WARSAW — Brightpoint serves veterans and their families who are homeless or facing eviction through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. Through SSVF eligible Veteran families can receive:

• Help locating and securing stable housing
• Temporary financial assistance with rent, security and utility deposits and other housing-related costs
• Assistance in obtaining VA benefits such as vocational and rehabilitation counseling, employment and training services and education benefits
• Support and resources for many of life’s difficult situations

Brightpoint serves families of any size. The veteran in the household must have been other than dishonorably discharged from the military and be facing problems with their current housing situation. Brightpoint provides SSVF in Adams, Allen, Blackford, Cass, DeKalb, Delaware, Elkhart, Fulton, Grant, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Marshall, Miami, Noble, Pulaski, Randolph, Steuben, St. Joseph, Tipton, Wabash, Wells and Whitley Counties.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness across the country has been cut nearly in half since 2010. Since starting the SSVF program in 2012, Brightpoint has assisted over 500 Veterans just in Northern Indiana.

But it is often difficult for Veterans to ask for help. “We know that there are people out there who need it, but sometimes it can be hard to ask,” said Pam Brookshire, VP of Community Services at Brightpoint. “We want veterans to use our services and we need assistance from the community to spread the word that we are here to help.”

Those who Brightpoint can assist through SSVF must be classified as homeless or facing homelessness. This definition only includes veterans who are living on the streets, in homeless shelters or who have received an eviction notice. But the agency will work with veterans whose housing crisis does not meet these guidelines and connect them to other assistance when it is available.

Brightpoint helps veterans, but it still takes a lot of effort to move from homelessness to stable housing. Victor Carter, a veteran who was helped by Brightpoint, said it best, “If you don’t wanna help yourself, people won’t help you so you have to want to help yourself.”

More information and videos of Veterans who have been helped (including Victor) are available online.

For those who would like to support Brightpoint to help more Veterans, donations can be made online. Veterans who think they might qualify can call 2-1-1 or (260) 423-3546 ext. 285 to take an assessment and learn eligibility requirements.