The Express (February 2024)

THE Express

50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

SAVING TOMORROW: HOW WESTCARE ARIZONA & WESTCARE GEORGIA BEGAN BY SERVING YOUTH AND OTHER STORIES FROM FLORIDA, KENTUCKY, & THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

A PLACE TO HEAL Arizona Begins Serving Homeless Youth

By Rebecca Hernandez, Creative Services Manager, Foundation

The relentless sun hung high above the cracked earth below. For Jake, a runaway teen, the journey along the Colorado River had been fueled by desperation and the unshakeable yearning for a refuge from the chaos he left behind.

The river, a silent witness to countless stories, now separated him from the troubles he sought to escape. Exhausted, he hoped a new chapter awaited him… albeit unknown and uncertain. The call of the desert was both daunting and inviting, a paradox mirroring Jake’s own internal struggle. Little did he know that just another mile down the dirt road he traveled on was Colorado River Region Youth Services (CRRYS) – a sanctuary for youth like him, and the first program of what is known today as WestCare Arizona, Inc. Before CRRYS opened its doors in 1994, youth like Jake, who were found wandering alone in the tri-state area around the Colorado River, would either be placed in a juvenile detention center if deemed dangerous, or they had to be transferred to the nearest shelter in the state in which they were found. If they were picked up in Arizona, they’d be sent to Phoenix. In California, it was San Bernardino, and in Nevada, they would be sent to Las Vegas for shelter.

Because of the sheer amount of time that it took law enforcement to transfer the youth to those locations, this already vulnerable population became virtually invisible and instead of being picked up, were often left to fend for themselves.

Having recognized the need and urgency of the situation, a dedicated group of local citizens and members of law enforcement incorporated themselves as Colorado River Region Youth Services, with the intention of creating a program in the area. Despite their noble intentions, they needed guidance and infrastructure to make their vision a reality. Aware of the achievements of a Nevada-based organization named WestCare, they extended an invitation to its Chief Executive Officer, Richard Steinberg, to visit Arizona and discuss their needs.

Upon meeting with Mr. Steinberg, the group devised a plan for a shelter - a safe haven in Arizona that could serve teens from the tri-state area, diverting them from juvenile detention and distant shelters. After their meeting, the group felt confident that WestCare was the organization to lead the efforts. Now, all they needed was a facility.

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The building which would ultimately become a sanctuary for thousands of youths in the years to come, was awarded to WestCare Nevada through a Weed and Seed Grant, a federal initiative aimed at repurposing unlawful activities into community assets. In this case, a 10,000-square-foot home, with an additional 7,000square-foot basement, was seized after being used as a marijuana grow house. After running into some zoning issues, holding countless meetings to convince the locals of the value of a program for runaway kids, and working with the Chief of the Mojave Tribe whose lands overlapped with the property, Mr. Steinberg and his team decided that the residence on 10 acres in Bullhead City was the perfect spot to house the youth in need. As part of this, CRRYS entered into a management agreement with WestCare Nevada to receive the guidance they needed to grow their organization.

Mike Lavin and the FitzHouse Enterprises construction team headed down to transform the grounds into a haven for young people seeking refuge and support. The team,

in collaboration with the local community, worked unflaggingly to create a safe, welcoming environment within the compound. Between the 24-hour onsite staff and the existing 6-foot fence around the property, the youth housed there were very well protected. There were 20 beds in that initial shelter.

In 1999, WestCare launched an Outpatient Treatment Clinic in Bullhead City to provide treatment for individuals with substance use disorders. Concurrently, WestCare assumed control of and expanded the Safehouse Domestic Shelter, offering temporary, stable housing and supportive services to female victims of domestic violence and their children.

In 2001, Corky Cornell, a beloved board member who supported WestCare for 20 years and a well-respected business owner in Bullhead City, facilitated WestCare's acquisition of Blossom House through a Community Development Block Grant. Presently, Blossom House operates as a 9-bed recovery residence, catering to men dealing with substance use and co-occurring disorders.

In fact, WestCare Arizona, Inc. specializes in recovery housing also including its Diamond House and Riviera Transitional Housing facilities for women.

In 2003, the BHHS Legacy Foundation made a generous donation, providing the funds necessary for WestCare to acquire a six-unit apartment complex within the community.

