Outreach program for veterans created

By PATRINA A. BOSTIC

July 25, 2000 Web posted at: 11:08 AM EDT (1508 GMT)

HOUSTON, Texas (The Houston Chronicle) -- Federal officials in Houston on Monday announced a program to locate veterans in public-assisted housing to inform them about health care and other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development teamed up with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs regional office to implement the program.

The three agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement to create an outreach program that will make health care and benefits more accessible to veterans and their families.

"We pretty much waited for the veterans to come to us in the past. That's changed," said Roy Palmer, assistant director of the Veterans Affairs office in Houston.

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"I think it's going to be a great program. We're going to be able to help a lot of veterans," he said.

HUD will identify veterans living in public housing by delivering survey forms to the properties' managers, who then would distribute the forms to each unit.

Forms are collected by HUD and shared with the Veterans Affairs offices, which will set up meetings at the complexes.

"You'd be surprised at how many veterans don't know of the health care and benefits available to them," said Mamie Arbuckle, registered nurse at the medical center. "We're going out there and educating them."

Karyl Fischer, associate community builder with HUD, patterned the program in Houston after a similar one in Los Angeles.

"This one (program) is going to be phenomenal," Fischer said.

The team began its outreach efforts in June and have over 200 complexes to visit in Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Harris counties. Meetings will be given every first and third Monday of the month.

"We want the public to know that we are leaving our offices and going out to where they are," Arbuckle said. "We have become customer-friendly."

Earvin Johns, 47, and his wife, Alberta, 51, lost their southwest Houston apartment a month ago because of financial hardship and are living with relatives. He didn't know he and his wife were entitled to free health care and other benefits until he stumbled on an outreach meeting this summer in a northeast apartment complex.

"They gave him insight into a lot of things he didn't know," Alberta Johns said.

She said her husband was not aware he could visit the hospital about foot problems and for a bad knee. She said he may also qualify for treatment for psoriasis.

Earvin Johns may qualify for housing and a disability check, and also to be sent to school for job training, Alberta Johns said.

Fischer said Earvin Johns had given up on trying to receive VA benefits since the 1970s.

"I'm so glad we found him," Fischer said. "Now we can get him some help and back into the system."

To inquire about health care, veterans can call the Community Support Program at 713-794-8742. For other benefits, such as pensions, they can call the Houston Veterans Affairs office at 1-800-827-1000.

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