Remembering veterans W
Text and photo by Katie Scarvey
hen Terry Weeks picked him up from the Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Columbia, S.C., Barry was homeless. Released from the mental health unit, he had only the clothes
on his back and a big bag of medications. After six months in Greenwood, S.C., at Kinard
Manor, transitional housing for men who are veterans, Barry (last name withheld) found work as a painter, acquired a donated vehicle and secured an apartment. He continues to work and do well, said Weeks, a Navy vet- eran who retired as program director of Kinard Manor and now volunteers.
Since its beginnings in late 2007, Kinard Manor has served 135 veterans, with 69 making successful transi- tions out of homelessness. Run by Lutheran Services Carolinas using a house provided by Immanuel Lutheran Church, Kinard Manor was the top-rated transitional home for veterans in South Carolina, Georgia and Ala- bama for 2011, said George Knox, who supervises vet- erans’ services for LSC. Two other transitional homes, Faith Farm in Dallas, N.C., and Angels House in Colum- bia serve homeless female veterans. Participants get a place to stay, meals, clothing and transportation to and from job interviews, school and medical appointments. In 2012 the home logged 44,000 miles getting participants where they needed to be. The
Military veteran Will (last name withheld) found tempo- rary housing and other support at Kinard Manor in Green- wood, S.C. However, at presstime he had left the program. Many residents struggle to adapt to civilian life. Since 2007, 69 of 135 have been successful.
VA pays about half the home’s operating costs, with LSC covering the rest. Current resident Ben Canty is grateful for the support he gets. Once living on the streets of Florence, S.C., he is now a full-time student learning computerized machine operation. Canty is excited about his future. The majority of the men in the program are there
because of mental health issues ranging from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder to substance abuse, as in Canty’s case. Most have burned their bridges with fam- ily members, said current Kinard Manor director John Penman.
If they don’t complete the program, it’s often because they start using drugs or alcohol. Sometimes residents simply walk out the door. “We’re not a prison, so they can leave whenever they want to,” Weeks added. Weeks and Penman both have a nonjudgmental
approach toward the veterans they’re helping. They understand how military service can leave people with heavy baggage. Weeks remembers “Pumpkin,” a recruiter whose life unraveled after one of his young recruits died in a plane crash. Devastated, Pumpkin began self-medicating and found himself homeless. Penman said he’s fortunate to follow in the footsteps
of Weeks, who continues to help at Kinard Manor when needed. A lifelong Lutheran, Penman served more than 20 years in the Army. Weeks, a lifelong Baptist, was so impressed by Lutherans’ outreach programs that joined Immanuel in 2009.
The home will likely stay busy in coming years as
Gulf War vets struggle with civilian life. “It’s a shame we need a place like Kinard Manor, but it’s a blessing we have it,” Weeks said.
Scarvey is communications specialist for Lutheran Services Carolinas. May 2013 31
Lutheran Services Carolinas helps former military with home, health
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