Homelessness hits home
By Edna Sailor
When Louis "Mac" Mcleod, Minot Area Homeless Coalition Executive Director spoke to veterans groups in New Town last week, he brought not only his years of experience and expertise, he brought his passion for serving homeless veterans as well.
"It makes me mad that veterans who have served their country are homeless, and we will do whatever it takes to see that they get the services they need," McLeod said.
McLeod is responsible for a seven county area including Mountrail County.
"There are only two of us in our office. My goal is to reach out to find a better way to work with New Town, other communities and the Three Affiliated Tribes. Scarce resources demand that groups combine efforts to deliver services to our veterans," he said.
McLeod described three key service areas. These include emergency service, temporary, supportive housing and permanent housing stages.
"The first thing people need to understand is who these homeless veterans are and what their diverse needs are. When homeless veterans come to my office, it’s crucial that we talk with them because we need to know who we are dealing with. Normally they will fall into one of the three specific categories."
