In January 2014, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that nearly 50,000 veterans were homeless. While that number has been steadily decreasing since it was released, veteran homelessness is still an issue. On Aug. 24, a group of former servicemembers in Phoenix decided to help other veterans who were experiencing homelessness.
Over a dozen veterans from the area gathered at The MANA House, a transitional housing facility meant to assist homeless veterans with finding employment and permanent housing. These individuals cooked a meal for their homeless counterparts and spent the evening talking with them.
Rachel Gutierrez, one of the veterans in charge of the event, told The Arizona Republic that there could never be enough awareness on the issue of veteran homelessness. Gutierrez and The MANA House work together to host evenings like Monday's at least once a month. Their goal is to help local veterans get back on their feet in life after service and help lower the number of homeless veterans in the area. According to The MANA House website, the facility helps by providing services like free showers and Internet access as well as clothing and transportation to help make the job search easier for veterans.
To date, The MANA House has helped over 600 veterans, 70 percent of whom leave the facility with a permanent job and housing.