[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP] [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY. VISIT NCICAP.ORG] JASON: HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE. TOMORROW IS VETERANS DAY, AND A LOOK AT EFFORT TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO TOOK THE OATH TO DEFEND HOURS. I AM JASON NEWTON. WELCOME TO "11 TV HILL." THERE ARE VETERANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO NEED OUR HELP EVERY DAY, NOT JUST ONCE A YEAR. THE BALTIMORE STATION IN SOUTH BALTIMORE HAS BEEN A SAFE HAVEN FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS NOW. THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE IT GETS ME AROUND OTHER VETERANS WERE BATTLING THE SAME BATTLES I’M BATTLING. JASON: EARLIER THIS YEAR RESIDENTS TOOK THE FIELD FOR THE SUMMER SOFTBALL SERIES, AND THAT GAME IS ONE OF MANY WAYS THE STATION IS HELPING VETERANS IN BALTIMORE. JOINING US IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BALTIMORE STATION AND A RESIDENT THERE. GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH. YOU HAVE A GREAT MISSION. I’M SURE THE PEOPLE ON THE RECEIVING END ARE GRATEFUL. TELL US WHAT THE STATION DOES. >> FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS BALTIMORE STATION HAS OPERATED OUT OF SOUTH BALTIMORE. IT STARTED WITH THREE VOLUNTEERS. THEY WERE HANDING OUT SANDWICHES AND BLANKETS, AND REALIZE THAT MOST OF THEM IN THERE WERE SERVING WITH DUTCH WORD VIETNAM-ERA VETERANS. TWO MEN WERE HOMELESS, AND IT -- THE MEN WERE HOMELESS, AND IT INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY. IT GETS VETERANS BACK ON THEIR FEET AND BACK INTO THE WORLD. OUR YOUNGEST VETERAN WAS 18, THE OLDEST WAS 88. WE HAVE MULTIPLE THEORIES OF SERVICE. EVERY BRANCH IS REPRESENTED. THEY ARE WITH US IN GENERAL ABOUT 12 MONTHS WHILE THEY ARE RECONSTRUCTING THEIR LIVES AND GETTING BACK ON THEIR FEET. IT IS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO READ THE GREAT AFTER SERVICE. FAMILIES HAVE FULL AND PART, FAMILIES -- FAMILIES HAVE FALLEN APART, FAMILIES HAVE GONE ON. IT IS HARD TO CONVERT A MILITARY CAREER INTO A CIVILIAN CAREER. DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NEED, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CARE REQUIRED. OVER THE COURSE OF TIME WE MAKE SURE THEY ARE CONNECTED TO MEDICAL SYSTEM FOR THEIR MEDICAL BENEFITS. WE HAVE WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER DENTISTS TO MAKE SURE THAT DENTAL NEEDS ARE MET. WE WORK IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO GET THEM BACK ON THEIR FEET. WE WORK VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BENEFITS ARE MAXIMIZED SO THEY CAN GET THE ENDGAME GOAL OF PERMANENT HOUSING. JASON: JUST TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SKILLS AND THINGS YOU GAIN, AND MAYBE HOW TOUGH WAS IT TO COME OUT OF THE SERVICE AND THEN HAVE TO FIGURE OUT REGULAR LIFE AGAIN. >> WELL, IT IS NOT THAT EASY, BUT THEY GOT SOME COVERAGE AND IS OUT THERE AT THE BALTIMORE STATION PROGRAMS TO HELP VETERANS SUCH AS MYSELF TO INTEGRATE AND GET BACK INTO SOCIETY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE MR. JOHN WAS SAYING ABOUT DENTAL AND HOUSING AND THINGS LIKE THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR MEDICAL PLANS. JASON: I’M GUESSING THAT LIFE IS SO REGIMENTED THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TO FOUR DIGGS-- FORT DIX, GERMANY, HAWAIIL. LIFE WAS PLANNED OUT FOR YOU IN THE MILITARY. BUT THEN YOU ARE LIKE A FREELANCER AND YOU HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN. HORACE: KEEP ON STRIVING, KEEP ON MOVING, MAKE A LIFE FOR YOURSELF, TRY TO FIND WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU IN SOCIETY AS FAR AS GETTING A JOB, WHAT MOST FITS --I DID A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION. JASON: