Things have changed since 9/11. Our government has failed our veterans in so many ways. They like to say that things have fallen through the crack, but this is healthcare; it should not have fallen through the crack. This is someone’s son, daughter, husband or wife. You cannot use that as an excuse.”Kayla Stringer, veteran
CULLMAN – When veterans transition back into the civilian world, sometimes they need help adjusting to life back home in their communities. Getting back to work can restore confidence and individual identity. Local couple Kayla and Joey Stringer, both Army veterans, believe our veterans deserve more than an unemployment check or a part-time job that has no career potential. The Stringers are working hard to help their fellow brothers and sisters in arms during this very important time in their lives.
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of August 2015, the number of unemployed veterans was about 450,000. That translates to about 4.2 percent and is actually the lowest number since the BLS started tracking veterans in 2008. But those numbers do not include veterans in part-time jobs or those who have stopped looking for work.
The Stringers believe that the government should do more for veterans.
“Things have changed since 9/11,” Kayla Stringer began. “Our government has failed our veterans in so many ways. They like to say that things have fallen through the crack, but this is healthcare; it should not have fallen through the crack. This is someone’s son, daughter, husband or wife. You cannot use that as an excuse.”
The Stringers are in the process of setting up a nonprofit organization that will help veterans, especially those who are homeless. Although they haven’t settled on a name for it, they already know what its mission statement will be: to provide comprehensive care and assistance to American veterans to restore their hope, one life at a time.
“It is going to be veteran-run, veteran-owned and veteran-oriented,” Kayla Stringer explained. “There will be civilians helping, but (it will be) mainly run by veterans because we relate better with one another.
“Our goal is to provide emergency assistance and support for veterans and their immediate families, including, but not limited to, housing, food, healthcare services, job training, placement assistance, legal aid, case management support and counseling and rehab services, if needed,” she said. “We also hope to help them with resume building, interview preparation and clothing.”
The organization will need a lot of volunteer help from the community. Thankfully, the Stringers already have lots of interest from people, churches and organizations all over north Alabama.
“We have plenty of churches who have already said they will be happy to donate gently used clothing so the veterans can dress nicely,” she smiled. “You can’t expect someone coming off the streets to have something nice to wear to an interview.
“We will need volunteers who have administrative experience. They can help with VA paperwork or VFW placement. We have a couple lawyers and law students (who) say they would be happy to help,” she said. “I have some ties with some Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers at Redstone (Arsenal) that (sic) have made it clear they would take some time out of their busy schedules and offer us their services to help with any legal issues, which includes applying for military records and checking to see if they (veterans) have gotten any awards or anything they may be entitled to.”
This is just a small portion of all the help the Stringers hope to be able to provide local veterans. In the meantime, they have been busy with all the legal details that go along with setting up a nonprofit agency.
“We hope to be up running at least partially by the spring,” Kayla Stringer stated. “We want to purchase some land and ask that someone, maybe a church or Habitat for Humanity, could build a building with some kind of barracks-style rooms we could use to house veterans while they are getting the help they need. They may actually be homeless or in transition. Maybe their VA checks haven’t kicked in yet and they have no money or nowhere to go; we want to help by giving them some of the things they need.”
An agency like this could really make a difference in lives of many local veterans. Those interested in volunteering or getting more information can call Kayla Stringer directly at 256-615-3404 or email her at kstringer210@gmail.com.
