SAN ANTONIO -- The city’s only shelter specifically for homeless veterans is getting a special gift, helping the city keep its goal of leaving no homeless veteran behind.
On Thursday, Briggs Equipment handed a $29,000 check to the American GI Forum’s Residential Center for Homeless Veterans. The money will go toward the renovation of their kitchen and outdoor common areas.
Richard Rosemondeamoundu, a Vietnam veteran, said the money will help improve a place nearly 140 veterans call home.
“Out there it’s pitiful,” Richard said. “That’s why I thank god every day that I found this place.”
Richard, a former marine, has lived at the American GI Forum’s Residential Center for Homeless Veterans for two years.
The veteran, who compared civilian life to “the jungle,” said the residential center is the first place he’s felt at home among fellow warriors since he was honorably discharged in the 1970’s.
“We tell our war stories,” Richard said. “We just have fun here.”
The Residential Center is part of the city’s effort to end veteran homelessness. San Antonio recently became one of few cities to succeed in that goal, defined by the fact that they demonstrated the capacity to house every homeless veteran in the city.
But Carlos Martinez, President and CEO of the American GI Forum’s National Veterans Outreach Program, said 53 veterans become homeless every month on average in San Antonio.
He said that demand has kept the shelter going, even though it was initially only supposed to remain open for a few years.
“This is one of those projects you wish you could end,” Martinez said. “Unfortunately there continues to be more veterans in need.”
Today’s donation, Martinez said, will help improve what is often the first stop for those new homeless veterans.