now while also keeping those returning from Iraq or Afghanistan from falling into hard times. Of the Vietnam veterans Soldier On has identified in the state, Downing said 90 percent of them try to make a living earning just 30 percent of the state’s median income or less.

Another issue for some vets, Downing said, is that some act criminally when they have trouble adapting to life back home, leading to incarceration.

“Veterans are not a protected class of citizens in our society,” Downing said. “We all want to think that because we appreciate what they do, that they’re special, but they’re not protected.”

Click here to view this story.

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – A former Chicopee school will soon serve as affordable housing for veterans who were once homeless.

Soldier On plans to turn the old Chapin School on Meadow Street in Willimansett into a housing complex. The facility will include several living units, along with veterans’ services.

John Downing, President of Soldier On told 22News that we owe it to veterans to provide them with a place to live.

“Everybody that is a veteran, everyone that has ever put on the American military uniform has said to you and me ‘I will die for you,’ and we don’t clearly hear that, and we thought if the people who have said ‘I will die for you’ and give us their life, should be able to own where they live which will stabilize their lives,” Downing said.

The plan is also a win for Chicopee; it will be the first time the building is on the tax rolls, and it will bring in an extra $30,000 a year in property taxes for the city.

Soldier On has facilities in Pittsfield and Northampton, and is planning on adding housing for veterans at the site of the former State Police Academy in Agawam.

Read the full story