On Memorial Day, as we remember men and women who gave their lives in military service, we also consider efforts to help veterans re-integrating into civilian life.
We speak with Shanita Burch, who oversees the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Community Resource and Referral Center, located at the Baltimore VA Annex. Tyrone Johnson, a U.S. Army veteran, went from homeless to living in his own apartment with the help of the center.
Learn more about housing assistance here. Check out the the US Department of Labor’s Veterans' Employment & Training Service program, which offers job preparation to veterans, service members transitioning home, and military spouses.
Then, Katie Kilby founded the Baltimore Military Muster to bring veterans together. Board member Michael Desmond describes the isolation he felt returning from Marine Corps deployment, "Everything looked familiar but the people were all different. And so I was kind of restarting my life and just didn’t know anybody.”
Since we recorded this interview in November, the Baltimore Military Muster acquired a lease for a building in the city’s Brooklyn neighborhood and launched a capital campaign with the goal of opening next spring. The Baltimore Military Muster’s next meet-up will take place next Tuesday, June 7th, at 6:30 pm at Checkerspot Brewing Company.
