BALTIMORE — A resource fair at the Baltimore War Memorial provided critical services to veterans facing homelessness, offering everything from housing assistance to health screenings and employment opportunities.
The VA and Project PLASE hosted the Operation Support: Veteran Resource Fair as part of a nationwide initiative to house more than 40,000 veterans.
"Every year our department specifically services 450 veteran families, so it's either they're homeless or they're at imminent risk of homelessness," Helen Daniel of Project PLASE said. "So we're always able to help some, whether it's with the extent of homelessness, maintaining their housing, getting connected to employment, or any of the mental health, physical health, or substance use support they need."
Landlords attended with immediate housing openings, while veterans could access assistance with rent, utilities and job training programs.
Timothy "Gin" Diaz, an Army veteran who served in the New Mexico National Guard, found crucial support through the organization.
"I ended up owning this for a for a period of time and then I got helped by the places they were very helpful in fact they put me up in the place and helped me," Diaz said.
Though his military service was brief, the impact lasted — along with the struggles that followed.
"Project PLASE help me out with food. They were very helpful if I needed, any money for transportation during my homelessness, they gave me Little tokens and whatnot and ample resources and whatnot," Diaz said.
Today, Diaz is focused on his future.
"Still trying to get the job on my own but it wasn't really working out so that's why I'm here. I wanna see what else I can find here as well," Diaz said.
For hundreds of veterans like Diaz, these resource fairs represent more than just single-day events — they're lifelines.
"You know, don't hold back on trying to, you know, keep getting as much help as you can, it's out there. I didn't know it was out there, but it's out there, it's like a diamond in a rut," Diaz said.
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