Summing up: Cincinnati Break Away

   

Today we volunteered at Stand Down. This event was started a number of years ago and was originally intended as a day of "one-stop shopping" for homeless veterans, where they could access lots of different services: social security, medical exams, eye care, and assistance in finding housing. Here in Cincinnati the event is open to all folks experiencing homelessness. It was our job to hand out breakfast (bagels, coffee and donuts) and lunch (fried chicken, "Lee's Famous Recipe"). We saw a lot of people come through, including some folks we'd seen at other agencies throughout the week.

We also saw lots of homeless veterans, including a young woman (I think I heard someone say she was a marine) who looked like she was just back from duty and was probably younger than I am. While we didn't spend much time working with homeless veterans specifically this week, it's an issue I care a lot about-- I think as citizens we need to take a lot better care of our vets.

Growing up thinking about my country, our country 'tis of thee, I always thought we were "the good guys." but now, after reading articles about how vets can't afford college on the GI bill, the poor conditions at Walter Reed and overall inadequate access to healthcare and mental health treatment, and seeing those vets today, I'm not so sure we are "the good guys." It just breaks my heart. It seems unconscionable, to be absolutely unjust and against everything I thought my country stood for, to see veterans who cannot access the education that was promised to them, who cannot find affordable housing, who do not receive adequate care-- for conditions, I might add, that are often a result of their service-- and who cannot feed themselves. Regardless of how we feel about the war, I hope we can agree that we need to take better care of our veterans, to support those who sacrifice so much for our nation. (personally, I've been against the war from the start, but I have the utmost respect for our servicemen and servicewomen) Caring for individuals experiencing homelessness, especially veterans, is a moral imperative, and I know the country I grew up believing in can do better--and we must do better.

Anyway, we'll post more photos when we're back on campus. These two are signs on the Freedom Center, the Underground Railroad museum. Unfortunately it was closed when we were walking around, but we really liked these billboards; they sum up our trip and get to the "bottom line."