Our cultural conscience and sense of morality knows that it’s unacceptable for someone who has chosen to protect, serve, and sacrifice for our country to end up homeless. At Orange County Rescue Mission, we have a deep sense of convic- tion that motivates our service to veterans. For us, it’s almost hypocritical to not create the opportu- nities to minister to the men and women who have served in the armed forces for the freedom that enables us to exist as an organization. Where does “it” go wrong? We can point to the lack of adequate support for a soldier who is no longer in service to the military and the confusing bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) face debilitating challenges and complications. Some homeless veterans suffering with the disorder report that they’re afraid and ashamed to be home with family because of the effects of PTSD. Most surprising is the fact that the skill sets and work experience an individual gains while in the military doesn’t easily translate into regular employment opportunities; their job titles and skills are unique to the military and have no relevance in the civilian work force. Orange County Rescue Mission’s president and CEO, Jim Palmer, wanted to know more about the plight of homeless veterans. California has one of the largest veteran populations in the country, due in part to the many military bases and stations in the state. During the 1990s, six of those bases and stations were closed in southern California. Homeless veterans have long been part of the Orange County Rescue Mission population. But it was while Jim was visiting his own son in boot camp that God’s prompting got his attention. He heard tragic stories about what can become of soldiers after their discharge from the military. His heart was broken, and his mind was challenged to learn how we, as the Church, can better serve homeless veterans. With Orange County Rescue Mission’s flagship homeless transitional shelter program—Village of Hope—well-established and successful, Jim was prepared to start a new initia- tive: the Veterans Joint Task Force. He recognized that it’s critical to view veterans as part of a sub-culture—the military. And in order to help a veteran, you need to understand that culture. Understanding and learning more about veteran homelessness by listening to veter- ans and service providers was the first priority of the Veterans Joint Task Force. Perhaps your mission will be able to adapt some of these ideas in your own ministry to veterans. 8 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2019