I wrote a post last Veterans Day on The Greatest Generation and a non-profit that helped soldiers visit their battleground campaigns. One of my clients read it and sent me a response asking me to "Please remind people about the veterans that come home and have a hard time adjusting. We are trying to make sure there are services for them when they return."
My client, Tom Mitchell is the director for a non-profit called US 
Vets Initiative Houston. US Vets Houston is part of the US Vets initiative. US Vets is the largest operator of homeless veterans programs in the country. Started in 1993, US Vets has ten sites in 6 states; serving more than 16,000 homeless veterans. Each year more than 1,100 veterans are finding work. US Vets Houston provides counseling, job assistance, housing and hope to thousands of 
homeless veterans each year; right here in the Houston area. Their programs foster the skills necessary to return to the community and remain self sufficient.
US Vets mission is to provide program support necessary to create the conditions for the greatest number of homeless veterans to reach their highest level of independence as rapidly as possible. The goal is to bring homeless veterans off of the streets of Houston and put them into the system.
The Veterans in Progress (VIP) program is designed to move the Houston Veterans with little or no income to self sufficiency through employment. The program focuses on skills needed for obtaining employment through an aggressive job search. Once employed the program focuses on job retention and successful transition in to full independence.
VIP Program Services Include
In talking with Tom he said that the largest numbers of Veterans they serve are from the Vietnam War. They do have some that are from World War II and the Korean War. He also said a few from Somalia and Kosovo. They are just now starting to get some Veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.
Mid Town Depot - US Vets Houston Main Offices 4604Main, Suite 213 Houston, TX 77002
832-203-1626
Mid Town Terrace Suites - transtional housing - 4640 Main Houston, TX 77002
713-523-3777
They also have a service center for Veterans with resources available at:
DeGeorge at Union Station
1418 Preston, Suite 2
Houston, TX 77002
713-229-8671
If you are a Houston Veteran in need of help or know someone you may call Tom Mitchell directly at (832)203-1626 ext. 109 or you can email him directly at tmitchell@usvetsinc.org.
Marchel Peterson broker/owner Results Realty specializing in residential real estate, homes, properties and acreage in Spring, Tomball, Magnolia, Northwest Houston, Cypress and the Woodlands Texas.
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Bill, it is a wonderful non profit here in the Houston area. Thanks for the feature!!!
Congratulations on your feature in the silent majority group. This is a post with great information for Localism.
Margaret, Thanks! I just checked and if you Google Houston homeless Veterans it is at number 4 on Google. That is too cool!!
Marchel,
What a wonderful service for veterans.
Cynthia, it is great that they are serving those who served us; and in this case are now forgotten.
Marchel, Thanks for keeping our Veterans at the forefront here in AR and on Google.
Judy, they served us so now it is our time to serve them. My Dad is a World War II Vet and our son is getting ready for his second tour of Iraq. Our son is an Intelligence Analyst so is a little more behind the scenes and my Dad drove a supply truck (although he drove it to the front line). I think it is especially hard for those Veterans that were on the front line and just saw things that no person should see.
Marchel, your posts are so awesome and informational for the community. Your comment above is inspirational. My dad was one of the foot soldiers that stormed Normandy. Before he passed away I would take him to the VA Hospital for treatment every week. My kids were little then and they would sit on his lap as navigated the VA Hospital in his Wheel Chair. Powerful memories!
We owe our soldiers so much.
Kate, Was your Dad with Payton? My Dad followed Payton's tanks all over Europe. They would come in behind him. He said that Payton would clear them out then they would have to come in and clear them again. I am SO BLESSED to still have my Dad; actually I still have both parents. They are 82 and 90. I wrote a post about The Greatest Generation and a kid from one of our local high schools pulled it up. He emailed me wanting to interview my Dad for a school project and it just so happened they were here for Thanksgiving. My Dad enjoyed that so much. The kid did not know about the Battle of the Bulge but I'm betting he went straight back and did a Google search. My Dad was taking supplies to the front line at the Battle of the Bulge. We have so much to thank your Dad and my Dad for.
Great post and huge and serious issue, I like your take on this and thank you for the information, it is much needed as many do not understand how all this works.
Marchel, Thank you for this post. We live in MN, and our the chaplain for our Minnesota National Guard, John Morris, has an initiative called "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon", which helps our deployed troops readjust to life after they come home. Its such a monumental adjustment for the soldiers/sailors/Marines and their families. Its good of you to spread the word about their challenges, and to let people know how to bless them and what resources are available. Way to Go!
Lance, I think it comes down to have we walked in their shoes. My Dad was not necessarily the boots on the ground he was literally the wheels on the ground. He drove a supply truck to the front line in Europe for the entire war. I did not realize this until recently but he was drafted a year before Pearl Harbor happened; so he was in for 5 years. He is now 90 (in very good shape both physically and mentally) and it has only been in the past 5 years that he has talked about his war experiences. They see stuff that a normal person should not see.
Hey Craig, there's your next post!! These post shoot to the top of Google which really helps get the word out. I guess I figure they serve us it is now our turn to do the return favor in any way we can.
Marchel,
Thank you for highlighting this group helping our Vets. With all that happens it is easy to understand why some of our troops can have a hard time readjusting.
Rita, You are right, these veterans often see things that no one should be seeing and I am sure that makes re-adjusting hard.
Tom, I hope it helps. I'm really glad that I learned more about US Vets Houston. You provide a wonderful service for those that have served us. I do hope we learned the lesson from Vietnam; I think we have. I do know that when our son is in uniform he often has people coming up to him thanking him for his service to our country. I was in high school during Viet Nam but I don't remember that happening back then. The Vietnam Vets have not been thanked the way they should have been in my opinion.
Nice posting Marchel! I'm sure your aware of the TEXAS VETERANS home loan program. Sometimes it provides better assistance than the regular VA loans.
Danny, I am aware of the Texas Veterans home loan program but that is as far as it goes. Have you done a transaction using that program? I would be interested in learning more.