Center in Charlotte Hall helps veterans and others with disabilities
Center in Charlotte Hall helps veterans and others with disabilities
Living on his own was getting harder for veteran Nick Munson. As bills piled up, he became less comfortable talking to others, and asking for help wasn’t in his nature.
Independence, he said, had become “a big challenge.”
But then he connected with the Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living, an agency based in Mechanicsville that assists people with disabilities in St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties, whether they are veterans or not.
“This group actually does things to help veterans,” unlike other veteran support group he’s worked with, Munson said.
The agency helps people “not to become homeless,” by sharing resources and information before a veteran or other person gets to the point of losing their home, Munson said.
He was close to that point two years ago, he said, but was able to avoid bankruptcy and stay in his Mechanicsville home thanks to the agency’s assistance.
“There’s always follow-up” and a financial plan to stay independent, he said.
The agency in Mechanicsville is one of seven established in Maryland to help people with disabilities lead self-directed, independent lives. The nonprofit facility operates with state and federal funds, and all services are provided free.
“Each individual sets their own goals. They decide what they want to do and then we help them do that,” Sandra Dent, executive director of the agency, said.
The center focuses on five core services: individual and system advocacy; information and referral; peer support; independent living skills training; and transitioning youth.
Within those core areas, some of the specifics offered include help for veterans and people who are disabled to apply for benefits, transportation for those in need, assistive technology, classes on how to cook and help with job placement, Lidiya Belyovska, the office fiscal manager, said. The agency even maintains a “glamour closet” for people to get free, used business attire for interviews or jobs. Staff members especially help with applying for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits and benefits for veterans through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
A disabled veteran support network based at the Mechanicsville office offers monthly meetings that are incredibly important to those in need, Munson said. By meeting others, he was able to see that he is not alone in some of the problems he’s encountered.
Veterans often come in sullen, quiet or even angry, he said. But after a few visits, they can open up and begin enjoying the company at the meetings, which often feature a guest speaker to talk about a specific topic of interest.
There is help with transportation, including getting to a veterans hospital in Washington, D.C. Through grants, the agency can provide financial help with installing wheelchair ramps or other home renovations. And if the agency cannot provide an answer or help to a specific issue, workers will direct the veteran to someone who can help, he said.
“Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living functions as a clearinghouse for veterans” assistance, he said.
Munson praised Jerry Taylor, who has a part-time job with the agency assisting veterans and also puts in many hours of volunteer time.
Taylor of Waldorf said that there are more than a dozen veterans who regularly attend the meetings each month. Others will come to a few meetings with specific needs, and then move on, he said.
When Taylor started with the agency, he said he was already “fully vetted” by the VA for benefits he earned by serving in Vietnam and in the Gulf War, where he was injured. But, he quickly found out that many other veterans do not receive the full amount of benefits they are entitle to receive.
“I help others get what they have earned,” he said.
He said that Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living screens other organizations before they recommend them. Veterans, Taylor said, do not want the runaround when they need assistance.
Tony Newman, also an Army veteran, met a veteran that needed assistance at his church, and offered to drive him to the meetings.
Newman moved to Hollywood in 2007 while on active duty, and retired a few years later. He said he likes that he can come into the center to use resources, including copiers and computers, and get or give advice about filling out VA forms. He is now training to become a veterans service officer through a mentoring program.
Newman is the current president of the veteran support group, which meets on the second Friday of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. at the agency in Mechanicsville.
Maurice Scott of Indian Head said he developed leukemia after exposure to the chemical Agent Orange while serving in the Army in Vietnam. He realized he needed some assistance with filling out his paperwork for VA benefits, and a friend introduced him to the agency through its veterans meetings.
“I was looking for something like that,” Scott said.
People at the meeting were friendly and treated him well, he said, so he’s continued coming for several years.
He also was the recipient of a cost-sharing grant that allowed his house to be renovated so it would better suit his abilities.
As head of the office in Mechanicsville, Dent said, the group is building strong relationships with local groups, including Lions and Kiwanis clubs as well as ACTS, which lends out medical equipment like walkers and wheelchairs.
Southern Maryland Center for Independent Living is also starting to host fundraisers to supplement its services. A wine-tasting event was held Friday, Sept. 9, at the Port of Leonardtown Winery. For more information, call 301-884-4498 or visit www.smcil.org.