OK. WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR? WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THIS POINT WITHOUT BALTIMORE STATION? HORACE: NO, I DON’T THINK I WOULD. THEY HELPED ME OUT A LOT, WAS AND I REALIZE THAT FIRST WHEN I FIRST GOT THERE FIVE MONTHS AGO. IT HELPED ME OUT A WHOLE BUNCH. CASEWORKERS AND THE PROGRAM ITSELF. JASO YOU DO WITH A RANGE FROM 18 TO 88. YOU HAVE TO BE INTENT ON MAKING SURE YOU MEET EACH AGE GROUP BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. JOHN: ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON IS THE INDIVIDUAL COMING INTO OUR PROGRAMMING SETS THEIR OWN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND WE HELP CRAFT A LONGER-TERM SCENARIO WHERE THE NEEDS CAN BE MET EVEN AFTER THEY LEAVE US. AN 18-YEAR-OLD OFTENTIMES LOOKING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT PLANNING FAMILY, BEING A PART OF THE FAMILY. EMPLOYMENT IS A HUGE THING FOR A YOUNGER PERSON. AND THE OLDER POPULATION, WE’RE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A SAFE LANDING PLACE FOR THEM. JASON: TELL ME ABOUT HOUSING AND BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT. SURE, YOU HAVE WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES WHERE YOU DO THINGS THAT YOU SO SIMPLE, PAYING YOUR BILLS AND FIGURING OUT TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM WORK. JOHN: IT IS PART OF THE TRANSITION FROM ACTIVE DUTY TO CIVILIAN LIFE. OFTEN TIMES WHEN YOU ARE ON BASE, EVERYTHING IS THERE FOR YOU AND YOU ARE NOT HAVING TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS, NOT HAVING TO FIGURE OUT SECURING FOOD. YOU COME BACK TO A CITY LIKE BALTIMORE WHERE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS HARD TO FIND, AND YOU COULD END UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS A FOOD DESERT. YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE A LOT OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY TRAINING THAT WE DO. WE HAVE REALLY GOOD PARTNERSHIPS. IN MARYLAND MULTI-HOUSING ASSOCIATION PROVIDES ONE-TO-ONE CLASSES EVERY FEW MONTHS AND CONNECTIONS TO LANDLORDS TO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING RIPPED OFF AND TAKING A COMMUNITY WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE. WE CENTER ALL OF OUR OBJECTIVES AROUND THE INDIVIDUAL. JASON: A LOT LIKE NOW, PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO VETERANS. THE RESPONSE WHEN THEY SEE SOMEBODY, "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE." WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR VETERANS? HORACE: INDIANS A WHOLE LOT THAT YOU HAVE SUPPORT OUT THERE. --IT MEANS A LOT TO HIM THAT YOU HAVE SUPPORT OUT THERE. IN THE PAST PEOPLE WOULDN’T SAY NOTHING. THEY WOULDN’T APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE COUNTRY, FOR THE UNITED STATES. FOR ME, I FEEL RE GOOD. I KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING THERE FOR ME TO GO TO WHERE I NEED HELP. JASON: IS THERE ANYTHING PEOPLE CAN DO IF THEY WANT TO REACH OUT -- ONE, ANYTHING YOU NEED, AND TWO, HOW THEY GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU? JOHN: ONE OF THE THINGS WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON HIS WHILE WE ARE A HIGHLY RICHARD OPERATION -- HIGHLY STRUCTURED OPERATION, WE MAINTAIN A KEEN EYE ON THE COMMUNITY. 2600 VOLUNTEERS, 200 BUSINESSES THAT DO WORK FOR US. ANYTHING FROM MEAL SERVICE TO A VOLUNTEER DAY OF SERVICE. THERE IS A CLASS ON WEDNESDAY. WE LOOK AT IT FROM A FULL RANGE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO DO THAT WILL GIVE THEM JOY THAT COULD BE ADDITIVE TO THE JOURNEY THE MEN WE SERVE ARE ON. WE’RE LOOKING TO PEOPLE TO FUND THE GAP, ABOUT 50%. WE ALSO CENTER EVERYTHING AROUND COMMUNITY. WE MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE COMING IN TERMS OF WHERE WE SERVE AND WELCOMING PEOPLE INSIDE THE DOORS. JA