Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 2013, at 9am. We will announce the location in the next couple of weeks.

When: Saturday, May 18th, 2013 (9am – 1pm)

Where: Seminole County Health Department, 400 W. Airport Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773

To register as a volunteer for this event: Visit the Volunteer Registration web page

• Volunteer Training: Wednesday May 15th, 2013 (12pm – 1pm or 6pm – 7pm)
• Volunteer Training Location: American Legion Post 53, 2874 S. Sanford Avenue, Sanford, Florida 32773

To make a monetary contribution to the Stand Down, please make checks payable to “Homeless Services Network” and in the memo section, please put “2013 Seminole Stand Down”.  100% of all donations go to the Veteran Stand Down. Mail checks to:

To donate new, in-package items, we are in need of:

• Mens & women’s underwear, T-shirts and socks
• Shower kits that include: soap, shampoo, razor, feminine products, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant  and comb.
• Hats
• Sunscreen
• Bus Passes

You can also download a complete needs list  Donations may be dropped off at:

Fundraiser:

Caretakers M.E. is hosting a “Chili Cook-Off” on Feb. 24^th. Download the event flyer for details.

Questions?

Contact Sean Gibbs, Volunteer Coordinator, 407-893-0133 x107.

Typically, the monthly Continuum of Care meeting is held on the fourth Tuesday of every month. However, two factors led us to take advantage of a rare fifth Tuesday available this month.

1. We just completed the annual CoC application for funding from HUD. We’ve been up to our eyeballs Obviously, this activity takes top priority over just about everything else we do here.
2. Monday, January 21, is the federal holiday commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King and our office is closed.

Postponing the the CoC meeting until 1/29 gives us more time to prepare for the meeting.

So please join us on the 29th at Goodwill Industries (7531 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809). We’ll be talking about the just-submitted CoC application as well as the annual Point in Time Count, which this year takes place on Wednesday, January 30.

As usual, the meeting starts at 9am, but feel free to arrive as early as 8:30am for refreshments and peer networking.

If you would like to volunteer for this event, you may choose from 1 of 4 ways to register for this event:

1. (Preferred method) Complete the online registration form.
2. Download and email the Volunteer-Registration-Form: standdownvolunteers {at} gmail(.)com
3. Download and fax the Volunteer-Registration-Form: 407-893-5299
4. Call for registration: 407-893-0133 Ext. 107

If you or your organization would like to make a monetary contribution to the Stand Down, please make checks payable to “Homeless Services Network” and in the memo section, please put “2012 Stand Down”.  100% of all donations go to the Veteran Stand Down.

Mail checks to:
Homeless Services Network
P.O. Box 547068
Orlando, FL 32854-7068

If you or your organization would like to donate new, in-package items, we are in need of:
·         Men’s & women’s underwear
·         Shower kits that include: soap, shampoo, razor, feminine products, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant  and comb.
·         Hats
·         Sunscreen
·         Work boots
·         Bus Passes
These UNUSED items can be donated to Homeless Services Network to be distributed at the Stand Down.

Please help get the word out by forwarding this email to your fellow Veterans and friends.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to volunteer to help those who have served our great country.

The new issue of the “Azimuth” newsletter is available for download. It is produced by the Veteran Volunteer Program and The Homeless Services Network of Central Florida. It is intended to help veterans with housing, utility, educational or employment challenges. It includes real clients with real requests.

Not included in this issue is a true story that I would like to share. I received a request from a friend a couple weeks ago. She told me that her husband’s brother had been in an incident and asked if I could help her find resources for her brother-in-law (We’ll call him Steve). So I looked into the matter. Steve lives in another state with his wife and 24-year-old daughter. Steve’s friends and neighbors were quoted as saying “Steve was a quiet, nurturing, caring husband and father.” Steve served in the Marine Corps in the early 80’s as a sniper. He had done a tour in Beirut and Lebanon. From 1985 to now he had battled minor symptoms of PTSD, but was “toughing it out”. After all, he was a tough Marine.

