Veterans Outreach Center to be started in Our Place

By Editor | March 27, 2014 |

Northside Christian Church on Monday will launch an outreach center for military veterans in Vandalia.
Located at 507 W. Gallatin St., in the same location as Our Place, the Veterans Outreach Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Overseeing the center will be the Rev. Carl Rhodes (pastor of Northside Christian Church) and Gene Beckman, both veterans of the Vietnam War. They recently attended a one-day training program at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis to prepare them to meet the special needs of veterans.
They also will provide contact information and referral resources available to veterans through the Veterans Administration.
“According to the national VA chaplain service,” Rhodes said, “many veterans and their family members who seek help for their problems do so from clergy. They also note that rural veterans, in particular, will do so because they often have limited choices for healthcare.
“When men and women return from war, they often feel isolated and alone. They feel that there aren’t many people they can talk to that will understand the psychological impact of war.”
In response to the needs of veterans, the national VA chaplain service, supported by a grant from the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Rural Health, launched the Rural Clergy Program.
For more information, call 283-1970 or 367-1759.