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ARIZONA Legend Bullhead City

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Uplifting the Human Spirit

Amidst a brainstorming session for potential locations, Mr. Steinberg erupted excitedly with a question, “Have there been any significant drug busts lately?” The group, momentarily taken aback, shared that there had indeed been notable busts in Mojave County. Fresh from a recent trip to Washington, D.C., Mr. Steinberg brought up insights he’d learned about forfeiture of funds or properties, and grants dubbed “Weed and Seed”.

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Situated in Bullhead City, the complex, known as WestCare's Legacy Apartments, serves as a recovery housing facility for victims of domestic violence and their children. Additionally, the complex extends its welcome to veterans and their family members.

WestCare recognizes that individuals of any gender can be affected by domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and family violence. The organization diligently strives to provide sanctuary and support for victims of all genders, utilizing its comprehensive programs and partnerships throughout Arizona, including its Domestic Violence Mobile Advocates serving survivors of violence in the tri-state area along the Colorado River.

WestCare Arizona collaborates with various organizations available in order to bring the best possible care to those who need it. In addition to grant-driven funding, WCAZ operates as a Medicaid provider in Arizona, further enhancing its capacity to offer comprehensive and effective services. “Being part of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) has boosted our capacity to assist a greater number of individuals in our community, particularly in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and court-ordered services and we are continuing to grow. We are known in our community as the helpers - whatever it is, call WestCare, they will help you,” said Cheryl Debatt, Vice President of WestCare Arizona.

In 2022, WCAZ opened up Hildy’s House on Agate Ave. in Bullhead City, a behavioral health residential treatment center that serves women on the premise that the trauma that they have experienced has lead them to substance-abusing behaviors.

There, dedicated staff work with the clients to overcome their trauma, substance use, and associated behaviors with the goals of reuniting them with their children and helping them move forward in a clean, healthy, and sober environment. The center is named in honor of County Supervisor Hildy Angius, a vocal advocate for recovery initiatives.

Milestones in Arizona’s History

1991

1999 WESTCARE ARIZONA

CRRYS INCORPORATED Inception of Colorado River Region Youth Services (CRYYS) when local citizens incorporate themselves to do something about the forgotten youth.

Becomes WestCare Arizona Inc. officially in name.

OUTPATIENT Outpatient clinic offers counseling services for substance-dependent persons.

Acquires Location on Agate.

INVISIBLE

CRRYS OPENS

COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANT

Comprehensive Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program of Central California is founded to facilitate the creation of a treatment program.

CRRYS opens its doors to youth in the tristate area.

Acquisition of Blossom House through a Community Development Block Grant.

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1994

2001

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“We are known in our community as helpers - call WestCare, they will help you.”

“Because of Hildy’s House, countless women in our community have been helped. I congratulate WestCare, Cheryl DeBatt and Supervisor Angius for the accomplishments to date and look for more good news in the future,” remarked Congressman Paul Gosar of Arizona’s Fourth District.

Cheryl looks forward to the expansion of services for mothers with little ones. "We are getting ready to open an additional 3,500-square-foot facility that will act as recovery housing and allow mothers and babies to stay together while they continue along the path of recovery. The facility will address a missing key component which is a place for mothers to continue in outpatient treatment while living with their children after leaving residential treatment.”

From its early days with an original staff of seven, providing sanctuary to so many at-risk youth, to the present day, where 35 employees passionately fuel the various programs and services that WestCare Arizona offers, the roots of compassion planted at the Youth Shelter continue to grow, nurturing countless lives and embodying the enduring spirit of care that we at WestCare call, Uplifting the Human Spirit.

WestCare Arizona

@westcareaz

2003

2022

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LEGACY FOUNDATION GRANT WestCare Arizona receives $197,000 grant from BHHS Legacy Foundation and purchases 6-plex known as “Legacy Apartments” for transitional housing for women and children coming out of the Safe House.

HILDY’S HOUSE The Agate Facility is repurposed and opens up as a Behavioral Health Residential Center.

Acquires Diamond House.

HRSA GRANT the Health Resources and Services Administration Grant helps WCAZ coordinate efforts to address community needs related to opioids, including detox, medication-assisted treatment, and access to healthcare providers like physicians and dentists.

