As they raised a US flag to honor America's veterans and those actively serving, officials at Buffalo City Mission also raised an alarming statistic about homeless veterans in Erie County.
According to officials who hosted this morning's Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony outside the City Mission, there are about 6,000 homeless people in Erie County. About 24 percent of them are veterans.
"As a vet myself, it just amazes me that there are any homeless veterans," said City Mission executive director Stuart Harper, who served in the US Coast Guard. "It amazes me that there are any homeless people, with all the resources we have in this country for homelessness."
Yet there are many reasons why some veterans end up on the streets. They range from financial hardship to drug addiction to mental illness.
"To be perfectly honest, some veterans have chosen to stay out, but that's a small minority," said Pastor Ron Graham, who is an Army veteran who went to Vietnam.
Regarding those who undergo financial hardship, Graham says some of their clients are not on the radar at the Veteran Administration.
"When we speak of veterans, we're speaking of those who served in the military. They may not be VA qualified veterans, but they still served our country," he said. "Those are the ones we try to help with their discharges, and try to get them so they can get benefits."
Harper told reporters after the ceremony that the local community does "a tremendous job" for homeless vets, but the challenge is getting those vets in need of help to step forward.
"They're so used to providing for themselves and taking care of themselves, that I think it's very hard for them to reach out and ask for help," he said.
