Homeless vets find help in Medina

MEDINA — Roughly 28,000 pairs of socks have been gathered for distribution this year by Socks4Soldiers, a drive put on annually by the Cleveland Grays Armory Museum and further aided Sunday by a Fill the Cruiser event at Castle Noel hosted by the Medina police department. It marks the second year that Castle Noel, 260 South Court Street, has allowed its venue to be used for organizational fundraising. Medina police officers were spotted navigating a sizable crowd that turned out to give back and check out an always impressive holiday display inside the store. "When we told them what we wanted to do here, the owners made it happen so quickly and we're extremely thankful for that," said Annemarie Roeder, director of education and special projects at the Cleveland Grays Armory Museum. "With the weather here today, all the happy faces, and everything that's being brought in to help people who really need it, you can't really ask for much more." Castle Noel owner Mark Klaus added his own contributions to the drive — two hand-crafted statues of Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" to be raffled off to Sunday attendees. The highly detailed creations drew immediate attention from anyone walking past with many noting the perfect representation of Ralphie's displeasure with his pink bunny pajamas. "It's a very busy time of year for us and we're really excited to see people come out and enjoy the place," he said. "We work on it seven days a week year-round and we're thankful to be able to help the veterans with things everyone needs. It's easy to forget how important socks are. If you've ever been cold or wet and your socks are wet and cold you know how terrible that feels." Items and monetary donations brought in Sunday will contribute to a Homeless Stand Down that's scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 11 at Cleveland Public Auditorium, 500 Lakeside Ave. There, an expected 1,500-plus individuals and families facing homelessness will be provided free access to haircuts, medical screenings, a pair of hot meals, professional portraits, winter clothing, personal care kits, bus passes, and more. The Cleveland Grays were founded in 1837 and its armory museum, constructed in 1893 after a fire destroyed a previous home, remains one of the city's longest standing buildings. The group was founded as a volunteer private military army with the goal of providing assistance to local police and guarding against the threat of violence from Canada's rebellions of the time spilling into the U.S. During the Civil War and Spanish-American War, the Grays acted as a formal U.S. Military service unit and also served in World War I. Mike Lavrenchik, a Gray and retired Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, recounted some of the hardships facing his fellow servicemen and the changing landscape of how veterans congregate once they return from war. "Information is one of the best ways you can help someone," he said. "We were discussing it earlier, sometimes veterans don't want to seek out that service. But if we communicate that it's available to them, that's a big step in the right direction. The VFW and other community organizations have historically served as a way for people to get help but now, the numbers are less and the organizations are suffering. There is a bit of a disconnect. Perhaps the needs of this generation's veterans aren't being fulfilled and that's what we're trying to help with here today. I've seen student veterans associations on campuses beginning to grow in size." According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are roughly 40,000 homeless veterans on any given night across the country. The majority are single men living in urban areas while also suffering from mental illness, alcohol, or substance abuse. About 11 percent of the adult homeless population are veterans. About 1.4 million additional veterans are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing. "We're also helping with a Cincinnati Homeless Stand Down and a Columbus Homeless Stand Down," Roeder said. "There's a lot of good people and good organizations who are coming together to try and help fill some of these gaps." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at 330-721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.l