HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — As we approach the holiday season, we feel gratitude for what we have and recognize there are so many without, so we’re asking YOU to join us in our ‘Give Thanks’ campaign by helping the less fortunate in our community every Wednesday throughout November.
How it works: Every week, a 13WMAZ anchor will highlight one organization working to help those in need. Simply text the word THANKS to 478-752-1309 and get a direct link to donate to them.
Because we want to show our commitment to helping those Straight from the Heart, 13WMAZ will match the first 50 $5 donations every week.
Donations to each organization will run for a week before we move on to the next one.
Up next is the Volunteers of America Southeast. 13WMAZ's Ben Jones shares how this organization helps our nation's heroes find housing.
The group secures housing for homeless vets, makes repairs to veteran's homes and helps prevent eviction. Last year, they helped more than 300 veterans find a place to live. Once they have stable housing Volunteers of America Southeast steers veterans to transportation and job opportunities.
Volunteers of America Southeast Director Chad Cheshire said he knows what they are going through.
"I was a U.S Army combat vet. I was in Iraq and I served nine years in the military," he said. "I fell on hard times when I transitioned out, I became homeless."
Volunteers of America Southeast find veterans that do need that helping hand, they go out in the community and get referrals.
"Volunteers of America Southeast is a church we have ministers on staff so we really do focus on ministering to clients," Cheshire said. "Once we get someone housed we try to connect them with services such as churches clubs to get them involved because we find that individuals that are homeless are used to being by themselves."
With a $1.2 million annual budget, they can get a veteran a front door to call their own and transportation assistance.
They take donations for household things and hygiene stuff. At the end of the day, a man or woman has an address that's their safe place to enjoy shelter at the end of a long journey.
"It's sad that someone who served our nation is in this situation and VOA Southeast is here to help those individuals get the help they need." Cheshire said.
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