2022

OUTPATIENT SERVICES MEDICAID WestCare Arizona expands into outpatient services accepting Medicaid.

NEW VICE PRESIDENT Cheryl Debatt is promoted to Vice President of WestCare Arizona.

2022

LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPANSION WestCare Arizona’s 35 dedicated staff look forward to further expansion.

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FINDING HOPE The Origin of WestCare Georgia

By Rebecca Hernandez, Creative Services Manager, Foundation Disclaimer: Names and identifying details within this article have been altered to protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals involved.

A mother stood anxiously at the back of a town hall meeting, clutching a photo to her chest. Her eyes searched the room, desperately seeking any sign that one of the 400-plus people in attendance might become her ally in her search for her missing daughter. She knew their once close-knit community of Capital View Manor had become the red-light district in the City of Atlanta and the worry of what her child might be enduring made her heart ache. What she wouldn’t give to see her baby smile again, the way she was in the picture she carried everywhere with her now, hoping someone would have seen her girl. As the words spoken in the hall became background noise, she dreaded enduring another night not knowing. She looked up and realized one of the men who had been leading the meeting was coming her way. “Sir!” she stepped towards him. “Derrick,” he said, as he reached out his hand. “Derrick Boazman.” “Mr. Boazman,” she started.

Tearfully, she told him the story of how her 14-year-old daughter, Hope, never made it home from school. In that moment, she wasn’t just a mother desperately seeking help, but embodied the shared torment of all the parents in the community. Faced with the emerging

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danger of sex trafficking, she feared Hope may be the latest victim. The photo she clutched wasn’t just an image; it symbolized the unspoken bond that connected them all. Little did she know that this encounter would ultimately uncover a human trafficking ring from Atlanta to the Silver State of Nevada and end up saving countless lives.

Upon hearing the mother’s story, Derrick Boazman convened a meeting with his dear friend and then Director of the Mayor’s Community Affairs, Michael Langford; Atlanta District Attorney Paul Howard; Mayor of Atlanta Bill Campbell; Police Chief Beverly Harvard; and Juvenile Court Judge Nina Hickson. This child, stolen from her family, was the last straw. They decided they would exhaust every effort to bring her home to her mother. The group, in collaboration with the Atlanta Police Department, came up with a $25,000 reward for the girl.

Across town, the traffickers who had the girl learned about the reward in the media and decided it was too risky to keep her close by. They opted to send her and

1998 LOBBYING

BIG PROBLEMS Gentlemen's clubs begin to overwhelm District 12 in Atlanta & human traffickers move in.

Crime runs rampant on Stewart Avenue.

Derrick Boazman successfully lobbies Georgia government to create consequences to “Johns” soliciting prostitution in Atlanta.

VEGAS YOUTH SHELTER

CITY COUNCIL

CLOSES GENTLEMEN’S CLUBS

WestCare Youth Shelter at 401 MLK Boulevard in Las Vegas opens its doors.

Derrick Boazman gets elected to City Council.

Atlanta City Council closes 5 gentlemen’s clubs in Atlanta.

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As she stepped off the Greyhound bus, Hope raised her hand to shield her eyes from the intense desert sun.

Unsure of what came next, she focused on what she could control. Breathe in, breathe out. “What do you mean you lost our bags?” she heard the madam arguing with the bus driver. Hope stood there and stared at her feet. She tried to quantify her experience over the last few weeks. Everything was different. She was different.

She missed her friends. She worried about her mother.

“Come on,” the madam annoyingly exclaimed. “We will have to come back for our stuff when they find it.”

Hope couldn’t believe it when they sent her back on her own to collect their things. As she got out of a cab and walked back into the bus station, she considered whether it was safe to make a run for it. She worried about the consequences if she did. They told her they could easily get to her mother back home if she didn’t do as she was told. She stuck to her instructions and headed in to find their baggage. It looked like all of it was just sitting in a colossal heap by the ticket window.

