Catholic Charities is there for any veteran in need

PATERSON  It takes a proverbial village of government and non-profit agencies working together to give critical help to U.S. military veterans in crisis — who are homeless or threatened with eviction, unemployed, hungry, or in need of physical or mental health services.

Nearly eight years ago, Catholic Charities Veteran Services (CCVS), part of diocesan Catholic Charities, helped develop that village for local veterans: the NJSOSVETS Veteran Stake Holder Group, a network of agencies that form a safety net for those who have fallen through the cracks of services available to them. NJSOSVETS has established networks in 11 counties in the Garden State, including in the three of the Diocese: Morris, Passaic, and Sussex.

Last month, David Pearson, assistant director of Catholic Charities Veteran Services invited The Beacon to a videoconference of a smaller group of veterans’ services in Paterson, a part of Passaic County NJSOSVETS. They discussed their efforts to serve veterans in the pandemic. These agencies also included another outreach associated with the Diocese: Operation Chill Out, New Jersey’s only all-volunteer rescue for homeless veterans, founded by Deacon Ray Chimileski of St. Luke Parish, Long Valley. The meeting took place less than a month before N.J. Women Veterans Appreciation Day on June 12.

“During COVID-19, veterans are still homeless. We are still working to get them foundational things; food, clothing, housing, and jobs. We are looking to fill the gaps in social services for them. We want every agency caseworker in Paterson to know that they can call us if they don’t know how to help a veteran,” said Pearson, adding that NJSOSVETS also collaborates with supportive public officials. “Our goal is to help educate local providers to our veteran resources and to be available to them with helping provide much needed referral information and work together to help the brave men and women who have served our country but have fallen through the cracks. We are here to help as part of the community,” he said.

In addition, NJSOSVETS either provides services or makes referrals for government veteran’s services in their county, the state, or the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) or any number of non-profit agencies. They help with job placement, housing assistance, physical and mental healthcare, food, and clothing, Pearson said.

The network taps into Catholic Charities Supportive Services for Veteran Families, funded by a grant from the Newark Arch­diocese. Part of the grant gives veterans an advocate to help them navigate the healthcare system. NJSOSVETS also assists those veterans who might not be entitled to VA benefits. Catholic Charities SSVF provides at-risk veterans with temporary housing or rent if they face eviction; money for repairs, utilities, and storage; and employment services, Pearson said.

NJSOSVETS also maintains a Veterans Unmet Needs Fund that provides veterans a one-time $1,500 payment for a program or initiative that will correct a problem not covered by other funds or services.

Catholic Charities manages the fund to ensure that all the money goes to eligible veterans or their families, Pearson said.

In the counties of the Diocese, NJSOSVETS collaborates with Catholic Charities programs, such as the food pantry at the Father English Community Center in Paterson and refers veterans to Straight & Narrow, CFCS’ substance-treatment program in Paterson.

NJSOSVETS also provides education on topics, such as public benefits and suicide prevention throughout the year. The network also engages in political advocacy, such as its successful lobbying efforts for N.J. Women Veteran Appreciation Day on June 12, and has been lobbying for a similar federal day, Pearson said.

“The work of NJSOSVETS is a salute to all the veterans for their service to this country,” said Mayor André Sayegh of Paterson during the videoconference.

A member of NJSOSVETS is Operation Chillout, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. The non-profit outreach saves the lives of homeless veterans with its year ’round — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — Rapid Response Team, which rescues homeless veterans by responding to referrals from its hotline and visiting places they frequent. It serves every county in the state and in northeast Pennsylvania and coastal Rhode Island, Deacon Chimileski said.

To help combat homelessness, Operation Chillout either places veterans in temporary accommodations or refers them to another agency — or receives referrals from other agencies. In the winter, it conducts a drive for warm clothing, survival gear, and ready-to-eat meals for the homeless. In the summer, it conducts another drive for cases of life-saving bottled water, new warm-weather clothing, and toiletries for veterans, Deacon Chimileski said.

NJSOSVETS holds fundraisers through the year, including a breakfast at the Brownstone in Paterson.

At monthly meetings with each of the groups of NJSOSVETS, members also examine a specific topic, such as N.J. benefits and healthcare next month, and welcome new veterans’ agencies and outreaches to the network, Pearson said.

“We want to continue the great tradition of caring for its veterans,” Pearson said.