As veterans struggling to find a long-term residence in their life after service know, not every battle is decided with bullets. Sometimes, people caring enough to help is what makes the difference. That was the case in Montgomery County, Maryland, where for the last year officials have worked tirelessly to effectively end veteran homelessness. According to The Washington Post, the campaign cost about a half-million dollars, but saw remarkable success, particularly in the last few months.
"Montgomery County now has a coordinated and efficient system [for veterans] to move quickly from homelessness to permanent housing," said County Council member George Leventhal, according to the Post. "Providing a stable home for our veterans is simply the right thing to do for those who have sacrificed so much for our country."
The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless was deservedly proud of their achievement. Susie Sinclair-Smith, executive director, told the Post that she hoped that doing away with veteran homelessness would show skeptics that ending all homelessness was not an impossible proposition, but a solvable problem with real solutions.
"We've been housing our veterans in lightning speed," said Sinclair-Smith. "When there's a political will, and the time frame, and we know who the people are who we need to house, it can be done."
Fifty-eight homeless veterans and their families will receive permanent residences by the end of 2015, WTOP reported. Perhaps more importantly, every single homeless veteran identified by Montgomery County over the last year has now found housing.
Ishmael Meredith, an Army veteran and father of two, couldn't believe the generosity shown him and his family. "You may think we're the heroes, but you all are the real heroes sometimes," he said.