Two weeks ago, Steve was doing minor repairs to his house, lost his footing and hit his head. Steve was unconscious when the paramedics got to him. He was transported to a local hospital where a doctor examined him and said he would be fine and discharged him. At about 6:30 a.m. the next morning, Steve woke up in the middle of the night, grabbed a 3-pound exercise weight and beat his wife and daughter nearly to death. Then he began beating himself with the weight. Six days and three brain surgeries later, Steve came out of his coma and asked 2 questions. “Why am I in a hospital?” and “Why is my wife not next to my hospital bed?” Steve has no memory of the brutal night. Sherriff’s Investigators are still trying to figure out why Steve did what he did. The latest reports I got, Steve, is awake and using written words due to a breathing tube. Steve’s wife is still in critical condition and in a coma and has had three brain surgeries. Steve’s daughter is in stable condition and may be released from the hospital soon. Steve will most likely be charged soon with 2-counts of attempted murder.

I am in no way an expert in PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries). The reason I told this story is because I want all of my fellow veterans to understand the importance of speaking to someone if you feel that you may have PTSD. I also want you to understand that it doesn’t matter how tough you think you are, all it takes is one small accident to cause the PTSD to change your life.

PTSD can be caused by any frightening or traumatic event, but some of the most common triggers of PTSD include experiencing any of the following:

• Car accidents or plane crashes
• Natural disasters
• Rape
• Sexual or physical abuse
• Violence, or witnessing violence
• War.

Although most people think about flashbacks when they think of PTSD, the disorder is actually identified by three specific groups of PTSD symptoms:

• Re-experiencing the event
• Avoidance
• Increased arousal.

Symptoms of re-experiencing the event include:

• Flashbacks or feelings of reliving the event
• Intense distress when reminded of the event
• Nightmares
• Physical responses to memories of the event, such as sweating or a pounding heart
• Unwanted and upsetting memories of the event.

Symptoms of avoidance include:

• Avoiding thoughts, places and people that remind you of the trauma
• Feeling detached and withdrawn from others
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Loss of interest in once-enjoyed activities
• Loss of memories associated with the event
• Sense of a limited future.

Symptoms of increased arousal include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling jumpy
• Hyper-vigilance, or a state of being constantly on alert for danger
• Insomnia
• Irritability and anger.

If you feel you may have symptoms of PTSD, you have options.

• VA’s Emotional Crisis Hotline
  For all Veterans
  1-800-273-8255 (Press 1 for Veterans)
  www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• The Vet Center (Orlando)
  5575 S. Semoran Blvd. #30
  Orlando, FL 32822
  Phone: 407-857-2800 Or 877-927-8387
  • For Veterans Who Have Been In Theater Of War, Honorable Discharged, Serves Veterans and Families Affected By PTSD
  • “Managing the Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety” clinic
    Every Tuesday Afternoon (1pm – 2:30pm)
    First Session:  July 10, 2012
    Call Barry Harnick, LCSW (407) 857-2800
  • “Work Related Self Image Group”
    Every Wednesday (2pm – 3:30pm)
    First Session: January 18, 2012
    Call Barry Harnick (407) 857-2800

• UCF Anxiety Disorders Clinic
  • For OIF/OEF Veterans
  • This is a state-of-the-art clinic that uses sights, sounds, and smells to create exposure therapy. Client will also participate in one-on-one therapy and group therapies.
  • For more information, please contact:
    Dr. Neer
    Anxiety Disorders Clinic (http://ucfptsd.org)
    UCF Psychology Building
    4000 Central Florida Blvd.
    Orlando, FL 32816
    (407) 823-1668

• The Camaraderie Foundation
  • For OIF/OEF Veterans and families
  • If you qualify, the Camaraderie Foundation will pay 75% of the cost for a non-VA counselor for upto 12 sessions.
  • 407-841-0071
  • www.camaraderiefoundation.com

Resources: http://www.ptsdfacts.net/overview/symptoms-checklist/

“Azimuth” is available for download from the Homeless Services Network web site.

Locally, the 2011 funding competition resulted in a $547,927 award to the Homeless Services Network for two new permanent supportive housing projects.

For a local summary of the grants announced today, visit HUD’s Homelessness Resource Exchange (What’s New section) or HUD’s website (Featured News)