have to download your data and
find out Friday morning on
Channel 2 news today.
>> There are veterans who are
just so displaced. Mentally
emotionally physically that
they don’t even know where to
begin and they have just given
up.
>> It is a tough reality,
especially around Christmas men
and women who fought for our
freedom are now struggling out
on the streets we brought you a
closer look at their struggle
just last week.
>> And our stronger Houston
series and tonight we continue
our efforts showcasing the many
groups in southeast Texas that
are working around the clock to
get these veterans off the streets and as channel two’s
streets and as channel two’s
Vincent crivelli reports the
results are truly life
changing.
>> From fighting for our
country to fighting to stay
alive on the streets of
Houston. Homeless veterans they
return from the front lines but
fell through the cracks Carol
Jones served 6 years in the
Marines and was deployed to the Middle East where he fractured
Middle East where he fractured
his foot and suffered a head
trauma injury, the pain
physical pain. Escalated and in
just gotten out of control.
The war in the Middle East may
have broken Jones’s body but
it’s the Ward home that broke
his spirit I attempted suicide
twice Jones says shortly after
a service to our country he was
homeless living in misery.
I was more comfortable in a
tent in the Marine Corps.
In a foreign land. Then I have
been here he bounced around the
country for 10 years then in
2018 he came to Houston I’ve
had to rate Houston’s the city
streets of Houston to be. The most some of the most
The most some of the most
dangerous streets, he found
comfort at least emotionally
living alongside Houston’s
other homeless veterans we look
out for each other and it’s a it’s a sense of you know, I got
it’s a sense of you know, I got
your back you got minds, you
know sit same motto in the
Marine Corps we live by semper
fi always faithful Jones held
on to his faith and turned his
life around he became a
handyman saved up money and
found a home improve my quality
of life. >> All the way around it made
>> All the way around it made
me feel that I was human again
and I’m no longer Shane.
I’m no longer embarrassed.
I’m no longer fearful, but then
the pandemic struck his
handyman work dried up and his
bank account Windows. It was
like everything that work for
everything that I fought for within the last. 2 years since
within the last. 2 years since
I’ve been here. It was like it
was it was about all go down
the drain again Jones felt
hopeless however, a fellow
veteran recommended he reached
out to the Houston area, urban
League or Hall, I know a lot of
times it I feel like they’re in
that struggle by themselves but
you’re but you’re really not
Joelle been of eat as is a
whole case manager for
veterans, they fought for our
country they sacrifice their
lives should not be living on
the street Hall is one of a 109
organizations that received
grant money from the Texas
veterans Commission last year
the TV see gave out 31 million
dollars in grants Hall was
awarded with $300,000 for a
specific veteran program, the
goal of the program needs to
end homelessness which into it
a huge task especially here in
Houston Ben of eat as says the $300,000 helped out 100
$300,000 helped out 100
veterans and 25 surviving
spouses the money can be used
for rental deposit or in
Jones’s case rental debts while
it gave me an opportunity to
first of all take a breath.
Secondly to realize that hey
all is not lost. I’m still in
the game of life even after all he’s been through Jones
he’s been through Jones
considers himself lucky because
everybody don’t. Everybody
don’t have this chance. You
know every veteran a lot of us
we well over taken by pride.
So he’s urging homeless
veterans to reach out to haul
for a hand up not a handout all
is not lost. There is there is a place that you can go there’s
a place that you can go there’s
a place that you can call to
get help. And Hall has one
homeless veteran prevention
grants from the TV see for the
past 5 years if you’re