She recognized one bag for sure and pulled it out of the pile, throwing it over her shoulder. As she shifted her backpack, she tried to remember which of these bags belonged to her captors, whom she did not want to upset. As she sorted through the suitcases and duffel bags, the sound of a measured, even authoritative footfall echoed through the lobby with a distinct sense of purpose. “Excuse me, miss.” She turned around to see a police officer standing before her. “Are you by yourself today, young lady? Where are your parents?” For a minute, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Cops made

2001 STOPS PROSECUTING Nina Hickson, Juvenile Court Judge, announces that she will not be criminally prosecuting young victims of sex trafficking and instead puts them in safe houses, collaborating with organizations in the area to provide services to them instead.

The need for wrap-around services solution is ever present.

MISSING Hope turns up missing, her mother goes to Derrick Boazman and Michael Langford for help.

DREAM TEAM MEETS WESTCARE Upon discovering Hope’s whereabouts, Derrick Boazman, Michael Langford, Judge Nina Hickson, John Bascom, and Paul Howard go to Las Vegas and meet Darlene Terril to tour the WestCare Youth Shelter.

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her nervous and she couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, this might all be her fault. She felt her eyes well up. She opened her mouth to explain about the bags and to repeat the story she had been told to tell, but instead began to cry, “My mother is in Georgia! I’m here alone, but they might be watching me! Please, can you help me?”

After determining that the girl had been trafficked, the police brought her to WestCare’s Youth Shelter located at 401 South Martin Luther King Blvd. in Las Vegas. At that time, the shelter harbored upwards of 250 disadvantaged youth every month. Funded by the Administration of Child and Family Services Basic Center Funding Grant and the Street Outreach Support Grant, the program was allowed to shelter youth whether they were local runaways, out-of-jurisdiction runaways, or even from out of the country. These unique capabilities paved the way for a meaningful and collaborative partnership between WestCare and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMP). The team at WestCare worked on making her feel safe and gaining her trust. She began to explain what had happened to her and who she was. Ultimately, LVMP called the Atlanta Police Department to let them know she was safe and in the custody of WestCare.

“When we found out she had been found, we were all ecstatic. This girl had become the new face of Atlanta sex trafficking. It was because of her that we learned that this trafficking of our youth was going on,” recounts Derrick Boazman, current Vice President of WestCare Georgia. “We thought, what is this WestCare place and how were they able to collaborate with law enforcement in such an effective way? We wanted to know more. We wanted to know what else they could do.”

The need for a community benefit program like the ones

2003 WESTCARE GEORGIA, INC. WestCare wins contract to run the DFCS Shelter (Department of Family and Child Services) and opens the Dekalb Children’s Center in Stone Mountain.

WESTCARE YOUTH ACADEMY Boggs Academy campus harbors WestCare Youth Academy, a Sober Living SUD program by WestCare for teenage boys aged 13-18, opens in Augusta, Georgia.

DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE WestCare Collaborates with Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice to open WestCare Children’s Center in Dekalb County.

2007

Uplifting the Human Spirit

the woman overseeing her (commonly referred to as “a madam”) to contacts they maintained in Las Vegas and put them on a bus headed West, oblivious to the fact that WestCare existed in Las Vegas and specialized in trafficked youth.

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“WestCare was reclaiming these young people and helping them to find a new direction...”

WestCare was running was enormous in Atlanta. “There were serious service gaps between our will to help these young people and our ability to,” remembers Mr. Boazman. “As progressive as it was to stop prosecuting underage sex workers, we still had children out on the street being taken advantage of. Meanwhile, WestCare was already reclaiming these young people and helping them find a new direction; and we knew that effort was not readily available in Atlanta at the time.”

To gain further insight into WestCare's effective collaboration with law enforcement for the benefit of the children under their care, Michael Langford and Derrick Boazman accompanied Hope’s mother to Las Vegas when it came time to be reunited with her child. Together, they ensured Hope's safe return home to Atlanta, a true testament to tangible results when organizations collaborate effectively. They were inspired by what they witnessed and came to realize the benefits that their communities stood to gain in Atlanta if an organization like WestCare came to town. The men and their team of change-makers reached out to Mr. Richard Steinberg, President and CEO of WestCare, and asked him to meet. Following a series of discussions, Georgia emerged as the 5th state in which WestCare established its presence.

“We launched WestCare Georgia in Dekalb county,” remembers Dr. Eugene Walker, WestCare Board Member and longtime community activist. “Being part of this and watching it come into existence was a labor of love. Michael Langford met with county officials and shook every bush to get the resources we needed to get it started and it is something we are very proud of.”

