Many cities are undertaking serious efforts to get homeless veterans off the streets and into semi-permanent or permanent housing. Now, two North Carolina cities say they have effectively ended that problem within their borders.

Both Fayetteville and Winston-Salem report having a "functional zero" homeless veterans living there, as every former servicemember who wants permanent housing has now been provided with it, according to a report from the Associated Press. This is because, several years ago, the VA took aim at housing veterans instead of just treating them for their various issues while they still lived on the streets.

This new way of dealing with veteran homelessness seems to be significantly more effective, because it allows for former servicemembers to have some amount of stability in their lives while they deal with issues such as addiction and joblessness, the report said. That change can make a world of difference to those who are struggling.

These are two of several cities across the country that have effectively eliminated veteran homelessness, but there is still more to be done to help veterans in many ways, and likewise, those servicemembers should keep in mind that there are many organizations looking to lend a hand.

One thing that many veterans do after returning from service is decide to start their own small businesses. Now, there is a "startup incubator" in Florida that is going to help more do so in the near future.

The Veterans Virtual Accelerator from Venture Hive will provide free training to employees at small businesses owned by veterans or veterans' spouses, according to a report from the Military Times. Venture Hive will provide such training courses to as many as a dozen companies across the country. This is the second program for veteran entrepreneurs the company has launched.

"It's easily a $25,000 program, but I would say it's more like a $50,000 value because it's really a mini MBA specifically for startups," Venture Hive founder Susan Amat told the newspaper. "And we're not just training the CEO but the entire team to be able to run the business better."

Many small businesses are run very successfully by veterans these days, but the more help these former servicemembers can get, the better off they're likely to be. That can also be a huge help for their communities as well, because it provides them with more job creators.

Each year, more is done to help veterans as they return home from service, by local, state, and federal governments. This is certainly the case in Massachusetts, where lawmakers recently pushed through a raft of new bills designed to help former servicemembers in a number of ways.

In the final few weeks of 2015, members of the Massachusetts legislature sent several bills to Gov. Charlie Baker to be signed into law, according to a report from State House News Service. A number of these were recently explained to former servicemembers at an annual Boston luncheon for veterans, with a few highlighted as being particularly important to upholding the respect that veterans are due. For instance, these laws make it illegal to impersonate a veteran for some sort of gain, institute punishments for people who damage veterans' graves, and also give Purple Heart recipients free access to state parks.

"Something like six pieces of legislation got to the governor's desk on, before or just after Veterans Day this fall, some very significant bills," Senate President Stanley Rosenberg told the assembled veterans, according to the news organization. "I know that [Michael Rush, a state senator and Navy Reserve officer] and [State Rep. Jerald Parisella, a veteran of the Army Reserve] are working hard now on another package of legislation which we hope will be ready to be considered as we approach Memorial Day."

Further, lawmakers note that they plan to continue working with the Massachusetts Veterans' Service Officers Association to craft new legislation, the report said. In the near future, these could include laws pertaining to veterans housing and the ability of veterans to get civil service jobs.

This is part of a large and fortunately growing trend among lawmakers at all levels, who are now doing more to help veterans navigate the often difficult aspects of their everyday lives after they return from service.

For some time now, many veterans coming home from service have required at least some help, and oftentimes significant assistance. Fortunately, there has been a significant safety net in place, in the form of hundreds of thousands of care-giving professionals.

President Barack Obama signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act into law in May 2010, with an eye toward helping more veterans to get assistance when they need it, according to a report from the Miami Herald. The good news is that the law seems to be working pretty well so far. The industry has seen more than 1.1 million Americans move into the care-giving profession in recent years, and of that group, about 1 in 5 work directly with veterans.

"This is the longest period of war in U.S. history," Steve Schwab, executive director of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which works to raise awareness and support for military caregivers, told the newspaper. "We are just beginning to learn all the ramifications of that, including what these caregivers are facing. Our national conversation needs to be about the long haul."

Through the bill, veterans of the most recent Middle East conflicts are given stipends when they need this type of care, ranging in value from $650 to $2,300 each month, the report said. More than 22,000 caregivers are eligible for visits. In South Florida alone, more than 300 people receive the stipends, in addition to having access to other benefits such as regular support sessions.

