'A hand up': Calgary emergency program helps vets in dire straits

Many veterans who made big sacrifices to serve their country are now fighting a desperate battle after leaving the military – to escape homelessness.

Andrew Bento once thought he was left to fight for a better life alone.

But the Calgary army vet found help in a special program designed to give vets in dire situations a hand.

Bento, who served with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry from 2007 to 2010, lived in a car with his partner, Brianna Morrill, for seven months.

"We were on the streets for a few months before we had the car," said Bento. "I mean, it's absolutely brutal.

"We had no direction. We were just kind of floating in the ether."

Morrill agrees.

"We were definitely at our bottom. Yeah, very bottom," she said.

UNEXPECTED ASSISTANCE

But a chance encounter changed their lives.

The couple went to the Veterans Association Food Bank in northeast Calgary, looking for a blanket for the car.

"We had no idea that the veterans food bank was even there, to be honest," said Bento. "We thought it was (just) a thrift store."

Staff told them they could help, under their emergency veterans assistance cost program (EVAC).

"It's a hand up," said Charles Redeker, operations manager at the Veterans Association Food Bank.

"It's that little push forward so that they can keep going."

Charles Redeker is the operations manager at the Veterans Association Food Bank in northeast Calgary.

Bento and Morrill were placed in a hotel, and later, in a furnished home.

Through it, they received food and financial assistance for gas and insurance.

Food bank workers also helped Bento advocate for benefits he was entitled to from Veterans Affairs.

"They gave us hope," Bento said. "We didn't have anything. We didn't know what the hell we were gonna do. And we didn't really think that we deserved the help, to be honest."

The Veterans Association Food Bank runs a thrift shop, in addition to its food bank and several other services.

A LIFELINE FOR VETS IN DIRE STRAITS

The food bank says its EVAC program is designed for veterans, facing desperate situations.

"Everybody talks about how do we address homelessness?" said Redeker. "We look at it as: how do we prevent it?"

The EVAC program has helped more than 400 veteran families get homes or stay in their homes.

Redeker, a veteran himself, says because the help comes from a veteran-run organization, it's often easier for vets to put pride aside and accept help.

"If we were still serving together, and you were struggling, or I was struggling, we would help each other. The only thing missing is the uniform," he said.

Bento is working as a framer, and while Morrill is currently looking for a job, they're thankful they now have a home to share with their dog, Bella.

"They gave us tough love when needed it, and kept us on track basically," said Bento.

ANOTHER SUCCESS STORY

The Veterans Association Food Bank has locations in Calgary and Edmonton, but they get requests for assistance under the EVAC program as far away as the east coast.

Earlier this year, Redeker received a call from a vet in Newfoundland.

The vet had been in hospital after a car crash, fell behind on mortgage payments, and faced a foreclosure notice.

"Speaking and coordinating with Veterans Affairs, we were able to prevent the foreclosure," said Redeker. "He was able to keep his house that he had worked hard for. He was back to work.

"It just takes those events that are out of your control...to not just physically throw your life into turmoil, but financially send things spinning."

For more info on the EVAC program and other services offered by the organization, go to veteransassociationfoodbank.ca.