There are currently more than 50,000 Veterans living on our streets in communities across America. 22 Veterans lose hope and commit suicide every day. Our Veterans deserve a better deal.

Does your personal or corporate mission include helping others, in addition to making a profit? If your answer is NO, you will eventually discover that your sense of accomplishment will never be fully realized. While increase and profits should be the focal point of your professional and corporate goals, your purpose for increase and profits should be tied to more than realizing personal achievements and/or making shareholders happy.

Growth and true success come through building family and community. When our personal and corporate goals include improving community, we ultimately contribute to sustaining society, thereby making the world a better place for everyone.

Contributing to the needs of others is in part, my reason for founding Honor 2 Our Heroes Foundation (H20(H) and launching this campaign to end Veteran homelessness.

As a disabled Vietnam Veteran, United States Navy, during my tour of duty I witnessed the sufferings of our Veterans. I have also seen the subsequent collateral damage to family and friends.

The pain, suffering and sacrifices of our Veterans is highly publicized. There is a lot reported regarding the problems and failures of Veterans to receive adequate and timely treatment, but the reality is that the problem is so big that VA needs help. Now is our time to respond, assist in supporting our Veterans.

Ronald Carl McFarlin was the 2nd of 5 children born to Elvin Hoover and Mary Louise McFarlin. We were a solid family, with emphasis of education. Ronald was happily married, with 3 daughters. He returned from the military addicted to heroin, we immediately recognized a change when we picked him up at the airport. For several years prior to my brother’s death, I felt helpless. If any of you have experienced engaging a soldier returning from war, you may understand. For years before his death, we were in and out of programs to help him. But none seemed to work. My brother never returned home. For all practical purposes, Ronald was homeless when he died.

I DREAM OF THE DAY THAT EVERY PATRIOT THAT SERVED WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUINTY TO ACQUIRE ADEQUATE HOUSING, A SAFE AND PERMANENT PLACE TO CALL HOME. AND TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORT NEEDED TO RETURN TO SOCIETY. EMBRACE THE DREAM AND WE CAN PROVIDE OUR HEROES WITH WHAT THEY HAVE .

4 years after my brother died I connected the dots. It was a brief encounter with a homeless Veteran on a highway exit ramp. While stopped at a red light, the man approached my car and asked if I had any spare change. I gave him a couple of bucks and told him I would pray for him, his immediate and stem response was, “I’m glad someone will do something because the government ain’t doing a DAMN thing for me.” I asked if he was a Veteran, he stood up straight and proud and announced, “Yes Sir, Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps.” That was a defining moment for me, the thought of my brother immediately comes to mind. Holding back emotions, until the car behind me honked, I decided to do something for our homeless Veterans.

TOGETHER we can end Veteran homelessness in America. It is our responsibility to provide safe, permanent housings, and supportive care for our Veterans. We have a plan; 25 Cities Initiative, a previously used model which transitioned 29,499 of our Veterans into adequate housing. We can provide the care they deserve through the sale of bottled water. We’re building a manufacturing facility in Missouri, to generate program funding, for participating partners across the country. We need you to drink H2O(H), we also need you to make a donation; and finally, please tell everyone you know, about this campaign. I am Coach Elvin McFarlin, Vietnam Veteran, and Executive Director, Honor 2 Our Heroes Foundation. TOGETHER we can end Veteran homelessness in America.