The more veterans can do to find out when they're eligible for such assistance, and what they can do to obtain it, the better off they're likely to be going forward. That could go a long way toward getting veterans whatever help they might need in their everyday lives.

Sometimes small gestures can make big impacts. That's just what Maine's State and Local Government Committee had in mind on Wednesday when they unanimously supported a bill that would, from now on, establish Nov. 1 as Veterans in the Arts and Humanities Day.

According to the Maine Sun Journal, the legislative committee was totally united on the bill, which moved from a public hearing to a work session vote in less than a half hour. If it is approved by the full Legislature, Maine will become the first state to officially designate a day to recognizing and supporting veteran artists.

Rep. Bob Duchesne, who sponsored the bill, didn't have to work hard to convince his fellow lawmakers that many times veterans find exploring different art forms therapeutic, making the transition into their life after service just a little bit easier. Duchesne pointed to the high suicide rate among returning veterans as evidence that something had to be done immediately. 

"Bubbling under the surface is a whole range of psychological and social challenges that await our returning veterans," Duchesne told his colleagues, according to the Sun Journal. "As a nation, we've been rather slow to recognize how difficult reintegration is after the tremendous highs and lows of service and the regimentation of deployment and all that goes with it. Life back home is a whole lot different." 

Rather than fall back on pills and counseling as an end-all, be-all treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, Maine legislators would give their veterans opportunities through writing, painting, sculpture or some other medium to find relief. 

Ars Bellum Foundation, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, in conjunction with the Adler Graduate School in Richfield, have taken a similar approach, according to the Star Tribune. They have created a clinical art therapy program for Minnesota veterans that is based closely on the one seeing so much success at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 

"It's a nonthreatening environment where you can put your hands on it; where you don't have to find a word to express a feeling or emotion," said Matthew Vater, a colonel in the National Guard and Ars Bellum – meaning "arts of war" – Board Member. "It helps to reach a part that might not have been reached traditionally." 

Even among the heroes of the Pacific campaign in World War II, the Navajo Code Talkers stand out. With the passing of two of their number, family, friends and the Navajo Nation have taken the opportunity to remember their sacrifice and dedication to their country.

On Tuesday, Ernest Yazhe, 92, passed away in suburban Salt Lake City, The Associated Press reported. Born in Naschitti, New Mexico, Yazhe joined the Marine Corps when he was 19 years old. It wasn't long before he was thrown into pitched battle in Guam and Okinawa with a radio, transmitting messages in Navajo that absolutely stumped the Japanese code breakers.

"The Navajo language was the secret weapon that brought victory to the Allied Forces and ended the war in the Pacific," said Jonathan Nez, vice president of the Navajo Nation.

While in the field, Yazhe overheard Japanese soldiers talking about his language. They were frustrated and upset that, despite their best efforts, they could not understand him or his comrades. 

Originally just a small group of less than 30, the Code Talkers eventually grew to number at least 440. Yazhe's older brother Harrison, who died in 2004, was also a Code Talker, and he had a younger brother who was killed in action in Italy in 1944. Fewer than 20 Code Talkers are still alive.

The passing of Alfred James Peaches last Saturday, announced by tribal officials on Wednesday, makes that figure even smaller. Peaches, born in Shonto, Arizona, served as a Code Talker in the 6th Marine Division from 1943 to 1946, according to a separate article by The Associated Press. 

Ninety at the time of his death, Peaches is survived by his wife, four children and five grandchildren. 

Flags across Navajo Nation will be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the men.

Issues important to Iowa veterans – like housing, healthcare and other military benefits – were the center of attention for the annual Veterans Day at the Capital in Des Moines on Wednesday. State lawmakers were joined by 20 organizations that set up shop in the rotunda to inform veterans about the many services on offer.

Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds gave a progress report on the state's Home Base Iowa program, an initiative that pairs veterans with careers that utilize their skills and experience, 13 WHO, the local news station, reported. Since 2013, Home Base Iowa has assisted about 1,700 veterans in finding long-term employment. There's still a long way to go if the goal of 7,500 is to be reached, however.

