>> LAST FALL WGBY RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE CORPORATION FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING TO TELL THE STORIES OF VETERANS AND THE
CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACED AS THEY TRANSITIONED OUT OF THE
MILITARY.
ONE OF THE AGENCIES WE PARTNERED WITH WAS SOLDIER ON, A PRIVATE
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER AND VIDEOGRAPHER MARK LANGEVIN
RETURNED TO GET AN UPDATE FROM THE VETERANS AND LEARN ABOUT THE
NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT IS UNDERWAY TO HELP FULFILL THE
MISSION OF SOLDIER ON.
>> VETERANS COMING HOME IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY PRIDE STORES.
>> I WAS TRYING TO FORCE MYSELF TO FIT IN.
AND AS IF I DIDN'T BELONG ANY MORE.
I THOUGHT SO WHAT.
MY MIND KEPT GOING BACK TO IRAQ.
>> FOR ALONZO SWIFT, THE TRANSITION OUT OF THE MILITARY
WAS NOT AN EASY ONE AFTER 18 YEARS IN THE ARMY NATIONAL
GUARD, HE FOUND HIMSELF HOMELESS, AND IN NEED OF HELP.
>> I ENDED UP IN A STANDDOWN, A PLACE THAT HELD BETS.
AND I RAN INTO A FRIEND WHO WORKED FOR SOLDIER ON.
HE TOLD ME ABOUT SOLDIER ON, AND A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS HERE.
>> THAT WAS IN 2011.
TODAY, ALONZO IS STILL AT SOLDIER ON, RUNNING THE
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, GETTING VETERANS TO AND FROM
THEIR VARIOUS APPOINTMENTS, AND SCHOOLS, AND JOBS.
>> IT BEGAN WITH HEART.
NOW I DO IT IN MY SLEEP.
>> ALONZO IS ONE OF THE MILLIONS OF VETERANS WHO HAVE
TRANSITIONED OUT OF THE MILITARY, AND ARE NOW IN NEED OF
SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
ACCORDING TO SOLDIER ON, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 50,000 HOMELESS
VETERANS ACCOUNTED FOR IN ANOTHER $1.4 MILLION AT RISK OF
BEING HOMELESS.
>> YOU TAKE THAT, AND YOU COUPLE IT WITH OTHER STATISTICS, AND
ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES NEED SOME
KIND OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
AND IN RURAL AREAS, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 80 TO 90% OF VETERANS
AND THEIR FAMILIES, ARE AT 35% OF MEDIAN INCOME OR LESS.
THEY ARE AT RISK OR ABOUT TO BE AT RISK.
SO THE CHALLENGES ARE THERE.
>> MONA DUDLEY CAME TO THE V.A.
IN OCTOBER OF 2013.
SHE SPENT SEVERAL WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL AND IS NOW LIVING IN A
WOMEN'S ONLY COTTAGE AT SOLDIER ON IN NORTHAMPTON.
SHE SERVED IN THE WOMEN'S ARMY CORPS IN THE 1970'S.
SHE MET HER HUSBAND WHILE IN THE MILITARY BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 35
YEARS AFTER SHE GOT OUT THAT SHE SOUGHT HELP.
>> PRIOR TO MY HUSBAND, TAKING CARE OF MY MOTHER AND FATHER,
AND FATHER-IN-LAW AND MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND I TOOK CARE
OF MY BROTHER-IN-LAW, AND MY HUSBAND GOT SICK, SO IT WAS JUST
LIKE, I WAS -- ONE DOWN, TIRED, I HAD NOT BEEN EATING RIGHT,
SLEEPING RIGHT, AND SO THE DEPRESSION ON TOP OF EVERYTHING
ELSE, JUST SET ME INTO LIKE A TWIRL.
>> IN THE YEAR AND EIGHT MONTHS THAT MONA HAS BEEN AT SOLDIER
ON, SHE HAS GOTTEN THE SUPPORT AND SERVICES THAT SHE NEEDED.
SHE'S GONE BACK TO SCHOOL AND GOTTEN HER DEGREE AND IS NOW
READY TO MOVE ON WITH HER LIFE.
>> WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, I HAD A LOT OF CONFUSION AND STUFF.
I HAD PTSD AND WASN'T REALLY SURE WHERE I WAS AT WITH THE
DEPRESSION AND STUFF.
IT TOOK ME ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO KIND OF COME AROUND AND GET INTO
THE GRASP OF THINGS.
BY THE FALL OF LAST YEAR, I WAS FEELING PRETTY GOOD.
I WENT TO SCHOOL.
COMPLETED THE COURSE.
WHEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT MOVING ON, I HAD TO KIND OF
WEIGH, YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT I HAVE HERE, AND HERE'S WHERE I AM
GOING, YOU KNOW.
WHAT IS IT THAT I WANT TO TAKE FROM HERE TO GO WITH ME?
AND THE ONE THING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE WITH ME IS THAT
FEELING OF SECURITY AND THE SENSE THAT I AM IN CONTROL OF MY
LIFE NOW.
>> SINCE 1994, SOLDIER ON HAS BEEN PROVIDING HOMELESS VETERANS
WITH TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT OF SERVICES.
IN 2010, THEY OPENED THE GORDON MANSFIELD VETERAN'S COMMUNITY IN
PITS FIELD, A PERMANENT HOUSING COOPERATIVE THAT PROVIDES
FORMALLY HOMELESS VETERANS WITH SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
TRANSITIONING THEM FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOME OWNERSHIP.
THIS HOUSING MODEL WILL BE REPLICATED IN NORTHAMPTON WITH
THE CONSTRUCTION OF 44 COOPERATIVE AND 16 TRANSITIONAL
UNITS, INCLUDING A MUCH NEEDED TRANSITIONAL WOMEN'S CENTER.
>> WE SEE THAT ADVANCING.
AND THEY HAVE AS MANY NEEDS THAT WERE MET.
MORE DELICATE, MORE SENSITIVE.
AND CHILDREN ARE INVOLVED.
SO, WE'RE TAKING ON THAT CHALLENGE, ALSO.
>> ALONG WITH THE CONSTRUCTION IN NORTHAMPTON, SOLDIER ON ALSO
HAS PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN AGUAM, CHICOPEE AND ALBANY, NEW YORK.
>> IT'S VERY FULFILLING TO WORK IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, TO HELP
THEM, WHO WOULD PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR SOMEONE THAT I
DIDN'T KNOW.
NEVER MET BEFORE.
AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO READAPT INTO THE COUNTRY THAT
THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE THEIR LIFE FOR.
>> BACK IN NORTHAMPTON, ALONZO SWIFT IS READY TO MOVE ON AND
LEAD SOLDIER ON WITH AN UPCOMING BIRTHDAY, HE KNOWS THE TIME IS
NOW TO FOLLOW HIS DREAMS.
>> I CELEBRATED MY 53rd BASE HIT IN AUGUST, AND I LIKED
MUSIC, JAZZ IS WHAT I LIKED.
I WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO READ AND WRITE JAZZ MUSIC.
I CANNOT KEEP SAYING, I HAVE GOT TIME TO DO IT OVER AGAIN.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT OVER AGAIN.
IT'S A ONE-SHOT DEAL.
>> VETERANS COMING HOME IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY PRIDE STORES.
WGBY IS PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE V.A.
CENTRAL WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS SOLDIER ON, AND
THE BILINGUAL VETERANS OUTREACH CENTERS OF MASSACHUSETTS TO
SUPPORT VETERANS IN THEIR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO
CIVILIAN LIFE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, INFORMATION.WGBYVETERANSCOMING
HO ME.ORG.