When Catholic Charities of Kansas City- St. Joseph first received the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) Grant, we were pleased to be able to help many that do not qualify for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. However, there is one veteran that I remember like it was yesterday. This 83-year-old World War I Veteran was referred to us by Veterans Community Project (VCP). They asked if any of our community partners would be able to assist in helping this veteran catch up on his utilities. Through the coordination with VCP, we found out that this veteran’s wife had recently passed away from cancer. He used his savings to pay some of the medical debt that had accumulated, he was still immersed in debt, and he was about to lose the home that he and his late wife had bought after the war. Veterans Community Project was able to pay the mortgage and Catholic Charities was able to use the DVNF Grant to pay this veteran’s utility bills and get him caught up. Through our combined efforts and the funding from DVNF, we were able to keep this elderly veteran in his lifelong home.
By Rhonda Gonzalez, SSVF Housing Case Manager