BALTIMORE (WMAR) — Leading up to Veterans Day, a nonprofit in Baltimore is hosting a fundraiser to support their shelter and wrap around services helping homeless veterans heal and achieve independence and permanent housing.
“We are a place for any veteran that needs services to go and know they have a safe place to land,” said Adobolia Buford, interim executive director for the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training (MCVET).
Buford knows firsthand as an Army veteran just how challenging re-transitioning to civilian life can be for many veterans.
“It’s tougher than most people really think. Having a veteran-centric organization where you can come to and be able to identify a time in your life where you were successful and it’s familiar to you, that has some real structure and some order is critical to giving you that I-can-breathe-moment’ to say ‘Now I’m ready to address whatever the issue is’,” said Buford.
Since 1993, MCVET has helped over 14,000 veterans with temporary shelter, mental health services, financial stability, counseling, and substance abuse support.
Most recently, they are holding in-house job trainings, where veterans can go through 12-15 weeks of classes to receive an industry-recognized certification and then become employed. 70+ veterans have enrolled and about 30 are now working.
Marine Corps veteran Kevin Starnes chose to train as an automotive technician.
“I’ve always been a hands-on person so I like working with my hands and automotive fit that,” said Starnes.
After his honorable discharge, Starnes was homeless and got involved in some trouble that placed him in veterans treatment court which lead to him being referred to MCVET. Now they are helping him get service benefits claims in.
“I’m also getting therapy; trying to re-acclimate and get my mind together,” said Starnes.
For Navy veteran David Cumber, MCVET was recommended to him. He came up from Richmond.
“I was in a way…not lost but a little off the path,” said Cumber.
He was drawn to culinary arts as his next career move instead of retiring.
“It came along right at the time when I was thinking ‘What do I want to do?’ and I enjoy cooking,” said Cumber.
MCVET also offers trainings in community health, IT and fiber optic cable installation.
To support these initiatives, they are hosting their largest fundraiser of the year: a virtual 5k or 10k run or walk now through Veterans Day.
For the third year in a row, the nonprofit’s annual 5K/10K signature fundraiser will be transformed into a virtual event to coincide with the national holiday. Runners and walkers can operate at their own pace – outside or on a treadmill – alone or with a group of friends, from through 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) to complete 3.1 miles for the 5K or 6.2 miles for the 10K.
It is $35 per person. All participants will receive a Certificate of Appreciation and virtual thank you messages from homeless veterans. They also will be automatically entered in prize drawings taking place Nov. 11 for gift cards/certificates from brand stores, hotels, restaurants and steakhouses and online merchants.
All the money goes to help MCVET continue their work, including serving the increasing population of Vietnam veterans who need help.
“They’re coming in here in walkers and stuff and it’s like how did they serve the country at such a critical time and have nobody to care for them now? So if MCVET wasn’t here where would they go?” said Starnes.
Click here to register for the fundraiser.