How we help Veterans in need

Project Help was called about a young, struggling New Jersey veteran who was homeless and living on a park bench. He is 100% disabled, suffers with PTSD and is addicted to drugs.

Many judge him for the drug addiction and do not understand that he turns to drugs to shut off the war that endlessly plays in his head. Having all the typical symptoms such as night terrors, and associative stimulus that cause flashbacks, his life is very tough.

His family made him leave the house because he was making life intolerable for everyone else. He has been in and out of treatment for years. When the PTSD takes a hold of him and he loses the battle, the road back seems insurmountable.

His VA disability does not allow him to work. Without work, he has nothing to engage him or keep his mind occupied. It’s a catch-22. He is one of many similar stories. We do our best to help them get on a better path.

This veteran has stayed in touch over the years and we provide whatever support we can. He knows we will never turn him away or judge him even when he slips.

Last we heard, he was in a good place, finishing up rehab and moving onto the next step. He is always in our thoughts and prayers.

Sometimes the injuries our soldiers suffer are obviously physical but all too often the wounds – like PTSD and depression – are not visible, yet they are just as deeply felt.

David joined the army immediately after high school. He trained at Fort Knox in Kentucky and went on to serve six years. David was one of the “lucky” ones. He walked away from the U.S. Army after military service without any lasting physical injuries, however the mental scarring was massive.

For David the hurt was compounded when his best friend committed suicide while they were stationed in Germany. Something like that, “alters your perspective about where you fit in the civilized world,” he said. When David came home he tried hard to fit in as a civilian. He married, had two little girls and got a good job with Merrill Lynch. For a brief moment life was good, “then it all unraveled”.

The Merrill Lynch branch where he worked closed and he found himself unemployed. He worked at a bunch of minimum wage jobs but it wasn’t enough to support his family. Then his wife left.

“It’s hard maintaining a relationship when you tend to live in the past. And then there’s the survivor’s guilt.”

The couple divorced, David got custody of his children, but was struggling financially. His wife was not contributing to the care of their daughters and finances got so bad they were about to turn off the electricity.

Then something really good happened. “By the grace of God, I met Sandy Mitchell at Project Help.” David said. Sandy helped David formalize a plan and put together a budget in addition to finding the resources he needed. “It was a bad situation but with her help I slowly turned my life around. Sandy stuck with me the entire time.”

Covid was a very difficult time for all. Image how it affected veterans who suffer with PTSD. When Covid hit, Mark, a 100% disabled veteran with PTSD, was in his early 30’s. He was in severe shape and had lost everything; his family, friends, home and his health.

He became homeless during Covid and struggled to access resources to find help. By a stroke of luck he was referred to Project Help through a local government agency. Project Help was able to get him connected with the right people at the VA for treatment and temporary housing.

He is the most humble and appreciative person we have ever come across and is paying a steep price for serving our country.