NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 27, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- National Basketball Association (NBA) Team President and Coach of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley and HomeAid, a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today's homeless, launched a new HomeAid(r) Wounded Veterans program to address employability for returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Announced at a kick-off fundraiser held in Los Angeles, the program will build facilities across the U.S. that provide supportive educational services and job-skills training to help America's heroes come home, attain self-sufficiency, and move forward with dignity and pride.
Tens of thousands of military veterans are returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan with debilitating physical and mental injuries. According to industry research, 80 percent of wounded veterans face a lifetime of recovery, two-thirds of them will have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 59 percent of blast victims will develop traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These wounded veterans, many of whom are 19 to 25 years old, face a 15.8-percent unemployment rate, which is more than three times the national average.
"Unemployment's impact is insidious: it diminishes self-worth, undermines family stability and increases the likelihood of depression, substance abuse, homelessness and suicide," said Riley. "Employment plays a crucial role in breaking this downward spiral, and this program will provide our young heroes with the tools and knowledge they need to become employed."
Led by Riley, the HomeAid(r) Wounded Veterans program defined three elements that are required to deal with this crisis: a place for wounded veterans to call home during their transition; support services with a specific focus on employability; and an organization with the credibility, experience and nationwide breadth to establish and manage a response to veterans' needs. (more)
For the support services component, job- and life-skills training are vital to increase employability for wounded veterans. Lack of specific job training coupled with their wounds places many of them at a disadvantage when seeking employment. Skills training received in the military often is not transferable or may not be fully appreciated by employers. Also, a veteran's physical, mental or emotional wounds may inhibit use of military training. According to Riley, the requisite job training must be provided in a nurturing environment that offers emotional, physical and mental support. Multiple service providers will be sought to provide these life-enhancing services.
For the housing and management components, Riley selected HomeAid. Since 1989, HomeAid, a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization, has successfully marshaled the resources of the construction industry to build and donate housing to service provider organizations that serve individuals and families who are temporarily homeless. HomeAid has built more than 150 facilities, serviced more than 80,000 individuals and developed a housing portfolio that exceeds $200 million. Through HomeAid, the program will build multi-unit housing facilities across the U.S. that will be donated to the service provider organizations that offer the support and educational services. Under Riley's leadership, HomeAid will manage the program's day-to-day operations.
"HomeAid(r) Wounded Veterans will follow our proprietary housing development model by creating public/private partnerships that provide monetary and in-kind donations for each building project that we undertake," said Genette Eaton, CEO of HomeAid. "Partnering with local and national builders as well as local and national service provider organizations, HomeAid has created a seamless approach to building and operating multi-unit housing facilities for today's homeless and veteran populations."
The HomeAid(r) Wounded Veterans program plans to build a minimum of ten (10) facilities across the country in the next five (5) years in locations such as Houston, TX; Fitchburg, MA; Miami, FL; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; and New York, NY - geographical and construction targets that have a confluence of wounded veterans, builders, funding partners, service providers and available land.
For further information on the program or HomeAid, contact 949-258-0850 or visit the organization's website at www.homeaid.org.
About Pat Riley
The current president and head coach of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley is a six-time National Basketball Association World Champion. While being professional basketball's second winningest coach, Riley holds the title of one of "America's Greatest Motivational Speakers" and was rated by Success Magazine as "the best in his field." Riley's books "Showtime" and "The Winner Within" have appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
About HomeAid
HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today's homeless. Founded in 1989, the organization has built housing for more than 80,000 men, women and children. Established by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), HomeAid has completed more than 150 housing projects nationwide with another 62 projects currently in development. HomeAid includes a network of 22 chapters in 16 states and four offices in Newport Beach, CA (headquarters); Washington, D.C.; Augusta, GA; and New Orleans, LA (for hurricane-rebuilding efforts). For more information about HomeAid, call 1-888-3HOMEAID or visit www.homeaid.org.
The HomeAid Wounded Veterans logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4769
HomeAid(r) Wounded Veterans is an affiliation of HomeAid America, Inc., a 501(c) (3) corporation. Federal Non-Profit Tax ID No. 33-0673009
1-888-3HOMEAID www.homeaid.org/vets