Photo contributedNewsThe 2015 VRE Operations Board officers are (from left) Gary Skinner, John Cook, PaulSmedberg and Maureen Caddigan.VRE Announces Operations Board OfficersThe Virginia Railway Express(VRE) OperationsBoard instilled its 2015slate of officers at its monthlymeeting. The following wereunanimously approved by the OperationsBoard in December andtook on their new roles: SupervisorJohn Cook (R-Braddock), aschairman; Gary Skinner,Spotsylvania County Supervisor,as vice chairman; Paul Smedberg,City of Alexandria Councilor, assecretary; Maureen Caddigan,Prince William County Supervisor,as treasurer. “Having such respectedand knowledgeable publicofficials that really care aboutimproving transportation serve asVRE Operations Board officers isa recipe for VRE’s continued success,”said Doug Allen, CEO ofVRE.VRE is the tenth largest commuterrail service in the U.S. andis a transportation partnership ofthe Northern Virginia and Potomac& Rappahannock TransportationCommissions. It serves northernVirginia and Washington D.C. andits offices are based in Alexandria.For more information, visitwww.vre.orgPuller Will NotSeek Re-electionJust as the Virginia GeneralAssembly kicked off its2015 January session, stateSen. Linda T. “Toddy” Puller (D-36) announced her decision to notrun for re-election later this year.“It has been one of the greatesthonors of my life to serve thepeople of the 36th district in theSenate of Virginia,” Puller said ina Jan. 14 statement. “Now, withthe encouragement, love and supportof my family I have made thedecision to step down.”The 23-year Assembly veteranfirst won a seat as delegate of the44th district in 1991. Eight yearslater she was elected to representthe 36th district as senator.“Toddy’s public service careerhas been dedicated to uplifting allVirginians,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine(D-VA) said in a statement, “buther primary legacy will be the incrediblework she has done to supportVirginia veterans. Her tirelessadvocacy for initiatives such asproperty tax exemptions for disabledveterans and Virginia’sWounded Warriors Program willaid veterans for generations tocome.” Puller’s former seat in the44th district is currently held byDel. Scott Surovell (D-44).“There is not member in the Virginialegislaturewhois morefocusedon movingourstategovernmenttoaddressthe concerns of our nation’s veteransand their families,” Surovellsaid of Puller in a statement.“Whether it is government services,tax exemptions or helpingVirginians recognize the long-termconsequences that combat injurieshave on military families, SenatorPuller has lived her public life onthe frontlines fighting for resourcesfor our community and thelarger community.”Puller said she plans to fight ashard as ever for her constituentsand legislative agenda during thesession, and that she will still involveherself in her communityand Fairfax and Prince WilliamCounty local politics.“I look forward to spendingmore time with my children andtwo grandsons,” she added.— Tim PetersonSurovell AnnouncesBid for State SenateDel. Scott SurovellDel. Scott Surovell (D-44)used his blog and e-newsletterto make his intentionknown: Less than a week afterSen. Toddy Puller (D-36) announcedshe would not look toserve another term, Surovell declaredhe would run for the vacantseat on Sunday, Jan. 18.Surovell joins Dumfries MayorJerry Foreman (R) in the running;Foreman released his plan Dec. 29,2014.“The vacancy created by the decisionof Sen. Toddy Puller not toseek re-election is a huge loss forour part of Northern Virginia,”Surovell said in his statement.“Over 23 years, Senator Puller wasa relentless advocate for U.S. 1,education, veterans and the lessfortunate.”Though Surovell can’t beginfundraising for his campaign duringthe General Assembly session,his announcement put out theword for supporters and volunteers,expressing that he’s movingforward with everything he’s allowed.“I am taking the steps necessaryto succeed Sen. Puller in the 36thDistrict of the Virginia State Senate,”his statement said.Surovell, 43, works as a triallawyer full time and lives in MountVernon. He’s an alumnus of WestPotomac High School and JamesMadison University.— Tim Peterson2 ❖ <strong>Burke</strong> Connection ❖ January 22-28, 2015 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
News<strong>Burke</strong> Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic703-778-9414 or south@connectionnewspapers.comPhotos courtesy of Mary KeeserAmerican troops deployed in Afghanistan receive care packages sentfrom America’s Adopt A Soldier event held in Springfield on ChristmasDay.America’s Adopt A Soldier stuff care packages for deployed troops onChristmas Day at Kilroy’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in RavensworthShopping Center in Springfield. (Center, from left, in white) Aiden,Gabrielle and Eva-Beth Levy of America’s Adopt A Soldier (left of Levy)Kilroy’s owner Phillip Thomas and (left of Thomas) Adopt A Soldierfounder Mary Keeser.Ending Veterans Homelessness in 2015?Chairman Bulova,Fairfax Countytake on nationalMayors Challenge.By Tim PetersonThe ConnectionThe transition from serving in thearmed forces to civilian life isoften not simple.While in Fairfax County thereare more than 12,000 veteran-owned businesses,indicating a significant measure ofsuccess, for others the path is far more difficult.For a small number of veterans, unemployment,alcoholism, drug abuse or mentalor physical disability causes them windup at rock-bottom: homeless.In Fairfax County’s 2014 “Point-in-Time”count of homeless individuals living in theFairfax-Falls Church community, veteransmade up 8 percent of the total number of1,225 people. The next Point-in-Time snapshotstudy will take place on Wednesday,Jan. 28, in coordination with the MetropolitanWashington Council of Governments.Dean Klein, director of the county’s Officeto Prevent and End Homelessness, saidit’s difficult to maintain an exact head countbecause of the transient nature of the groupand, he believes, many veterans who arehomeless choose to not identify themselvesas veterans. He estimates that there areabout 150 homeless veterans in FairfaxCounty.That population is the focus of FirstLady Michelle Obama’s Mayors Challengeto End Veterans Homelessness in 2015.Board of Supervisors Chairman SharonBulova announced recently that FairfaxCounty is joining the over 200 mayors andelected officials nationwide to take on thatchallenge.WinterhavenEach January, hundreds of homeless veteransfrom around Virginia, Maryland and Washington,DC are brought to the Washington D.C. VA MedicalCenter for a meal, haircuts and shaves, physicalexams, education services and coats. This year’sWinterhaven event will take place Jan. 24.