Mississippi Field Office Veterans Help Fellow Veterans

From left: Derrick Hampton, Public Housing Portfolio Management Specialist (Army); Anthony McIntyre, Public Housing Portfolio Management Specialist (Army); Adrenace (Shae) Williams, Field Office Director (Marine); and Alicia Forrest, Field Policy Management Analyst Trainee (Navy).

Kendra Mitchell, Public Housing Program Analyst, and Anthony McIntyre Portfolio Management Specialist, discuss HUD programs with a veteran.

When newly selected Mississippi Field Office Director Adrenace "Shae" Williams, a former Marine, learned that the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was hosting a Mississippi Economic Development Initiatives event for veterans, she immediately contacted the local VA office to offer the services of the Mississippi HUD team. Making a difference in the lives of veterans is a priority for the Mississippi Field Office. The VA eagerly accepted the offer for HUD's staff participation, including fellow veterans.

Management Analyst Trainee Alicia Forrest, a 20-year Navy veteran, and Portfolio Management Specialists and Army veterans Anthony McIntyre and Derrick Hampton readily volunteered to help, along with Kendra Mitchell, a Program Analyst. The purpose of the event was to connect service members, veterans and their families to VA benefits, federal and local resources to facilitate their economic advancement. Attendees received help with registering for VA benefits and health care, and with filing claims for service-connected conditions. They were also able to talk directly with hiring employers. HUD staff answered questions and provided participants with information on fair housing and equal opportunity; housing counseling; homeownership, and the Rental Assistance for Homeless Veterans VASH program.

"As President John F. Kennedy said, 'Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country', our veterans at HUD still serve because we feel it is our duty to serve and advocate for our fellow veterans," said Williams. "We have been blessed with the knowledge and experiences we gained while serving, it is deeply ingrained in our hearts. This is why we still answer the call to serve not just the people of Mississippi, but our nation's greatest asset and heroes, our veterans."

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