Veterans’ Affairs

On Thursday I showed the documentary to a group of people in my local area. I want to first thank the Nashua Library for hosting the documentary. Bruce and Carol were very accommodating. There was a small group of people that included veterans, social workers and staff members from Harbor Homes. After the documentary was done I had a short Q&A session with the audience. Overall it was a great session. There was a member of the press there and I suspect a news story will be coming soon. I will post it when it does come out.

I will be showing the documentary again at Buckingham Place  on October 22nd. There is a press release that I will add to this post. I look forward to showing this to a large audience of people who have the common interest of helping soldiers in mind.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Vanessa Sarlo

Harbor Homes, Inc.

45 High St., Nashua, NH 03060

(603) 882-3616, ext. 1087

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October 09, 2008

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Servicemen and Women of Veterans FIRST Hosting a Community Appreciation Day at Buckingham Place

 

NASHUA-The service men and women of Harbor Homes, Inc.’s Veterans FIRST program will be hosting a Community Appreciation Day at Buckingham Place in Nashua, New Hampshire. The Community Appreciation Day will be planned and implemented entirely by the veterans residing at Buckingham Place as a way to thank the whole community–including those who supported the construction of the facility, volunteers, donors, well-wishers, friends, and family–for providing homeless veterans with a second chance to rebuild their lives. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 from 10:00 to 12:00 in the Community Room and Courtyard at Buckingham Place, located at 46 Spring Street in Nashua, NH. Special events and presentations will occur throughout this time, and refreshments will be served. All are welcome.

“Veteran Homelessness” a documentary film written and directed by New Hampshire native and Iraq war veteran, Matt Bernard, will be shown throughout the event.  Mr. Bernard was instrumental in establishing a formal reintegration program for returning Army National Guard soldiers in New Hampshire, and is the recipient of two Purple Hearts. “Veteran Homelessness” is the first film in a series of documentaries designed to bring attention to the current situations facing veterans in the United States. Mr. Bernard will be available to answer any questions.

Veterans FIRST is a program of Harbor Homes, Inc. that provides homeless, honorably discharged veterans and their families with quality residential and supportive services. In particular, the program is designed to provide veterans with the tools and support needed to reintegrate back into society. Buckingham Place, constructed in 2007, was the nation’s first transitional facility of its kind for both male and female homeless veterans, as well as their families. Twenty individual one and two bedroom apartments, as well as large common areas, make up the 3-story, 19,000 square feet complex.

Buckingham Place has been operating for almost two years, and its first wave of residents are close to graduating from the program. Many have already acquired their own stable housing and employment, and are living independently as a result of the Veterans FIRST program.

“As many of us journey forward on the path to rebuilding our lives, we have a strong desire to sincerely thank all those within the community that have stepped up to the plate to make this possible”, says Ron Gelinas, a resident of Buckingham Place and the Veterans FIRST Community Relations Coordinator of Harbor Homes. “We are grateful for the support of the many civic organizations, businesses and individuals who came together to support the construction of Buckingham Place, and continue to support all of the residents day after day. This event is a way for us to show the entire community how much they have helped to change our lives. We would like to shake each and every hand of the individuals that continue to make Veterans FIRST possible.”

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To RSVP, please call Ron Gelinas at (603) 882-3616, ext 1160 or send an email to r.gelinas@harborhomes.org .  For more information about Harbor Homes or Veterans FIRST, please visit our website at www.harborhomes.org.

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