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WV HOMELESS VETS: TWELVE YEAR ARMY VET DISCOVERS SUDDEN HOMELESSNESS |
| (11/06/2015) |
 Homeless vet Napier with son in new found housing By Bob Weaver Thirty-four-year old homeless vet John Napier said, "I never dreamed I would find myself in this spot." The 12 year Army veteran, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he was evicted from a house owned by family members following a dispute. "I've seen things change quickly in the military, but this homeless thing happened quick," Napier said. "I've traveled the world to see terrible poverty, and here I find myself." He described a longtime negative relationship with his father, the reason why he joined the military. Napier described a number of physically abusive events, in addition to long time emotional abuse. "As a child I lived with constant abuse."
He said he slept in parks and woods, having worked as an EMT, in janitorial services and in construction work. "I know what it's like to live from paycheck to paycheck, and not having money to start over" "Having a roof over my head with the help of SSVF has been a godsend," he said, looking for the delivery of a mattress provided by the agency. The Supportive Services for Veteran's Families [SSVF] program in Huntington, which also serves several West Virginia counties, is designed to lift very low-income veteran families out of homelessness and into stable permanent housing. Through this program Southwestern Community Action and their SSVF program provides comprehensive assistance in the areas of case management, outreach, temporary financial assistance, and referrals to help in obtaining VA benefits. SSVF can be reached at 304-525-5151 and website www.scacwv.org. |
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Napier now has three children, age three, six and seven.