FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alexa Lopez, Communications Director for Shelli Yoder for Congress
Email: [email protected]
(Bloomington, IN) Shelli Yoder, candidate for Congress from the 9th Congressional District, today denounced the lack of services for veterans who are suffering from homelessness, mental, and substance use disorders. “It is a source of shame that we would allow those who served us so nobly to return home to a paucity of services,” she stated.
According to the Veteran’s Administration, there are about 75,000 veterans who are homeless on any given night, with about 5.5% of those having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Veterans must first have shelter before treatment for mental or substance use disorders is effective,” said Yoder. “We cannot abandon those who have served us, just as they return home to resume their lives.”
“Suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression are more commonplace than ever,” Yoder noted. “All those who serve in public office profess to care about our military men and women – but where are the services? We must search, both in our hearts and in our wallets, to find funding for those who have protected us. As your Congresswoman, I pledge to fight for services to ensure that our heroes are given the treatment they deserve,” Yoder concluded.
May is Mental Health Month in the United States; Shelli Yoder holds Master’s Degrees in both Counseling and Divinity and has worked with those afflicted by mental and addictive disorders for many years.
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