No. 16 Vol. 11
www.mypaperonline.com
November 2018
Organization Offers Hope And Help To Veterans Navigating After War
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By Jillian Rissberg hey had a front row seat to the horrors of combat and now they have an ally right here at home. Community Hope in Parsippany is a safe haven for veterans and their loved ones to overcome mental illness, addiction, homelessness and poverty. It’s the largest nonprofit serving homeless veterans and families in and around New Jersey. “We’ve been providing housing and support services for as many as 1,500 to 1,600 veterans and their family members annually,” says Julia Bey Ahmet, chief development officer. Community Hope shares on its website some of the stories of veterans they have connected with and helped in various ways. To protect the privacy of its clients, only first names have been used in this article. One veteran, Ruben went into the service right out of high school and after four years, received an honorable medical discharge, walking with the aid of a cane and struggling with depression and PTSD after seeing combat in Afghanistan.
“The military breaks you down to build you up and works for what you are doing in wartime but once you are back in the real world, it’s confusing,” the 25-yearold shares on the website. “The infantry doesn’t train you well for the job market.” Ruben calls being homeless a “very dehumanizing factor.” After a suicide attempt and stint in a VA program, Ruben entered Hope for Veterans. “I desperately needed to come here and transition back to civilian life,” he says. “As veterans we support each other. We’re a community. It’s an environment where people understand each other.” Ruben credits his Community Hope case managers with “helping me feel human again,” he shares. “They are not patronizing or false. They are sincere in wanting to help you and there is always an open door.” He is focusing on his college art school classes, his medical treatment and gaining his independence. “I understand that I have to take my time here so I don’t return, so I make it on my own,” continued on page 2
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