When Gary Davis sees homeless people sleeping in doorways and on streets in Victoria and Esquimalt, he sees them from a different perspective.
Davis, who served in the navy for 30 years, always wonders who that person is, how they got there, what they were before and if they were once a part of the military.
B次元官网网址淲henever I walk down the streets, anytime I see a less fortunate person in a doorway or with drug problems, I always wonder if heB次元官网网址檚 a veteran,B次元官网网址� said the 61-year-old Esquimalt resident, who is raising awareness of veteran homelessness this weekend.
Davis is the field operations manager on Vancouver Island for the Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS) Canada, a national charity and service provider of Veterans Affairs Canada that assists homeless and in-crisis veterans and connects them with services.
Across the country there are an estimated 2,200 to 2,300 homeless or in-crisis veterans. ItB次元官网网址檚 a problem affecting Victoria as well.
Locally, Davis is surprised at how many veterans fall through the cracks. Over the past six months, there have been roughly a dozen veterans in need of services who Davis and his volunteers have found through referrals in Victoria, along with several in Nanaimo and some in Courtenay.
B次元官网网址淭here are people who have suffered some debilitating traumas in the military and I think that those folks need help. I think thereB次元官网网址檚 a certain trust between military people that doesnB次元官网网址檛 exist between civilians and military people,B次元官网网址� Davis said.
B次元官网网址淭o help a guy get back on his feet is a wonderful thing to do. I wish every case was a perfect outcome. They arenB次元官网网址檛 all successful, but when we do help a guy out and he rises to the challenge of life, itB次元官网网址檚 a wonderful thing to see.B次元官网网址�
In many cases Davis has dealt with veterans who have had difficulty transitioning to civilian life and often drop off the radar. They also range in age, from younger veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from things theyB次元官网网址檝e witnessed overseas, to older veterans who have had difficulty making ends meet.
To help raise awareness of the veteran homelessness population and to locate veterans in need, VETS Canada is hosting its Coast to Coast Tour of Duty in communities across the country, including Victoria, this weekend. While this is the walkB次元官网网址檚 second year, it is the first time it will be taking place in Victoria, with a handful of volunteers walking from Our Place Society to the Johnson Street Bridge.
The Coast to Coast Tour of Duty takes place Saturday, June 10 beginning at 1 p.m. For more information visit .
