Housed: One Veteran!

The scene: Los Angeles Housing Authority, Friday, August 28th. A room with florescent lights and no windows.

Those present: 30 veterans, 5 case managers with LA Housing Authority, myself and my partner Herman.

Required: Clients present submitted an application, and also had 90 days sobriety, a physical and mental health evalutaion, as well as copies of bank statements.

Getting to see one of our clients in a room with 29 other vets receive a voucher for his own apartment: priceless!

Now, for the other 90,000 homeless in LA, let's get cracking!

In all sincerity, it has been a crazy ride with this particular client seeing him through to this point, and it has taken a lot of sweat to actually get all of the required components gathered and all of his appointments met.

As I looked around the room, I realized that most Veterans do not have the luxury of getting case managers to aid them in looking for apartments. They are going to be making their appointments on their own. Although most veterans in the room receiving their housing vouchers appeared to be middle-aged or higher, I did see some younger looking men that could not have been much older than me. I wondered what must be different about their lives now. We're awarding these veterans who served our country with reduced fee housing vouchers for single and one bedroom apartments, and yet they should be able to have a house of their own, not just an apartment in this crazy, jam-packed city. One man asked about his PTSD and how that was going to affect his ability to find an apartment approved with the program in the given 120 day limit. He has a 2 year old daughter. I hope that there will be reform in this program, and in similar programs to come, as we continue on the quest to house every homeless and underserved person living in this city.

For now, I must celebrate along with my wonderful team the small feat that has been accomplished with the collaborative effort of case managers, social workers, and doctors, all who had a small part to play in getting our one client the dream of his life, an apartment he could afford on his SSI that is in West Hollywood, CA.

Glorifying God in the Dull

Currently I am studying for two Graduate Record Examination (GRE) tests, which will be taken about a month/month and a half from now. One is in psychology, and the other is the general which I took a few years ago. The majority of my summer (post-relative visit, that is!) has been establishing a regular pattern of study on two weeknights and on Saturdays. Boy has it been difficult for me to get back into the swing of things. I told someone recently that it was like retraining a muscle I haven't used in a while. There are days where doing math problems and reading an abbreviated version of a general psych text book is less than desireable. Yet I continue to press on. Part of me is happy to be studying again, because I know that I will be closer to my goal of getting into clinical psychology programs. But the other half says to me daily, "It's summer. You should be outside. Or in an air-conditioned movie theater. With friends."

One of my professors at Seattle Pacific said that we glorify God when we show up with a grateful and willing heart. This means that in showing up to study, grateful that God has given me the chance for some higher learning, and also willing to humble myself and learn the magnitude of that which I do not know, I am glorifying Him! Although many days when I sit down to study I do not feel like studying and I do have a bad attitude, I am trying to re-focus that energy into feeling like my score will be that much more positive because I am studying so diligently. I think this can be taken into anything and anywhere we go. This week, I am praying for a grateful and willing heart as I show up to work, to studying, to the gym, to hang out with friends, and in my quiet times. I know that God will meet me there and work out the rest for me.