The SoCal Bench Project

[deirdre]

Below is from the CCCOE Blog: Saturday, August 9, 2008 9:30am-3:00pm The Veterans' Memorial Complex Garden Room 4117 Overland Avenue Culver City, CA 90230 Contemporary Craft Fine Art Gifts Home & Garden Jewelry Photography Please take a look at who will be a vendor at this great event! Please take a moment to check out the New Directions website: http://www.ndvets.com/ Below is from the New Directions's Website: Los Angeles has the largest population of homeless military veterans in the nation. An estimated 20,000 veterans live on the streets of L.A. -- eleven percent (11%) of all homeless veterans nationwide. Many of these men and women suffer from co-occuring disorders, including substance abuse, mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as chronic medical problems. For the past 15 years New Directions has provided comprehensive long-term substance abuse treatment to our nation's veterans. More than 800 men and women seek outpatient services from the agency each year, and 225 veterans receive round-the-clock care at four different residential treatment centers. Also, currently in development is a 150-unit supportive housing facility for disabled veterans. New Directions provides a wide variety of services for homeless veterans, including job training and placement, parenting and money management classes, legal and financial assistance, counseling, remedial education and resources for alumni. Residents leave New Directions with a job, housing, a savings account, computer skills, renewed self confidence and the support of mentors and peers. Such a transformation takes hard work, motivation and accountability, but the results are life-altering -- and for many veterans, life-saving. Please check out the sites and donate and come by and purchase items at this first time event! Support local artists and support this important cause!