“COULD WE HAVE ALL VETERANS INA HOUSE by end of 2015? Yes,” said MaryKeeser, a governance board member for theOffice to Prevent and End Homelessness,and founder of volunteer organizationAmerica’s Adopt A Soldier.“Would that prevent them from becominghomeless again? No. We didn’t solve theroot problems. They need to go back andget training, jobs. Can we work on our preventativemeasures? Absolutely.”For any case of homelessness, there’s nomagic bullet.“That’s sort of the end of the spiral,” saidBulova, “when someone has had difficultyduring their daily life, trying to cope withthings that they’ve experienced when theywere serving their country. It may be maritaldifferences, drinking, drug abuse, financialdifficulties. And trying to look at someof those root causes, where this all began,is important to ending homelessness.”For “Jones,” a mid-30s veteran of the warin Iraq, the downward spiral was a resultof his Post-traumatic stress disorder. “Hecould not sleep, could not live with whathe saw,” said Keeser.Jones ended up walking out on his wifeand children, his life, to live in the woodssouth of Fort Belvoir. One day he was approachedby a community member who alsohappened to be a veteran. That personearned Jones’ trust and convinced him toseek help from a Veterans Affairs caseworker.Over the next six months, Jones receivedcounseling services through the VA and aHUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing(HUD-VASH) rental voucher helped securehim an apartment. He found a job throughAdopt A Soldier’s placement network andis working.Veterans TreatmentDocketAnother collaborative initiative aimed at bothpreventing and alleviating veterans homelessnessis the Veterans Treatment Docket. This concept isa way to defer incarceration, relying instead onregular court appearances, treatment, being assigneda probation officer and working with aveteran mentor.The judge on the docket will be Penney S.Azcarate, Chief Judge, Fairfax County General DistrictCourt, while the rest of the team will include:the Commonwealth attorney, Sheriff StaceyKincaid, Chief of Police Edwin Roessler, the Departmentof Veterans Affairs, pretrial services, theFairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board,the George Mason University school of law and amentor coordinator.“It’s a long road to recovery,” said Keeser,“but he’s a real success story.”THE TOTAL HOMELESS POPULA-TION, according to the Point-in-Time studies,has dropped by about a third between2008 and 2014. But resolving homelessnessand homeless veterans remains a point offocus for the county, nonprofit service organizationsand their corporate partners.The Mayors Challenge will propel workalready in progress.“It’s intended to renew our commitmentto ending homelessness for veterans,” saidKlein, “to raise awareness and bring on newpartners.”Fairfax County has a goal on the books ofending all homelessness by 2018.“We already have a very strong effort inplace,” said Bulova. “When I was invited tojoin the Mayors Challenge, I felt pretty confidentin doing that.”The county attributes its decrease inhomelessness to various assisted housinginitiatives and support services, collaborativeefforts across faith-based communities,state, federal and local governments, andpartnerships with businesses andnonprofits.Klein cited three major areas whereprogress can and is being made:* Having the right range of programsAmerica’s Adopt ASoldierThe all-volunteer organization promotes “makinga difference in the lives” of active-duty andretired service members through a variety of efforts.They send care packages to deployed troopsall year-long, collaborate on the Wounded WarriorPath To Strength and “give back” by hosting veteran-focusedactivities and educational events.Founder Mary Keeser said the organization alsocollects donated furniture to fill the living space offormerly homeless veterans who have just movedinto housing, and periodically helps cover costs likelegal fees that are added barriers to individualsmaking progress in helping themselves.available, whether for short-term or chronicallyhomeless individuals. “One extremeis high-needs people who need housing withvery extensive services. At the other end israpid re-housing programs,” or the infrastructurecapacity to quickly re-house someonewho has just become homeless.* Housing resources: Two major fundingstreams for helping get people into housingare the HUD-VASH rental voucher programfrom the federal government and theVA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Familiesprogram. “We’re already putting fundingtowards acquiring or renovating, andsubsidizing housing for people who arehomeless or about to be,” said Bulova.* Putting the effort together at the communitylevel. “In other communities wherewe’ve seen the mayor, or chairman, alongwith local leaders in public and private sectors,coming together to set the goals,” Kleinsaid, “their homelessness is ended.”BUT SUBSIDIZING HOUSING FOR ANINDIVIDUAL in one of Fairfax County’s24,000 one-bedroom units ($1,408 permonth average rent, based on the 2013Rental Housing Complex Summary) alonewon’t win the war.“If it was just about finding a roof, thatcould be easily done,” said JohnMacPherson, executive director of TheSee Homelessness, Page 4www.ConnectionNewspapers.com<strong>Burke</strong> Connection ❖ January 22-28, 2015 ❖ 3
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