The Homeless Veterans Program for Spokane’s VA Medical Center serves more than 500 Veterans each month with another 150 Veterans in housing. 

They need your help!

Homeless Veterans need NEW blankets, toiletries, clothing, canned food and other small items that they can easily carry in a backpack. Children’s clothing is also needed. 

Help our veterans who have helped our country! Drop off donations at the following locations and sponsors!  

 
Gus Johnson

8300 E Sprague Ave
Spokane Valley, WA 99212-2916
(509) 924-1000
 

Motion Auto Supply

120 S Cedar Street
Spokane, WA 99201‎
(509) 838-1465

1217 E Francis Ave 99208‎
Spokane, WA
(509) 489-9731

13124 E Sprague Ave
Spokane Valley, WA 99216‎
(509) 921-1556

12722 W Sunset Hwy
Airway Heights, WA 99001
(509) 244-6920

206 E Seltice Way
Post Falls, ID 83854
(208) 457-0340

1225 E Best Ave
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814‎
(208) 664-4343
 

Halpin's Pharmacy & Treasure Room

11406 E Sprague Ave
Spokane Valley, WA 99206-5224
(509) 928-0309

Halpin's supports our Veterans… thank you for your service!
 

The Man Shop

6405 N Division Street
Spokane, WA 99208
(509) 535-2739

327 W Third Ave
Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 458-2739

5004 E Sprague Ave
Spokane Valley, WA 99212
(509) 535-2739

  • America's homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF), and the military's anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served our country for at least three years and one-third were stationed in a war zone.
  • Roughly 56% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 12.8 percent and 15.4 percent of the U.S. population respectively.
  • About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.

How many homeless veterans are there?

Although flawless counts are impossible to come by - the transient nature of homeless populations presents a major difficulty - VA estimates that 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year... approximately twice that many experience homelessness and ONLY 8% of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans.

Why are veterans homeless?

In addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness - extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care - a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post¬traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks.

A top priority for homeless veterans is secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol.

Although "most homeless people are single, unaffiliated men... most housing money in existing federal homelessness programs, in contrast, is devoted to helping homeless families or homeless women with dependant children," as is stated in the study "Is Homelessness a Housing Problem?" 
Doesn't VA take care of homeless veterans?

To a certain extent...yes. VA's specialized homeless programs served more than 92,000 veterans in 2009, which is highly commendable. This still leaves well over 100,000 more veterans, however, who experience homelessness annually and must seek assistance from local government agencies and community and faith-based service organizations. These veterans may require supportive services outside the scope of most VA homeless programs.

Since 1987, VA's programs for homeless veterans have emphasized collaboration with such community service providers to help expand services to more veterans in crisis. These partnerships are credited with reducing the number of homeless veterans by more than half 'over the past six years.