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The power of spiritual care in supporting homeless Veterans
Veterans Affairs ^ | May 2026 | Shawn Liu | VA.gov

Posted on 06/10/2026 7:31:53 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

By focusing on the physical search for a home, it can be easy to overlook the quiet, internal crisis that happens when a Veteran feels they no longer belong to a community. It is a specific kind of isolation—a feeling that their values, their purpose and their spirit have been sidelined while they struggle to survive.

Some of the most common challenges Veterans experiencing homelessness may face include:

Abandonment: A deep sense of isolation and loneliness that can leave a Veteran feeling forgotten by their country and their community.

Disconnection from self: A loss of self-identity that occurs when a Veteran is forced to focus solely on survival, causing them to lose sight of their inherent value.

Value ruptures: A painful disconnect between who the Veteran believes they are and the difficult reality of their current circumstances…

Whether a Veteran identifies as religious, spiritual but not religious or simply a person looking for purpose, VA chaplains are trained to meet them where they are. With fewer than 900 chaplains nationwide, these professionals are among a small group of highly specialized clinical providers trained specifically in spiritual care within a health care setting. Their work is informed by evidence-based practices rooted in deep listening and empathy.

Their role is not to persuade or convert, but to help Veterans reconcile their self-understanding and find the strength to move forward.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.va.gov ...


TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: chaplains; homeless; military; veterans
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1 posted on 06/10/2026 7:31:53 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Retired Navy chaplain here current VA chaplain. It is an honor and privilege to minister to our Veterans. Absolute what I do!


2 posted on 06/10/2026 7:34:51 AM PDT by bethelgrad
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
Veterans who are down on their luck...financially,medically or any other way...should get government assistance. I,like many Freepers,served during the Vietnam era. And,of course,many Freepers have served more recently. I was luckier than many...they never ordered me anywhere near combat. And today I'm doing well overall.

But many,many vets aren't nearly as lucky as I've been...and am today.It absolutely enrages me to know that there are vets sleeping on the street while wetbacks are housed in 5 Star hotels.

3 posted on 06/10/2026 7:44:19 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Import The Third World,Become The Third World)
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To: bethelgrad

Outstanding!


4 posted on 06/10/2026 7:45:48 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Import The Third World,Become The Third World)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

bkmark


5 posted on 06/10/2026 8:04:12 AM PDT by libertylover (The HBM (Has Been Media) is almost all AGENDA-DRIVEN and HATE-DRIVEN, not-truth driven)
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To: Gay State Conservative

I wouldn’t be so sure of our vets. If they have the strength to put up with months of basic training they should be able to handle adversity. Having served the country is not a knockout punch. Served in battle? It’s therapy. That’s all we can offer. My Viet Nam vet buddy said the ones that came out troubled from the experience were troubled going in-can’t blame the military. In the mid-70’s there were 25 million vets. Today there are 17 million. The WW2 generation’s gone and they went through much worse. Is it leftists in the media that are guilt tripping us? They’re good at it and you don’t have to be a vet to put to use your best item in the tool box when it’s the ability to make a stranger feel sorry.


6 posted on 06/10/2026 8:06:08 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: DIRTYSECRET

The military is made up of the better quality portion of the population, they are vetted and have to meet enlistment standards that surpass the average of their peers, and they have the type personality that wants to challenge themselves and serve in the military, and they are patriotic and believe in something in life.

The left thought up a brilliant plan to attack the very concept of military service and the patriotic noble veteran by creating this myth and image that military service breaks you, it ruins you and makes you mentally and emotionally unstable and weak, it turns you into a babbling broken homeless guy.

This was conceived and introduced as part of the Vietnam war anti-America strategy from the left and media, and Hollywood, and it still works almost 60 years later and is now institutionalized as actually being part of the cost of military service, and it is profitable.


7 posted on 06/10/2026 8:24:27 AM PDT by ansel12
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