Partnerships Stretch Resources in Tough Times

It’s easy to talk about community support when the supply of resources is larger than the needs they fill. Currently our communities face far more demands with fewer resources. Military men and women are coming home to a tough economy and limited employment opportunities, and many return with a disability. Spouses and children can be deeply affected by the stress experienced during the combat years. Homecoming prompts both pride and anxieties, especially when a parent returns home with an injury.

Military and community partnerships provide one of the best ways to increase assets without having to find new pots of money, according to John Lenz of Operation TBI Freedom (OTF) and Sonja Dahmer of The Home Front Cares (THFC). Both organizations work with OEF/OIF active duty and medically discharged/retired veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the families of those soldiers and veterans.

“At Operation TBI Freedom, we focus on returning military with traumatic brain injury throughout the state of Colorado,” John Lenz said, “and we work with the families for up to two years.” Operation TBI Freedom is a program of Denver Options, an organization that has worked with people with intellectual challenges for over a decade. John is one of several care coordinators who help families find and use critically needed benefits. All OTF care coordinators are veterans or retired military with training in social work.

The Home Front Cares typically provides one-time, immediate financial assistance to promote personal independence and help resolve problems when financial distress is at its highest. John calls The Home Front Cares when he is working with a family that needs a car repair they can’t cover or help with a mortgage payment. “We know when I get a call from John that he’s already assessed the client’s needs and feels we would be a good match to help,” Sonja explained. “When we can help avert a crisis, everybody benefits—not only the client and his family. Our economy has made it difficult for the discharged/retired veteran community to find or keep employment. That increases the stress and anxiety levels that most medically discharged/retired veterans continuously live with,” she stated.

OTF and THFC are part of a network of resource groups that share information, ideas and resources. “All of us are trying to do one thing. We want to create enough stability in the lives of these families to allow them to get back on their feet,” said John. Many spouses have to become primary wage earners. Kids may have extra responsibilities, and the future holds a great deal of uncertainty. Many families say their lives feel as though they’ve been turned upside-down. When trust is established between programs like OTF and THFC, service delivery moves at a faster rate for these families.

Working so closely together has also created an informal collaborative. Operation TBI Freedom and The Home Front Cares share key values. Both groups respect confidentiality and understand the needs of returning military, and they know enough about how the military and Veterans Affairs service organizations work to move documentation and paperwork to access needed resources.

However, many big challenges remain. “We need more transitional housing for families while benefits are being established and injuries heal,” John noted. Many returning military also face a host of civil legal problems like divorce, foreclosure and bankruptcy without adequate representation from an attorney. Legal representation is also needed for soldiers involved in criminal complaints.

Both John and Sonja encourage everyone to find a way to support military families in their own communities. “Whether it is volunteering, getting involved through your church or making a monetary donation, these families need your support,” John said.