Daniel Young

DAILY STATE NEWS/BRIAN GILLILAND

Greg Fuller

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By Brian Gilliland

MILFORD — When Daniel Young arrived at the Home of the Brave homeless shelter for veterans in September 2023, he knew he wouldn’t be there forever.

But, as he prepares to move into his own home, what he thought would feel like a graduation is feeling more like an escape.

“After we had the meeting in January — where I was told I couldn’t talk to the press — I couldn’t help but think, ‘What is everyone afraid of?’ because I only see awesome things,” he said.

Fear wasn’t the problem, explained Greg Fuller, chair of the board and spokesman for Home of the Brave.

“Residents and staff were told by the foundation, which is the board of directors, that I was the spokesperson for the foundation and the residents. They have signed confidentiality agreements, which people have violated,” he said.

The departure of executive director Heather Travitz in December 2023 necessitated changes, Mr. Fuller continued, and a return to established rules.

“Basically, we had the situation where we were not adhering to policy or procedure, and we had to start doing things down to the way we have them in writing,” he said. “This led to a certain level of complacency.”

So, what may have appeared to residents as set policy may have been anything but, he added.

The meeting in January, Mr. Young and Mr. Fuller agree, was a reintroduction to the rules. They differ, however, on how the message was received.

“There was lots of confusion over management, and lots of employees were working troubled. Morale was low,” Mr. Young said. “The residents can handle ourselves, but if things are supposed to be structured a certain way but aren’t, it gets confusing.”

Mr. Fuller concurred with the second part, saying he favored returning to the rulebook, but he explained that staffing issues are not specific to Home of the Brave. He also doesn’t think services have been impacted.

Mr. Young said tenants were often without a house monitor or a representative from staff to handle situations ranging from simple maintenance to interpersonal disputes. Also, he noticed certain employees doubling up on duties.

“We used to have two case managers, (but) we went down to one,” he said, adding that these employees would help residents identify services specific to their situations, assist them with applications and cross-reference paperwork.

But Mr. Fuller said Home of the Brave currently employs two case managers, one full time and one part time, for a combined 60 hours per week, up from 40 previously offered.

Plus, Mr. Young said, the facility would pay application fees to potential residences, which can run from $35-$100 per application.

“Before, they were basically unlimited. You could find a place and apply. Now, I get one,” he said. Not one per week or month, he continued, but one total since January. Any additional fees would have had to come out of his own pocket.

Mr. Fuller said case managers generally handle one application per resident per month, and the fees are paid unless the client has resources, like Social Security or disability funds.

Regardless, Mr. Young will soon be moving to Camden, having found a place to live without an application fee. He’s applying for assistance to purchase a vehicle, and both situations required “a mountain of paperwork.”

And, he went on, there are a dozen residents — with only one full-time person to manage it all — much like the situation in the shelter’s kitchen.

“As a cook in the Coast Guard, I know that food changes everything, and they cook for us four times per week,” he said, adding that when the former kitchen manager left, another employee assumed those duties.

“We used to get bags of potatoes, onions, celery and real butter,” Mr. Young continued. These items, along with the food donations coming in, could be assembled into full meals. “Now, it’s frozen meals, frozen pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, tubs of butter substitute and powdered mashed potatoes.”

In response, Mr. Fuller said that much of the fresh produce available during the warmer months was donated by farmers. “Those were the last of the crops. We can’t get it now because it’s winter,” he added.

Donations of all kinds seem to have tapered off, as well, a change Mr. Young attributed to the removal of the Home of the Brave’s Facebook page, a major source of communication about needs.

Regarding the social media drop-off, Mr. Fuller said “people who have departed” had retained control over the Facebook page and website. The credentials to access those tools were kept on a computer in the executive director’s office but have been removed from the machine, he explained.

“We are seeking avenues to get them restored,” he continued, describing the credentials as being “taken hostage.”

For now, the agency’s website still lists former staff and board members as active in the organization. The Facebook page is unavailable, but Mr. Fuller agreed that it’s important.

“We got appliances like fridges and freezers, food, gift cards,” Mr. Young said. “It was a major driver of donations.”

As far as transportation needs, Mr. Fuller said several residents provide their own, and there is a calendar to sign up for rides. To the best of his knowledge, he said, that calendar isn’t full, and there is also a van available.

“We’ve been adapting and overcoming,” Mr. Fuller said, citing an unofficial motto of the Marine Corps. Last month, Mr. Fuller confirmed, Barry Hamp was named the new executive director of Home of the Brave.

Also last month, Ms. Travitz declined to comment on the situation at the facility, citing a potential lawsuit.