Honoring Our Veterans

Diocesan Catholic Charities agency launches unmet needs fund for veterans

CLIFTON  In its continuous effort to honor those men and women who have served the nation in the U.S. military, diocesan Catholic Charities has created a community initiative to improve the lives of veterans.

The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) at its Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS) agency here developed the SOS VETS Unmet Needs Fund to assist veterans in the community who are facing a difficult time and cannot find the assistance that they need to stay on their feet.

The fund will assist with housing, educational expenses or expenses associated with the job search process, such as special training, a bus/train passes or new clothes or shoes for job interviews. Because CFCS will underwrite all administrative costs, 100 percent of all funds in the SOS VETS Unmet Needs Fund will go to veterans.

David Pearson, outreach coordinator at CFCS, who works in the SSVF department, said, “This is a population that gave their souls and full hearts so we can have our freedom. We need to make sure that those people who gave so much to us and this country get the services they need. We need to give back to our servicemen and women.”

The fund will support veterans served both by Catholic Charities agencies in the Paterson Diocese and the Newark Arch­diocese. Since the opening of the department in 2013, more than 200 veteran and their families in the diocese have been served by CFCS. Several hundred more veterans have also been served by the Veteran Clothing Boutiques located in the Paterson Diocese at agencies in Paterson and Franklin and also the Newark Archdiocese in Kearny. In addition to clothing, hygiene products and small household items are available.

“Every week in northern New Jersey there are veterans that call veteran service providers and can’t receive help for their needs,” said Pearson. “This happens due to multiple reasons, such as the veteran not fitting into funding guidelines or there is not funding available for certain situations.”

One example is an overdue utility bill, which will result in their electricity being turned off. Because the existing SSVF grant helps veterans in extreme cases such as homelessness, the Unmet Needs fund will be used to help pay the overdue bill. Other examples the Unmet Needs fund will help veterans with includes a veteran’s car needing repairs so a veteran can get to work or veterans who had to drop out of college, even with the G.I. Bill, because they could not afford books or clothing.

“The list of needs are endless,” said Pearson.

While there are many veteran charities, often only a small percentage of the donated funds make it to the veteran due to high overhead costs and salaries, said Pearson. Because the Unmet Needs fund go directly to veterans, it ensures they will receive the help they need.

The SSVF can also provide rapid re-housing and prevention services to veterans and veteran families who are homeless.

While the goal is always to provide housing for these veterans, CFCS is aware that there are some veterans who refuse shelter even in the coldest weather. To these vets, SSVF provides survival backpacks and blankets to ward off the cold. They are provided by Operation Chill-Out and several other outreach groups.

The Unmet Needs fund will sponsor its first fundraising event — an SOS Vets 5k Fun Run / Walk on April 30 at Garret Mountain in West Paterson. Sponsorships are available and can include a corporate logo on the event shirt or an advertisement in the ad journal. Donations are also being collected for giveaways or service for the day.

Other services provided for veterans by CFCS are Stakeholder Provider groups, which meet every six to eight weeks to discuss veteran services.

Information: David Pearson, (973) 818-3601 or [email protected].