Greensboro HUD Office working with Local Organizations to Help Our Veterans

(l-r) HUD Greensboro Office - Sharlene Abbott, Linda Golden, Albert Chilcott, Diane Dilahunt and Elizabeth Stanley.

The Greensboro HUD Field Office (GFO) staff from Community Planning (CPD), Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and Field Policy Management (FPM), Multifamily (MFH) and IT participated in the 2013 Triad Homeless Veterans Stand Down (www.nchvs.org/StandDown2010/tabid/59/Default.aspx) last month along with other federal agencies and local non-profit organizations such as the VA, SSA, IRS, and Guilford County. Approximately 230 homeless veterans attended the event from Guilford and surrounding counties and received services and assistance from federal, state and local agencies.

HUD Greensboro Office volunteers provided veteran housing assistance information and assisted in the food and signage committee. About 157 veterans visited the HUD housing table and over 200 housing program handouts were distributed.

"This event humbles me every year I participate in it. As a veteran myself, I'm disheartened to know the amount of "Homeless Veterans" who are homeless and displaced in this great society we live in. For over the past 5 years that I've participated in this event, I not only represented the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development but also the thousands of other veterans supporting the needs of our military veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces," said Malik Shamal of the HUD Greensboro Office.

"The Triad Homeless Veterans Stand Down is an amazing event! This is the sixth year I served as a volunteer. It is an especially rewarding experience to have the opportunity to share housing program information face-to-face with area veterans each year and to hear their individual stories. What a great honor to assist those who served our country," said Linda Golden of the HUD Greensboro Office.

In addition to information, assistance and referrals, veterans also received medical, dental and vision services from local agencies as well as haircuts, clothing and footwear, personal care items and hot meals and refreshments. It was an extra special day designed to serve local men and women veterans that served our country!

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