Portland observer., November 14, 2012, Page 5, Image 5

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Helping Veterans Back Home
Non-profit group fills gap with vital needs
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
Comprised of politically unaffiliated and indepen­
dent health organizations who offer free services to
veterans (about 142 providers around the state), the
organization can offer counseling services along with
chiropractic and naturopathic care, acupuncture and
massage therapy.
In the last few years, the group has seen significant
increases in requests for services. In 2011, providers
delivered 2,638 hours of free services to 230 Iraq and
by
Where the Veterans Affairs Administration may fail
to meet all the needs of our returning soldiers, the
Returning Veterans Project, headquartered in south­
east Portland, is there to fill the gap.
Clinical social worker Carol Levine couldn’t bear to
watch the number of veterans returning home from Iraq
and Afghanistan without receiving the medical help
they needed. It reminded her of Vietnam.
So she took action.
In 2005, Levine opened the non-profit
to holistically welcome veterans back
home.
Today, Returning Veterans Project
provides mental health counseling and
complimentary health care to returning
— Belle Landau, Returning Veterans Project Executive Director
veterans and their families. The care is
free, confidential and unlimited.
“Only about 40 percent of all vets go to Veterans
Afghanistan guard and reserve veterans, as well as 134
Affairs, 60 percent do not,” said Belle Landau, the
spouses, children and parents.
organization’s executive director. “We help to fill the
As we go about our daily lives, many of us forget
gap-”
that our country is still at war and there are active duty
In 2011, Oregon’s National Guard and Reserves was
military personnel, National Guard members and re­
tied with Minnesota’s for having the highest rate of
servists awaiting deployment. Redeployment can be
suicide, an alarming and urgent problem the local
extremely stressful as soldiers face unknown chal­
group is trying to address.
lenges and separation from loved ones.
When soldiers return to civilian life there are physi­
Having a loved one deployed for military action is
cal and psychological challenges. The staff at the
one of the most difficult experiences a family can face.
Returning Veterans Project worktode-stigmatize men­
“The VA also rarely serves family members; parents,
tal health services for active duty service personnel
spouses, children, siblings,” said Landau, whose
and returning vets, reduce wait-times for services, and
continued
on page 6
provide holistic health care.
* Only about 40 percent o f all vets
go to Veterans Affairs, 60 percent
do not. We help to fill the gap.
A veteran makes up for lost time with his young child after
arriving home from his deployment.
Rachell served our country building barracks in Afghanistan,
now she’s building a career as a Union Carpenter.
HELMETS TO HARDHATS
Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) is a national program that connects National Guard,
Reserve and transitioning active-duty military members with quality career training
and employment opportunities within the construction industry.
'The)' have given years to their country: the opportunity for a good career is
the least we can do. - Dudley Light, IBC H2H National Coordinator
Want to know more?
Contact the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
1-800-573-8333 or via email: info@nwcarpenters.org. You can also go to our website or
like us on Facebook and Twitter.
www.nwcarpenters.org «>
The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
is affiliated trilh the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters & joiners of America (UBC)