Return to Press ReleasesChestnut Health Systems' Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Helps Find StabilityIn recognition of Veterans Day, Chestnut Health Systems™ is proud to highlight the essential work of its Support Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program, which provides critical support to veterans and their families in Madison and St. Clair counties.Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) show that more than 35,000 veterans experienced homelessness in 2022, marking a 7.4 percent increase from the previous year. Chestnut's SSVF program works to combat this growing crisis by providing veterans with housing placement, rental assistance, case management, access to healthcare, financial planning, transportation assistance, employment services, and more. “When I came into the program, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to keep on living,” said one veteran. “Now I have hope and I'm excited for the future.” Through a VA grant, Chestnut assists veterans who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. With six out of eleven staff members being veterans themselves, the program benefits from a unique understanding of the challenges veterans face. “If we have a veteran sleeping on the street, our goal is to get them off the streets that day,” said Tim Snyder, SSVF Associate Director at Chestnut, and Air Force veteran. “We helped one veteran, and her grandchild, get off the street in two and half hours with the partnership of a local hotel. They'll stay there until we can identify a more permanent solution.” All services are free, and eligibility requirements apply. To learn more about SSVF services, visit www.chestnut.org, call 618-512-1823 or email SSVF_DEPT@chestnut.org. To read more about the work SSVF staff does, please visit www.chestnut.org/Blog. Link: http://www.chestnut.org/Blog Submitted: 11/10/24 Article By: Chestnut Health Systems |