Despite the progress made in the last few years, Ronnie Murray, an Air Force veteran, says it isn't good enough. Murray has taken it upon himself to do something for his fellow veterans by launching the Empowerment Center, a project offering services no hospital or doctor's office can match.

"I don't think we can depend on the hospital for everything," Murray told 13 WHO. "I believe the veterans that have been blessed to navigate their way through the darkness have a responsibility to reach back and help other veterans."

The Empowerment Center will be a one-stop-shop for counseling, support and resources run by veterans for veterans. 

Murray's reason for opening the center is a personal one. Entering his life after service proved difficult, and he fought against post-traumatic stress disorder and depression for a number of years. Talking to fellow veterans and heeding their counsel proved the solution. He hopes that the center will alleviate the pressure put on Iowa VA hospitals. 

"The veterans who put their life on the line … they need the community to help make them well in any way possible," said Murray. 

Current plans call for the center to be open by August. 

When veterans need a hand up for one reason or another, there are often many organizations – both public and private – that can help them out. However, many of these former servicemembers might not always know where they should turn, and a new hotline has been set up in Florida for that reason.

In Florida, residents can dial 2-1-1 to contact professionals who can help them in some way, and that line has been receiving calls from veterans in distress for years, according to a report from the Tampa Tribune. To that end, the new Florida Veterans Support Line – at 1-844-MYFLVET – has been set up to specifically help connect veterans to people who can help them. It's open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

"About two and a half years ago we were experiencing a significant call volume from vets," Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, told the newspaper. "Many times (they) would ask, 'Are you a vet? Do you know what I'm going through?'"

The more veterans can do to connect with people who are trying to assist them, the better off they're likely to be as they try to navigate the often difficult transition back to civilian life.

Across the country, many organizations now exist to tackle the problem of veteran homelessness. However, one group in Texas seems to go above and beyond the call of duty in comparison even with many of the nation's most successful efforts.

Family Endeavors is based in Texas but has operations in various parts of the country, all focused on getting homeless vets off the streets, according to a report from the Raleigh (North Carolina) News & Observer. Indeed, during the 2015 fiscal year alone, the organization put 280 homeless veterans living near Fort Bragg in North Carolina into permanent housing.

However, while that is obviously a great first step, experts say more needs to be done, the report said. There are still more than 1,000 homeless veterans throughout North Carolina, and even the organizations which exist to help them aren't necessarily able to do as much as they or many others might like.

Fortunately, any efforts here are likely to go a long way for all involved, so the more that can be done to support organizations such as these, the better off both these groups and the veterans they serve will be.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott recognized 364 Florida veterans – men and women who had served in conflicts from World War II to Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan – with the Governor's Veterans Service Award at the DeLand National Guard Armory on Tuesday. This is the second awards ceremony for servicemembers in January, ABC 7 reported.

"Last week, we recognized National Guard Day at the Florida Capitol to honor the men and women who are currently serving our state and defending freedom around the world," said Scott at the ceremony. "It is exciting today to award more than 360 Florida veterans for their courage and countless sacrifices in defense of our country. We are incredibly grateful for their service and must take every possible opportunity to thank our American heroes."

Local legislators turned out to show their personal gratitude with handshakes and thanks as veterans moved down the reception line. Volusia County councilwoman Deb Denys was among them.

"It was so wonderful," Denys told The Daytona Beach News-Journal. "After two hours shaking hands, I'd cried all my makeup off."

Sgt. Howard Ray Metzger Jr. was one of the veterans honored by the governor, ABC 7 reported. After joining the Army in 1991, Metzger served in Korea and Texas – where he earned two Army Commendation Medals – and later in Afghanistan, from 2004 to 2005, where he received a third commendation medal for assisting in the country's first democratic election.

Mike White was also in attendance. A veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam, where he served as both a helicopter crew chief and a military policeman, White received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and four hard-earned Purple Hearts. In his life after service, he entered a career in law enforcement while constantly advocating for his fellow veterans.