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CNN Live At Daybreak

How One Homeless Vet Got Back on His Feet

Aired June 30, 2003 - 05:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Veterans are one of the fastest growing groups of homeless people in this country. Just the thought of that leaves some people shaking their heads. They wonder how those who risk their lives for freedom and security have no place to call home and feel secure.
In part two of our five part series, CNN's Rhonda Schaffler tells us how one homeless vet got back on his feet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Connelly is one of the lucky ones, back on his feet, working full-time and has a roof over his head. That wasn't the case just six years ago, when he roamed the streets of New York City homeless.

ROBERT CONNELLY, FORMER HOMELESS VETERAN: Until you're in a position of being under employed, homeless, you just can't even think about it. Until you're in a position of not having someplace to go tonight, like when you don't have someplace to go tonight, you spend the whole day thinking about, hmmm, what am I going to do tonight? Where am I going to go tonight? No one can imagine that.

SCHAFFLER: Connelly didn't see combat because his twin brother died in Vietnam. But after years of a seemingly normal life, he was overcome by depression and walked away from his family, including two children. Connelly spent a year on the streets and in shelters before he reached a turning point.

CONNELLY: At one point I said to myself I've got to get some help. And which was my problem before, I never asked for help. And when I said that and when I -- and then shortly after, there was three or four days after that is when I bumped into an outreach worker from the V.A.

SCHAFFLER: That was five years ago and Connelly now works at the Bronx Veteran Affairs Medical Center's computer labs and uses his experience to help other homeless vets.

CONNELLY: I touch their lives and that's what makes it exciting for me. And I mean I can't imagine missing a day of work. I just, I hate to miss a day of work.

SCHAFFLER: Henrietta Fishman, the director of the V.A.'s regional homeless program network, has been working with homeless veterans since the early 1980s. She says awareness of the problem is getting better and so has the outreach. HENRIETTA FISHMAN, V.A. NEW YORK HOMELESS NETWORK: With the increased work with homeless veterans, we began to look at the fact that the problems are so complex that no one group can do it alone and that we really had to work as a team. And the joy for us has been not only with one V.A., which is how we approach it, but it's one V.A. working with city, with state, faith-based, not-for-profits, across- the-board.

SCHAFFLER: One such group is headed by John Laguna, the executive director of New Era Veterans, which provides housing and job training. Laguna, a Vietnam veteran himself, takes pride in helping veterans get back on their feet.

JOHN LAGUNA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW ERA VETERANS: This keeps me going. This is my cure, giving back. And it also, it lets people know that they're not forgotten.

SCHAFFLER: Twenty-three percent of the estimated two million homeless in America are veterans. Vietnam veterans make up the largest percentage of homeless vets and a quarter of that group have symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Advocates like Linda Boone, who runs the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, point to PTSD and other social issues as signs more funding is needed.

LINDA BOONE, NATIONAL COALITION OF HOMELESS VETERANS: Seventy- six percent of homeless veterans have either mental health and/or substance abuse issues. That's tremendous. And so they need help for that. And the V.A. has significantly reduced their resources over the last few years in those areas. So where can veterans get help?

SCHAFFLER (on camera): More help could soon be on the way. President Bush is seeking $70 million in next year's budget for permanent housing and services, trying to make good on a pledge to end chronic homelessness in 10 years. And for those still on the streets, the sooner the better.

Rhonda Schaffler, CNN Financial News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 30, 2003 - 05:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Veterans are one of the fastest growing groups of homeless people in this country. Just the thought of that leaves some people shaking their heads. They wonder how those who risk their lives for freedom and security have no place to call home and feel secure.
In part two of our five part series, CNN's Rhonda Schaffler tells us how one homeless vet got back on his feet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RHONDA SCHAFFLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Connelly is one of the lucky ones, back on his feet, working full-time and has a roof over his head. That wasn't the case just six years ago, when he roamed the streets of New York City homeless.

ROBERT CONNELLY, FORMER HOMELESS VETERAN: Until you're in a position of being under employed, homeless, you just can't even think about it. Until you're in a position of not having someplace to go tonight, like when you don't have someplace to go tonight, you spend the whole day thinking about, hmmm, what am I going to do tonight? Where am I going to go tonight? No one can imagine that.

SCHAFFLER: Connelly didn't see combat because his twin brother died in Vietnam. But after years of a seemingly normal life, he was overcome by depression and walked away from his family, including two children. Connelly spent a year on the streets and in shelters before he reached a turning point.

CONNELLY: At one point I said to myself I've got to get some help. And which was my problem before, I never asked for help. And when I said that and when I -- and then shortly after, there was three or four days after that is when I bumped into an outreach worker from the V.A.

SCHAFFLER: That was five years ago and Connelly now works at the Bronx Veteran Affairs Medical Center's computer labs and uses his experience to help other homeless vets.

CONNELLY: I touch their lives and that's what makes it exciting for me. And I mean I can't imagine missing a day of work. I just, I hate to miss a day of work.

SCHAFFLER: Henrietta Fishman, the director of the V.A.'s regional homeless program network, has been working with homeless veterans since the early 1980s. She says awareness of the problem is getting better and so has the outreach. HENRIETTA FISHMAN, V.A. NEW YORK HOMELESS NETWORK: With the increased work with homeless veterans, we began to look at the fact that the problems are so complex that no one group can do it alone and that we really had to work as a team. And the joy for us has been not only with one V.A., which is how we approach it, but it's one V.A. working with city, with state, faith-based, not-for-profits, across- the-board.

SCHAFFLER: One such group is headed by John Laguna, the executive director of New Era Veterans, which provides housing and job training. Laguna, a Vietnam veteran himself, takes pride in helping veterans get back on their feet.

JOHN LAGUNA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW ERA VETERANS: This keeps me going. This is my cure, giving back. And it also, it lets people know that they're not forgotten.

SCHAFFLER: Twenty-three percent of the estimated two million homeless in America are veterans. Vietnam veterans make up the largest percentage of homeless vets and a quarter of that group have symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Advocates like Linda Boone, who runs the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, point to PTSD and other social issues as signs more funding is needed.

LINDA BOONE, NATIONAL COALITION OF HOMELESS VETERANS: Seventy- six percent of homeless veterans have either mental health and/or substance abuse issues. That's tremendous. And so they need help for that. And the V.A. has significantly reduced their resources over the last few years in those areas. So where can veterans get help?

SCHAFFLER (on camera): More help could soon be on the way. President Bush is seeking $70 million in next year's budget for permanent housing and services, trying to make good on a pledge to end chronic homelessness in 10 years. And for those still on the streets, the sooner the better.

Rhonda Schaffler, CNN Financial News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com