In 2003, WestCare Georgia, Inc. was officially founded, initially

2013

2009 BLANKET AMERICA PROGRAM

WOMEN’S PLACE

WestCare Georgia launches Blanket America Program, an HIV prevention initiative aimed at providing comprehensive support services.

The Woman’s Place Outpatient Substance Abuse Program opens in Atlanta, showcasing dedication to addressing diverse community needs, particularly the unique challenges women encounter seeking support and care.

CARES PROGRAM The CARES Program begins offering free HIV education, counseling, and testing to adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 27.

2011

WESTCARE YOUTH ACADEMY RELOCATES The Youth Academy is relocated from Bogg’s Academy in Augusta to Carrollton.

2015

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concentrating on operating the DeKalb Children's Center in Stone Mountain, a shelter for at-risk youth through a contract with the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services.

In 2007, WestCare Georgia significantly enhanced its visibility by launching two major youth residential programs. The inception of the first program occurred when the State Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities presented WestCare with an opportunity to create a specialized program for teenage boys battling substance use disorder (SUD) in a sober living setting. Michael Langford, who had become Vice President of WCGA, found a location at an old private school called Bogg’s Academy, spread across 70 acres in Augusta. WestCare moved in, making a home for support and recovery within the premises. The presence of the WestCare Youth Academy, which offered both residential youth services and outpatient services, echoed through the halls until 2015 when the program was relocated to Carrollton, where it still resides today. In 2022, The Academy would be renamed The Dr. Eugene Walker Youth Academy in honor of Dr. Walker’s impact on WestCare and his community.

"Also in 2007, WestCare collaborated with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to establish the WestCare Children's Center in DeKalb County," Jeannie Lewis-Whitaker explained. As the first Black woman to oversee the daily operations of WestCare Georgia, serving as Area Director from 2007 to 2017, Ms. Lewis-Whitaker has been a pivotal figure. She continues her work in Georgia as WestCare's Vice President of Accreditation and Clinical Integrity. "This DJJ-associated facility was a comprehensive, intensive residential program tailored to meet the needs of high-risk, high-need youth aged 12-17 in state custody."

In 2009, WestCare Georgia launched the Blanket America Program, an HIV prevention program, as a response to the pressing needs of homeless individuals in the greater Atlanta area.

This initiative aimed to provide comprehensive support services including access to housing, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and wraparound care to address the complex challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness.

2016

2022 VETSCARE HOUSING PROGRAM

DR. EUGENE WALKER YOUTH ACADEMY

VetsCare Housing Program is launched, providing holistic support for veterans through 8 permanent housing units, spearheaded by John Bascom.

The WestCare Youth Academy is renamed to become the “Dr. Eugene Walker Youth Academy” in Honor of longtime WestCare supporter and Board Member, Dr. Eugene Walker.

GUIDANCE CARE CENTER The Guidance Care Center in Atlanta opens for Young Adults ages 18-27 seeking support and resources for mental health and wellness.

2017

LOOKING AHEAD WestCare Georgia Inc. is looking forward to partnering with the city and the mayor on their rapid rehousing project, emphasizing the importance of integrating mental health services with housing initiatives to provide comprehensive support for individuals in need.

2024

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Through collaborative partnerships with local organizations and government agencies, Blanket America has made significant strides in providing vital resources and empowering individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.

In the unfolding tapestry of WestCare Georgia's evolution, WestCare opened The Woman’s Place Outpatient Substance Abuse Program in Atlanta. This expansion reflected a commitment to addressing diverse needs within the community, acknowledging the unique challenges faced by women seeking support and care.

In 2016, WestCare Georgia introduced the VetsCare Housing Program, a milestone marked by the notable contributions of John Bascom, a key figure in WCGA's history who was particularly instrumental in this project. A beacon for Veterans in need, this initiative is a testament to the organization's dedication to those who have served our nation. Comprising of eight units of permanent housing, the program stands as the embodiment of WestCare Georgia's vision, not merely as a provider of physical spaces but as a facilitator of holistic well-being. Each unit symbolizes a sanctuary where Veterans find not only a roof over their heads, but a pathway to the supportive services crucial for their journey towards stability and recovery.

