Charity that provides emergency aid to veterans sees more calls

A national charity that helps homeless veterans has seen a surge in requests for help.

Veterans Emergency Transition Services Canada ( VETS) co-founder Debbie Lowther said requests for assistance from homeless or “in crisis” veterans have risen over the last few years, with a 143 per cent increase in requests between 2016 and 2017 across Canada.

In B.C., there were 336 requests for assistance in 2017. So far in the first half of 2018, there have been 240 requests.

Lack of affordable housing has contributed to the problem in Vancouver.

Lowther recalled a veteran who thought he’d found the ideal accommodations for $400 a month. When he showed his VETS outreach worker a photo of the place, she was appalled to see a small room with temporary walls and a concrete floor. The basement apartment had been divided into six separate rooms with a shared bathroom.

After putting their lives on the line for the benefit of all Canadians, returning to civilian life can be very difficult.

VETS helps veterans on a caseby-case basis, with food, shelter, clothing and transportation.

“We are having to stretch each and every dollar in attempts to meet this emerging need,” said VETS cofounder Jim Lowther. “We firmly believe that when Canadians realize the extent of the issue of veteran homelessness in our very own country, they will want to help.”

VETS recently launched a fundraising campaign, asking people to consider donating a dollar a day to help them do their work. More information can be found at vetscanada.org/dollar-a-day-2018.