Soldiers "can" make a difference

Photo By Sgt. Julia scott | Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, pose with Jerome Ford, program director of the Colorado Veterans Resource Center, outside the Crawford House in Colorado Springs, Colorado, November 17, 2020. The Crawford House is run by the CVRC and is the only private, non-profit residential treatment facility for veterans in Colorado. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Julia C. Scott).  

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES

11.17.2020

Courtesy Story

14th Public Affairs Detachment

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – A series of bad choices left Larry J. homeless, and he found himself alone in a shelter. Once there, he heard about an organization in Colorado Springs that helps veterans in transition. The Crawford House, run by the Colorado Veterans Resource Center (CVRC), provides food, housing, medical treatment and employment assistance to its residents. As a private, non-profit residential treatment facility, it is the only one of its kind in the state.
“Eventually, I would complete the homeless program,” Larry J. explained. “And a few months later, I moved back to the Crawford House as the assistant manager.”
He worked there for the next three and a half years. While at the Crawford House, the formerly homeless veteran earned an associates and bachelor’s degrees, and eventually a master’s degree in professional counseling.
“The Crawford house certainly was the catapult for this new era in my life,” Larry J. said.
According to Jerome Ford, the program director at CVRC, all of the employees at the Crawford house previously served in the military or were military spouses.
“We have a heart for serving people in the military,” said Ford. “But without assistance, we can’t run our program. We need help to continue our organization and help veterans.”
On November 17, Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (HHBN), 4th Infantry Division (4ID) at Fort Carson, Colorado, delivered 682 cans of food along with boxed and nonperishable food items to the Crawford House. HHBN collected cans for one month and drove them downtown to the CVRC to help support their mission.
“HHBN's mission during this food drive was to provide tangible assistance to a deserving organization in our local community,” said Command Sgt. Major Nicole Reddick, the command sergeant major of HHBN, 4ID. “The Colorado Veterans Resource Coalition gives homeless veterans in Colorado Springs comprehensive care. They truly care for veterans in a holistic sense and I am honored that we were able to support their mission.”
Since the founding of the CVRC in 2001, they have provided assistance to approximately 2,200 veterans.
“We are able to help 200 plus veterans on an annual basis,” said Ford. “We have a very high turnover rate.”
The Crawford House also has a very high success rate, and over 80% of veterans successfully complete the program and move into their own homes.

• Date Taken: 11.17.2020
• Date Posted: 12.01.2020 02:07
• Story ID: 383420
• Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US