WestCare Georgia celebrated 20 years of Uplifting the Human Spirit in 2023. Although the original program managed the children’s shelter, it functions today as a community benefit organization, aiding at-risk individuals through education and prevention, a therapeutic community approach, and transitional living. “We will continue working in the mental health arena... we see the ravages of mental health and the effects of it on our population and on our unhoused population,” says Derrick Boazman, speaking on the future of WestCare in Georgia. “So, we look forward to partnering with the city and the mayor on their rapid rehousing project. The house isn’t the single issue. Mental health services, those wrap-around services, have to be as good as the housing so that the individuals don’t end up sitting outside in the middle of winter because nobody helped them deal with the mental health component.”

WestCare Georgia Inc. has grown from a children's shelter to a beacon of hope for marginalized individuals, embodying a commitment to comprehensive support and community upliftment. With a vision for a future of compassion and inclusivity, it continues to stand as a testament to the power of collective action in fostering positive change.

WestCare Georgia

@westcarega

In the heart of Georgia's embrace, Where compassion finds its place, There stand the souls who dared to dream, And in their caring, built a team.

Raise up their names, those noble few, Who saw the need, and followed through, With hearts aflame, they took a stand, To lend a hand across the land.

Through trials faced and battles won, Their work for others never done,

Thank you.

For WestCare Georgia, they did strive, To keep the hope and love alive.

In every smile and whispered prayer, Their legacy resides, forever there, For they cared deeply, beyond compare, And made a home for all to share.

So let us honor, with grateful hearts, The ones who played their noble parts, In the many lives that have been reclaimed, And raise up their names! Raise up their names.

WESTCARE SNAPSHOT

A QUICK LOOK AT OTHER HAPPENINGS THROUGHOUT OUR WESTCARE FAMILY

IOWA:

FLORIDA GULF-COAST:

The 19th Annual Siouxland Sleep Out

Racquets for Recovery

By Darrell Mayo, SSVF Veteran Advocate

By Dustin Forman, Director of Development, Foundation

The Siouxland Sleep Out is an event in Sioux City, Iowa where the participants voluntarily spend the night outdoors, experiencing conditions similar to those faced by homeless individuals. The event is organized to raise awareness about homelessness and to generate funds for related causes. Participants, who sleep in makeshift shelters or sleeping bags, gain insight into the challenges faced by those without permanent housing. Many people find it enlightening, fostering gratitude for their homes and empathy for those who lack shelter. Seven agencies partnered for the event, including the Community Action Agency of Siouxland, The Gospel Mission, Hope Street of Siouxland, SafePlace, The Warming Shelter, The Mental Health Association of Siouxland, and WestCare Iowa – Family Alliance for Veterans of America. All funds raised stay in Siouxland and provide needed items for the local homeless population.

Addressing homelessness requires a multifaceted approach, including affordable housing, mental health services, and employment opportunities. WestCare is proud to be a part of a community that is so focused on outreach to the homeless and supports all events that can help raise awareness of and provide funding for our homeless community.

Veteran advocates Darrell Mayo, Paul Andres, and Justin McKibben attended the event, experiencing firsthand the discomfort of near-freezing temperatures. Throughout the night, participants engaged in activities like auctions, live music, a chili cookout, and a shelter-building contest. According to the Siouxland Sleep Out website, an estimated 250 to 300 people experience homelessness in Siouxland on any given day, with roughly 25% being veterans.

WestCare-Iowa pledges to expand its services to aid homeless veterans and combat the nationwide homelessness crisis. For more details about the Siouxland Sleep Out, visit www.siouxlandsleepout.com/.

FAVA (Family Alliance for Veterans of America)

On Saturday, January 20, four St. Petersburg tennis teaching pros participated in an exhibition tennis match benefitting WestCare GulfCoast’s Racquets for Recovery program. The event was organized by Bob Neri, Chief Privacy Officer for WestCare. In 2019, WestCare GulfCoast received a grant from the USTA Florida Section Foundation to run weekly clinics at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center for WestCare clients.

The program began with a women’s program and due to its popularity amongst clients, expanded to include a men’s program.

