Help call for forgotten, lost veterans

A CHARITY which provides backpack beds to homeless exAustralian Defence Force personnel is active in Tasmania and seeking support in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

Backpack Bed for the Homeless distributes shelter to the almost 3000 former ADF members who sleep on the streets each year.

Bret Dawes, a former Navy Chief Petty Officer and president of the Tasmanian Military Brotherhood MMC, said the organisation also helps homeless vets find housing, recently getting homes for two vets living on the streets.

“We hand out the Backpack Beds to them so they have some sort of shelter, but a lot of the time they find it hard to come forward due to pride, even to us as fellow former veterans,” Mr Dawes said.

“These guys are eligible for free psych and health services but they don’t know haven’t been told.”

The Backpack Bed for Homeless charity has supplied 35,000 of the award-winning beds since it was established and has won the Australian Human Rights Award for best community organisation.

Ambassador former SAS Patrol Commander Mick Donaldson said Anzac Day, which is on Wednesday, was not only a time to remember service men and women but also to help the forgotten ones who have fought and served their country but now live on the streets.

A study by the University of Western Australia found 43 per cent of the 2952 former and ADF members who experienced homelessness this year had a serious brain injury — such as PTSD or head trauma.

Chief executive of Veterans 360 Australia Jay Devereux said there were many more homeless vets too proud to seek help.

“Imagine going from marching out in front of family and friends after military training, receiving your rank and serving your country to leave the armed forces and finding yourself alone and without support,” he said.

Backpack Bed for Homeless chief executive Tony Clark said political leaders had let many veterans down.

“They served to protect the human rights of others but upon their return it is their human rights which have been ignored by those who sent them,” Mr Clark said.

To donate go to www.Back packBed.org