In cities and towns across America people are talking about the quandary of returning active duty military service members. As American involvement in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan draw to a close, an unprecedented number of post-9/11 veterans and their families are returning home and reintegrating into local communities. Tens of thousands of separated veterans will soon be coming back to the Southwest. In Los Angeles alone, more than 60,000 will be returning by 2017. Due to the lack of coordinated resources, city and county agencies often find themselves ill-prepared to meet their most vital needs.
The issues facing veterans are complex. The stress of being without meaningful work or stable housing contributes greatly to the overall angst of reintegrating with society and family at home. Moreover, because military personnel are trained to be self-sufficient and may therefore be less likely to seek out care, their isolation in civilian communities after service can make it difficult to connect them to services. After living in a structured environment that ends on the day of their separation, they do not know how to access available resources in their new neighborhoods; there simply is no handbook. No single organization is capable of holistically addressing all of these challenges. A cross-sector collaboration of resources from public, private, and non-profit entities is required to fully meet veterans’ needs. This issue of Community Investments offers insight into these issues and gives a voice to some of the many organizations serving veterans. It also provides compelling reasons for the reader to engage in the solutions.
To help us in our field work with veterans and service providers, national and local partners have provided valuable support in Southern California and Nevada. In our California efforts, Prudential Financial in Washington, D.C. was instrumental in connecting us to the Joining Forces Team at the Office of First Lady Michelle Obama. In Los Angeles, Merritt Community Capital and the USC School of Public Policy led us to CalVet, the Office of Mayor Garcetti, Volunteers of America, New Directions, and many other organizations serving veterans. Together we have brought attention to the housing needs of veterans and to best-practice models for hiring and retaining veterans and reducing homelessness in Los Angeles. A major outcome has been Mayor Garcetti’s successful 10,000 STRONG initiative to hire veterans. Similarly, in the state of Nevada, our partnership with Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Community Foundation led to the introduction of the Green Zone Employer program. This initiative connects public and private sector employers interested in hiring veterans and veterans seeking employment, as well as creating a network of leaders and stakeholders across the state committed to improving the lives of veterans in Nevada.
Through all of these programs, we have learned that employment continues to be the common denominator to a successful transition from military to civilian life for new veterans. At the same time, suitable housing and health services play a critical role in this shift from service member to civilian. The articles in this issue of CI are aimed at illustrating powerful strategies for successful reintegration of Americans who have tirelessly defended our nation. It is one way for us to give back.