away in my arms. I had the privi-
lege of helping him ease into the
next world," he recalls. "From that
experience, I've been able to think
about Tyler every day. Even though
I have had it bad at times, there are
brothers and sisters who have lost
their right and ability to complain
even about the small things--rent,
how high gas is, taxes and politics--
and that is something that motivated
me to serve my fellow veterans."
Reserves. He has found his "true
calling" with his new role as a peer
mentor at The Salvation Army's
Supportive Services for Veteran
Families (SSVF) of the Kansas and
Western Missouri Division.
ing. I knew I wanted to work with
veterans, and the position I have is
amazing," he says. "I feel like I have
soldiers. Our goal is to get veterans
and soldiers off the street and into
housing."
ing veterans, helping them to navi-
gate the U.S. Department of
them with one-on-one mentoring
sessions. "Our clients come from a
range of military eras," he shares.
"I'm not a counselor, but my job is
to be there as a fellow veteran, as
their brother, and help them realize
that there are other alternatives to
their situation.
Telling a family no is not in my
vocabulary."
(RR) is a housing assistance pro-
gram for veterans on the street.
The Homeless Prevention (HP)
funding section is a program for
preventative situations, as in the
case of a veteran who was recently
laid off and needed assistance to
avoid becoming homeless. In work-
ing closely with such individuals,
Morales has found his niche as he
has built connections that lead to
successful transitions for veterans
in the Greater Kansas City area.
he says. "We are a housing-first
program, but there are other places
I connect our veterans. I work with
the Veterans Administration on
benefits and healthcare issues,
with the veterans center and many
other community partners to help
these individuals with all aspects
of their life."
grams, Morales explains. He directs
his clients to the food pantries,
housing shelters, ministry services
and more. He has big dreams for the
SSVF program, with one primary
goal for the future. "I'd love to see
The Salvation Army operating a vet-
erans shelter [in the Kansas City
area]" he says. "While we have shel-
ters, we don't have something
specifically for our veterans."
Iraqi Freedom, CFS Morales lost
his best friend in an ambush.
Morales
Fellow Vets