WV HOMELESS VETS: TRAGIC EVENTS LED MILITARY COUPLE TO HOMELESSNESS

(11/05/2015)

Osofsky and wife homeless after series of events, death of son By Bob Weaver Dave and Terry Osofsky, married 34 years, found themselves homeless in Huntington following a series of tragic events, Dave a 13 year Army vet and Terry serving four years in the military. "Its been quite a journey," said Osofsky, who has worked in the computer technical field, saying their life began really falling apart when they lost their 28-year-old son in a 2011 vehicle accident. "We lived in our car with a son and a dog along the (Ohio) river near the homeless that sleep under the bridge," he said. Couple return to Huntington's riverfront where they spent months surviving "My wife had a serious mental breakdown, the walls of the car closing in, and she sought help, and got it, at the Huntington VA hospital." "It was a blessing she went into the hospital. Without the help of SSVF, it would have been a hard row." Outreach Coordinator Thomas Ramey said, "Their story is a success, getting the start over help they needed." 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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