Brown: Janie’s Hands facility for homeless vets long overdue

Several weeks ago, I read a BaytoBayNews.com article with a photo of Rep. William Bush, D-Dover; Dover City Councilman Brian Lewis; and veterans, titled “Janie’s Hands Veterans Transitional Home opens in Cheswold.” I want to my express my sheer delight in hearing about this new local home that will help keep our veterans off the streets and out of the cold weather this winter. It is something long overdue in the community and will be a place for them to lay their heads and get some shut-eye, have some chow and, most importantly, try and get their lives back on track. As the son of a World War II U.S. Army veteran, I am saddened at times when I see and hear about our military servicemen and -women being found living in the streets due to becoming victims of various circumstances. Some may fall down and out upon their luck, and some fall short to drug and alcohol addictions, but the most common seems to be post-traumatic stress disorder. All in all, we have to remember these men and women who fought for our freedoms on the battlefields and in the trenches. We don’t know what they are going through, and we don’t know what they saw. For some, seeing their fellow soldiers depart from this world can be enough. I don’t think any veteran should be without a place to call home, and I believe Janie’s Hands will do just that. A friend once said, “While we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.”

How fortunate to have someone like Francis Perry, an Army veteran and founder of Janie’s Hands, opening up this transition home for our homeless veteran population. There are angels on Earth! And it is reassuring to see two of our local elected leaders, Rep. Bush and Councilman Lewis, supporting our veterans and this transition home, and making themselves available in the community.

Eric Brown

Dover

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