If I had to choose a heart for the Veteran’s Community in Central Oregon, it would have to be Central Oregon Veteran’s Outreach. They wear many hats and have many connections in the community.
Many of their efforts are directed toward the homeless veterans. They include:
- Outreach to homeless camps of our area
- Distributing food, clothing, camping supplies, fuel, etc.
- Refill propane tanks
- Providing communications and transportation assistance
- Run the COVO Medical Van which provides free medical services to all homeless people
- Running a Transitional House (Home of the Brave) for homeless vets who are ready to make changes. They also have a Duplex for Female veterans and two other projects which have recently started, a home down in La Pine and a quadplex in Bend.
Each homeless veteran is unique, there is not a one size fits all story for the reasons why they are homeless. COVO acknowledges this and meets the veterans on their own terms. A relationship is built on trust and ways are found to get the veteran off the streets. This takes time, energy and money.
That is quite a lot (they won the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans 2011 Partnership Award) and we could all pat them on the back if that was all they did. But, that’s not all COVO does. They also:
- Take reservations for the DAV Shuttle to the Portland VA and back and the shuttle for the local VA clinic
- Assist in Filing disability claims for vets
- Lobby in Salem on veterans issues
- Sit on committees, the Veteran’s Court, for example
- Act as a clearinghouse to assist vets in receiving other services
That last one is a big umbrella. If you have a question or need help, COVO will be able to help you or they know who can. Or, if they don’t know they will find out who can and help you get there too!
I wish I had a dollar for every time in the last year COVO was in the newspaper talking up some veteran’s issue. If there ever is a good friend of a Central Oregon Veteran- any veteran not matter what income level, it’s Central Oregon Veterans Outreach.
COVO has dreams, they want to reach out more to the younger veterans , they want to help more veterans in more ways. They just keep getting better and better. But they could use your help and right now the best way you can help is by adding them to your list for your donation online for the Sagebrush Community Challenge or you can put Central Oregon Veterans Outreach to your donation list and mail in your donation.
The Central Oregon Veteran 