It is never easy to experience homelessness. Whether it has been just a few days of living in a car or years of living outside, it is always a challenge. It is especially hard for people who are used to a regimented, organized lifestyle that comes from serving in the military. The departure from order to the disordered chaos of living outside can be sudden and overwhelming.
My name is Besert Asefa, and I am the program manager at the Blaine Veterans Center, the first Veteran-specific enhanced emergency shelter in King County, and I’ve seen what that chaos does to our Veterans firsthand.
Veterans who experience homelessness face challenges that they were not trained for. They often have to navigate two new systems: life outside and its unspoken rules, and the support system that helps them get back on their feet.
At Compass, we walk alongside our Veterans and do everything in our power to help them navigate and overcome these extraordinary challenges. We are seeing incredible results.
You can help drive even more positive results by sending a gift today.
At Blaine, we’ve really seen a positive change. Our partnership with the King County Veterans Program and our supporters have made this place so efficient and smooth. There is a new camaraderie between the guests, a brotherhood. With my staff’s support, the Veterans have built a strong community here.
Blaine Veterans Center has 36 individual spaces that are routinely full. Each space has three walls, a lockable storage locker, and 24/7 access. They aren’t full because people stay; they’re full because people get into housing quickly and the next Veteran steps in.
We serve Veterans at Blaine and at all of Compass Housing Alliance programs. As we meet individual Veterans and Veteran families where they are, your partnership is vital. Together, we walk alongside Veterans and provide them with the compassionate, trauma-informed care they deserve – Veterans like Thomas.
Thomas was struggling when he was released from the hospital. He had never experienced homelessness before, and besides his physical challenges, he was scared. On his first day, Compass staff welcomed him, gave him a tour, and sat down with him for a meal.
Other Veterans sat down next to him and struck up a conversation. By the time the meal was over, he didn’t feel alone. Thomas didn’t feel like he had failed. He just had to dust himself off.
This last year, people have been organizing themselves alongside the staff. They are helping each other and finding leads, and we are finding them housing – quicker than I’ve ever seen it.
The difference is that Compass staff and the Veterans work together as a team, and this place has become more of a rallying point than a shelter. It is a place for Veterans to catch their breath, feel supported, and sometimes, most importantly, help others on their journeys.
Veterans understand that if they offer a hand up to others, it lifts them up too. With support from people just like you, we can continue to be that rallying point for our Veterans and all our other guests and residents. Together, we can be that moment where everything changes. Please consider giving today.
Sincerely,
Besert Asefa
Program Manager, Blaine Veterans Center