During the exhibition event, hosted by Jack Bailey Director of Tennis, the GM of the St. Petersburg Tennis Center and the Instructor of the WestCare clinics, the local community along with WestCare clients were able to witness high-level tennis with incredible shot making, fun volley exchanges, and smiles from everyone on the court and in the crowd.

Each of the four tennis teaching pros were well accomplished. Maria Francesa, who competed on the WTA professional tour and was the number 1 ranked player in Venezuela. Katie Koperski, who played Division I tennis at Syracuse University and was the top-ranked junior in the state of Florida. Shieka Singh, who played number 1 singles & doubles at Division II Eckerd College. Rafael Wagner, who ranked in the NCAA Top 20 players during his collegiate playing career at LSU. Donations for WestCare clients were collected and a memorable experience was had by all!

WestCare GulfCoast - Florida @westcaregulfcoast @WestCareGCFL

PACIFIC ISLANDS

Veterans: Turning the Impossible into Reality

Remember and Commit: World AIDS Day 2023

By Anna Reeves, Research Assistant, SSG Fox

By Leslie Estrella, Program Manager/Lead Navigator

WestCare Kentucky WestCare Pacific Islands @westcare.pi

Staff members of the Staff Sergeant Gordon Fox (SSG Fox) Suicide Prevention Program at WestCare Kentucky, in collaboration with the local VFW and VA, created the Pikeville Veteran Suicide Prevention Coalition.

The coalition meets monthly to disseminate suicide prevention information to better serve local Veterans in Pike and surrounding Appalachian counties. As a result of this coalition, community needs and barriers to these resources were identified, and Pikeville, KY, saw its First Annual Stand Down come to fruition.

The Stand Down was held at the Appalachian Center for the Arts. Members of the VFW began the event with the Pledge of Allegiance and a small prayer.

Free food was also provided. This Stand Down not only provided beneficial resources to our local Veterans, but it fostered the formation of more organizational partnerships to better address Veteran suicidality.

Also late last year, SSG Fox volunteered to serve at a Veteran luncheon hosted by Appalachian Hospice at the Jenny Wiley Conference Center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. The event featured a battlefield cross display and the Kentucky Vietnam Memorial Wall, honoring the sacrifices of Kentucky soldiers. The local VFW commenced the proceedings with a ceremonial march and flag presentation, followed by the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem.

While multiple community resources were represented, the focus remained on the ceremonial aspects of the occasion. Volunteers provided food and distributed various prizes to the Veterans, facilitating open discussions about their experiences across different generations.

2023 marked the 35th year of World AIDS Day (WAD). This year’s theme was ‘Remember and Commit’ and that is exactly what WestCare Pacific Islands (WPI) did. WPI’s Steer Team coordinated this year’s WAD efforts for WPI by holding internal team building activities and encouraging participation with their partners, Department of Public Health and Social Services at their annual wave.

Teams spent time together, learned more about the purpose of World AIDS Day and created signs centering around this year’s theme. WPI’s social media pages shared information on HIV/AIDS throughout the week leading up to December 1 when WPI dressed in red and showed up in full force at one of Guam’s busiest intersections to help spread awareness.

This year and in years to come, the organization stands strong in the fight to get to zero transmission and obliterate the stigma that still lingers. WPI hopes that our island community continues to remember those who we’ve lost to AIDS and continues to commit to getting tested and knowing their status.

Uplifting the Human Spirit

KENTUCKY

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF

Uplifting the Human Spirit In celebration of 50 years of Uplifting the Human Spirit, The Express is embarking on a journey through time. Over the next year, we will feature the origin stories of two entities every month, tracing our history in chronological order. Each entity will be informed when it's their time to shine, but it never hurts to start investigating your origin story now! We welcome pictures and anecdotes from throughout the years, as we delve into the fascinating narratives that have shaped WestCare. Join us on this extraordinary odyssey of discovery and inspiration.

Help us tell WestCare’s story from around the world!

Our commitment to showcasing the incredible work that makes WestCare a beacon of healing and support in our communities remains steadfast. While we are featuring the history of WestCare, we will continue to feature highlights from the remarkable journeys of individuals and groups who inspire us all. We urge you to continue to submit your stories of success, education, prevention, and healing to marketing@westcare.com. Your narratives fuel hope and contribute to our collective mission of Uplifting the Human Spirit.

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