Where Do I Turn?

One of the most daunting tasks of solving any problem is figuring out where to start.  Anthony, a disabled vet, was experiencing this first hand.  He was committed to supporting his 21-year old daughter with financial assistance through college, but her age had triggered a reduction in his VA benefits.   He needed to do more with less but was struggling to figure out how to pay his expenses, her expenses and make the adjustment quickly enough.   It wasn’t long before his resources were drained.

Anthony was stuck and needed a jump-start.  He called the St. Vincent de Paul Help Line and connected with a volunteer counselor who listened to his story with a non-judgmental ear.  Together, they brainstormed and came up with a list of several local veteran resources for which he would be eligible and of which he had previously been unaware.  By the end of the call, Anthony felt recharged by his new plan of action.

Like Anthony, many clients who call SVDP may not be aware of all the resources available to them.  As a result, they may feel isolated or stuck in their situations.   That is why the SVDP Help Line volunteers are there, to power through that isolation with a personal connection and provide the resources or referrals necessary to jump-start a plan of action.