>> THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES MANY VETERANS ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND ARE IN NEED OF
PROPER CARE.
SO MANY OF THEM LIVE RIGHT HERE
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
>> MANY LEADERS ARE HELPING
THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED TO GET
BACK ON THEIR FEET.
THIS MORNING THE COMMUNITY
LEGAL SERVICES AMID FLORIDA
WILL TEAM UP WITH DEPARTMENT OF
VETERAN AFFAIRS TO GET RESULTS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME BACK
KIMBERLY SANCHEZ CEO OF
COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES GOOD
TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> THANK YOU AND A PLEASURE TO
BE HERE AGAIN.
>> WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH OUR
VETERANS HERE IN CENTRAL
FLORIDA.
A LOT OF THEM ARE SORT OF
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS.
>> GREAT QUESTION IT IS
UNFORTUNATE WHAT IS HAPPENING.
SO THIS COUNTRY REALLY NEEDS
PEOPLE TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY
AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE
COMING BACK AS FAR AS THE
VIETNAM WAR.
WE’RE SEEING NUMEROUS VIETNAM
WERE COMBAT VETERANS WERE
UNABLE TO ACCESS THE BENEFITS
THAT THEY SO BRAVELY FOUGHT
FOR.
SO UNFORTUNATELY AGAIN LIKE THE
LAST TIME I WAS HERE SOMETIMES
YOU NEED A LAWYER TO HELP YOU
ACCESS THE BENEFITS AND GET THE
SERVICES YOU NEED.
>> SEE YOU SAID VETERANS AS FAR
BACK AS THE VIETNAM WAR.
I THINK THAT IS SHOCKING A LOT
OF PEOPLE PROBABLY DO NOT
REALIZE THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT
IN THAT WAR ARE NOT GETTING THE
BENEFITS THEY DESERVE.
WHY IS THAT.
>> THERE ARE A COUPLE REASONS
BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE ONES
THAT WE SEE IN THESE CLIENTS
ARE HOMELESS BECAUSE IT HAS
BEEN SO LONG AND THEY HAVE BEEN
WITHOUT SO MUCH.
THAT ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS IS
DISABILITY UNDER JUST THE FACT
THAT THEY SERVED.
AN INTERESTING FACT PTSD IS NOT
SOMETHING THAT WAS DIAGNOSABLE
BUT AFTER THE VIETNAM WAR.
SO NOW THAT IT IS A DIAGNOSABLE
DISABILITY THERE ARE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE
VETERANS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM
THAT TO GO BACK TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
AND ASK FOR CHANGES TO THE
DISCHARGE STATUS.
AND THAT WOULD MEAN THEN
BECAUSE MOST OF THEM COME OUT
WITH A LESS THAN HONORABLE
DISCHARGE BECAUSE THE
COMPLICATIONS DUE TO PTSD WAS
NOT DIAGNOSED BUT NOW THAT IT
IS WE CAN GO BACK AND ASK FOR
THOSE UPGRADES.
AND ONCE YOU GET AN UPGRADE YOU
ARE ABLE TO ACCESS HEALTHCARE
AND ACCESS SOCIAL SECURITY
BENEFITS AND THAT PROVIDES
INCOME.
>> GIVE US EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE
YOU’VE HELPED AND SITUATION
SIMILAR TO THAT.
>> WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC
SIMILAR EXAMPLE.
MOST OF OUR VETERAN REFERRALS
COME FROM PARTNER AGENCIES.
SO THROUGHOUT OUR 12 COUNTY
AREA WHICH WE COVER A LARGE
FOOTPRINT IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
AND WE WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND SOME OF
THEIR CLINICS.
AND WHAT THEY WILL SAY WAS
AFTER WE TEACH THEM WHAT IT IS
WE HELP WITH TABLE REFER
CLIENTS BASICALLY TO US.
WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE
STAND DOWNS WHICH IS SOMETHING,
THE 24 HOUR OVERNIGHTS WHERE
COMMUNITY PARTNERS GET TOGETHER
AND THEY TRY TO FIND VETERANS
AND PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR
VETERANS AND IT GOES ON FOR 24
HOURS.
TYPICALLY WE FIND UNFORTUNATELY
A LOT OF HOMELESS VETERANS IN
THE FOREST IN AREAS WITH
HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE.
AND SO THOSE EVENTS ARE REALLY
IMPACTFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY CAN ACCESS SERVICES AND
THAT IS WHERE WE GET THE
MAJORITY OF OUR REFERRALS.
THESE VETERANS ARE EMBARRASSED
IN THEIR UPSET AND ANGER.
BUT THEY FEEL LET DOWN BY THEIR
COUNTRY.
IN THESE PARTICULAR SITUATIONS
BUT THE HELP IS AVAILABLE.
IT IS JUST UNFORTUNATE YOU
ACTUALLY NEED A LAWYER AND YOU
HAVE TO PETITION THE DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS THAT
REQUIRED THE LAWYER.
>> NOT SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE
CAN DO ON THEIR OWN AND KNOW
HOW TO NAVIGATE ALL THAT.
VERY COMPLICATED AND THAT IS
WHERE YOU COME IN AND YOU HAVE
A FUNDRAISER SO TELL US ABOUT
THAT.
>> SURE.
ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS IS
PLANNING A FUNDRAISER
SPECIFICALLY FOR VETERANS
ISSUES BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS IS
SUCH A PROBLEM AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE AMID FLORIDA WITH A
VETERANS ADVOCACY PROJECT WHERE
WE HIRE LAWYERS TO HELP WITH
THESE TYPES OF CASES.
BUT LAWYERS ARE NOT FREE AND
THE WORK IS NOT FREE AND PEOPLE
DON’T WORK FOR FREE BUT THE
SERVICES TO THE VETERANS ARE AT
NO COST SO THAT THEY HAVE THE
ABILITY TO RECEIVE THE
BENEFITS.
SO THE FUNDRAISER WILL BE IN
SUPPORT OF OUR VETERANS WORK
AND WE DO HAVE A FUNDRAISING
GOAL OF $25,000 WHICH WILL HELP
US ATTRACT LAWYERS TO TAKE
THESE CASES.
AND IT WILL BE IN ALTAMONTE
SPRINGS JUNE 21 FROM 6:00 TO
9:00 AND IT WILL BE A SILENT
AUCTION AND THERE WILL BE LOTS
OF FOOD AND DRINK.
IT IS LAWYERS HOSTING SO BOUND
TO BE A FUN TIME AND IF YOU
NEED ANY LEGAL ADVICE I’M SURE
YOU COULD KNOCK SOMEBODY FOR AN
EXTRA COUPLE QUESTIONS.
BUT HOPEFULLY WE’LL HAVE A
COUPLE OF OUR CLIENTS THERE
THEY CAN TELL THEIR STORY AND
THEIR JOURNEY WITH COMMUNITY
LEGAL SERVICES AND HOW WE HELP.
SO WE ARE CHALLENGING PEOPLE
EVEN IF YOU CAN’T COME TO GO TO
OUR WEBSITE AND MAKE A
DONATION.
AS LITTLE AS $25 TO $50 GETS
YOU SOMETIME AT LEAST WITH THE
LAWYER TO YOU ON THE PHONE.
>> OF EVERY DOLLAR HELPS.
>> EVERY DOLLAR HELPS AND WE
ARE A PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FIRM
IN NONPROFIT.
>> SO THE WEBSITE QUICKLY WE
WILL HAVE IT ON
CLICKORLANDO.com.
THE WEBSITE AGAIN?
CLSMF.ORG A BIT OF A MOUTHFUL
BUT COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES
AMID FLORIDA.
WE ARE THE COMMUNITY’S LAW