New center to help homeless veterans

An Arklatex city is reaching out to veterans who
put their lives on the line for our freedoms but ended up homeless.



This afternoon in Shreveport’s Volunteers of America opened the doors to the new Veterans Transitional living home. It has 56 beds and vets can stay for up to a year. "I got sidetracked. There's a lot of homeless vets out there now. Many don't have anywhere to go. Many got on drugs and alcohol," homeless vet Leonard Townsend says.

While there, vets are eligible for mental health treatments, job placement and substance abuse courses. Veterans will start moving in this January.

Louisiana has the second highest rate of homeless veterans in the nation. Nbc 6 reporter Karen Hopkins spoke with two veterans who say after serving in the military they were left without a home.

“I took a lot of pride in my job" Leonard Townsend joined the military right out of high school. “i joined the army December 1, 1981.” But years later, when he left the army, he says he couldn't adjust. “Being in the military you pretty much have one way of doing things and it's totally different than being in society. Once you step foot in society, you have to readjust and if you can’t readjust you're left out.”

And Townsend was left out. He's one of 260,000 homeless vets nationwide. “It all happened after I got out of the military. It was hard to find a job, things just didn't work.”

Uncle Sam drafted Joe, who doesn’t want to show his face on TV. The Vietnam war was raging. Joe was just 18. “My being so young, I didn't get a chance to see my daughter being born. The Red Cross had to locate me. I flew home for 30 days, and that was it. I had to go back to panama.
It destroyed my marriage totally. I'm divorced. I never got a chance to be a father, a husband. I was upset.”

Joe says his anger disabled him; 45 percent of homeless vets suffer from mental illness. And one out of three people you see living on the streets, served our country.
“We all deserve to be recognized for putting our life on the line for our country.”

As for Townsend, things are looking up. He went through a veterans affairs program and Monday will move into his own apartment. “I know I’m going straight ahead, just look forward to the future.”

Townsend just sent this email:
Hi Karen ! I was very pleased with our interview. It has recieved alot of good feedback. Thanks, you did a really great job and you really made things easy for me . I am proud to have had this chance to do this and the subject is one that should be addressed, because there are so many without and the program is really a suscess for all of us that participate, and it provides us with structure to adjust in time, and society awaits. Don't stop here, keep up the good work you have the perfect demeaner, and resorces for such a touchy subject. I also commend the cameraman he was aswell. Thanks so much.
Leonard Townsend

US Army Veteran