Many of you will remember the Veteran’s Village, run by FOB Hope. This was a ‘village’ providing transitional housing for vets living on the streets. They helped the vets navigate the paperwork required to obtain resources, as well as being community for them. We at Christ Church provided a monthly dinner to them for about three years. Then the city of Tacoma, having their funds from the Fed and State cut significantly, decided to use all of their resources to provide permanent housing for those in need, and thus cut funds for transitional housing. Veteran’s Village had to close. Tammy Crele, the Executive Director of FOB Hope (and currently its only staff!) had to let all of her staff go.
Currently, the vets are living in various encampments all over Pierce County (and a bit beyond). Tammy has been delivering food bags, water, basic hygiene products and the like to the vets, as well as friendship and what support she can. Using funds allocated by our Outreach Leadership Team, we’ve been providing the supplies for about 50-60 food bags each month.
Last week, I received this email from Tammy. I have her permission to share it with you all.
“There has been a huge uptick in homeless veterans and at-risk veterans in the last month, we have run out of supplies such as the snack bags, tents, and sleeping bags, it has gotten ugly in the field. I have had two veterans try to kill themselves, one is at Harborview on life support. I have another one I keep trying to talk to about hanging in there. The VA has had so many cuts in funding there is nowhere to put our veterans … but I thought you should know what is really going on.”
Funding cuts are stressing Washington, Pierce County, and Tacoma’s ability to provide for those in need, while more and more people, including veterans, are finding themselves unhoused and food insecure. It is left to charities and churches to provide, as we are called by Christ to do.
Friends, if any of you have sleeping bags or tents that you’d like to get out of your garage, let Deacon Donna know. Or, if you are shopping in thrift stores or yard sales and see any, please pick them up and let me know. I will collect them and make sure they get to Tammy and to the vets who need them.
Thank you so much for all you do to help our neighbors in need.
Deacon Donna, Len Johnson (OLT Chair)
