HELENA — The Montana Veterans Affairs (VA) at Fort Harrison hosted a local event to the national VA 2K Walk and Roll.
It is a nationwide event set by the Veteran Affairs.
The 1.2 mile event has two purposes. The first is to promote physical fitness on National Employee Health and Fitness Day, which is May 19th, 2021. The second purpose is to generate awareness and community support for the homeless veterans programs.
According to the coordinator of the Fort Harrison event, it is estimated there are about 200-300 homeless veterans on any given night in Montana. In 2020, the Montana VA helped about 400 vets secure housing.
“We know that the impacts of being homeless and experiencing homelessness are huge,” says Jim Lund, the VA2K Coordinator at Fort Harrison. “When we treat veterans or work with veterans at the Montana VA, our hope is to work with the entire veteran. We are grateful to have resources and to try to provide resources to help people transition out of homlessness and into more permanent housing."
If you are a homeless vet or know someone who is, there is a homeless vet hotline that can help: 1-877-424-3838.
