They're standing tall in helping veterans stand down
TALIA BUFORD Journal Staff Writer. Providence Journal. Providence, R.I.: Oct 26, 2006.

WEST WARWICK -- People leaving military service now have an added helping hand in getting the skills they need to better compete in the job market.

Yesterday, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization committed to providing job and housing assistance for veterans, unveiled its new Education & Training Center, at 39 Sheldon St., to a packed house of veterans, politicians and volunteers.

"Our goal is to help turn around the population of homeless in the state by improving their skills to allow them to reach better opportunities and increase their income," said Ernest G. Teixeira, case manager and assistant to the director of Operation Stand Down. "We want to improve their quality of life and make them more self-sufficient."

Many veterans come out of the service disabled or are homeless because they are unfamiliar with the technology required to get a well-paying job, he said. The center will offer various courses throughout the year, among them basic computer skills and life skills such as running a household, hygiene and cooking, Teixeira said.

The organization also hopes to partner with the state unemployment office, the Office of Veterans Affairs and, possibly, the Job Corps to connect trained veterans with job opportunities. Veterans of any branch of the military are eligible for the programs, said Tony DeQuattro, president of Operation Stand Down.

"When we signed on the dotted line, the U.S. Congress and the government made a promise to take care of us and they're falling far short," DeQuattro said. "We need to spend the money to help them start over. We need to spend the money to take care of these guys."

Among those at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were state Sen. Beatrice Lanzi, D-Cranston, who has been helpful to the organization's efforts; U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, Lt. Gov. Charles J. Fogarty, Sen. Daniel Issa, D-Central Falls, and West Warwick Councilman Leo Costantino, who is a Marine Corps veteran.

"I can't be more proud to have a place like this in West Warwick where veterans can deal with the issues that arise from conflict, and get their lives organized and get the education to help them move on with their lives," Costantino said.

Across the nation, there are more than 100 Operation Stand Down branches. Together, they have assisted more than 100,000 homeless veterans. Since Operation Stand Down Rhode Island began in 1993, the organization has helped about 7,000 veterans adjust to life after the military, Teixeira said.

One of the veterans the organization helped was John Carey.

Carey, 64, joined the Army when he was 19. After three years, including a tour in the Vietnam War, he was discharged. A Smithfield native, Carey returned to Rhode Island five months ago from Arizona, where he had lived with his wife until she died. Single and in debt, Carey found himself homeless.

"I was sick, homeless and penniless," Carey said. "Then, I asked for help at the VA and they sent me to Operation Stand Down. They reached out and helped me."

Today, Carey lives in the nine-bedroom Providence Street house operated by the organization and also serves as a night manager for the building.

"It's been lifesaving," Carey said of the program. "They offered me the opportunity to solve some of my problems."

To make a donation to the organization, or learn more about its programs, call 1-800-861-8387 or (401) 383-4730.