Home Front for Veterans Gives Hope to Homeless

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Some local homeless veterans are one step closer to having a permanent home thanks to the South Carolina Home Front for Veterans. Jobless, at age 17, Calvin Reese had a decision to make. Reese says,”I looked up the street and down the street and all I saw was trouble and aggravation. The army recruiting station was about two blocks from my house…I walked up there and joined.” For the next four years Reese toured Germany with the U.S. Army. But when he returned to the U.S. he found himself in the exact situation he’d joined the army to avoid. According to Reese,”I didn’t have to get into the trouble I did, but I did. When you’re in the environment you get mixed up in that … started using drugs and then it got heavier and heavier and heavier.” Before he knew it he was homeless. But, Wednesday with the help of the service providers at Veterans Homefront, Calvin says he’s turning over a new leaf. “I came here with a purpose, to get out on my own and have my own place. This is the first step today,” says Reese. Calvin is one of 54 veterans who attended today’s event but officials tell me there’s still a lot of outreach to do. “Nationally the goal is to get all veterans off the street by December of this year. That’s only a few months where we’ve got to go out and find the veterans draw them into a center of some type, get them a place to stay and to get them into their own permanent housing,” says Transitions CEO Craig Currey. Service providers are committed to accomplishing this goal and finding housing for all veterans like Calvin who will be moving to transitional veterans housing on Thursday morning. Calvin says,”It makes me feel great, I mean I feel like crying, but I’m more grateful than crying but I just have that feeling that… it’s happening to me!”