MACON, Ga. — The Salvation Army in Macon is scaling back some of their services for veterans, but they say this will help more of them in the long run. Major Andrew Gilliam says by phasing out their recovery and work therapy program, they can help more veterans get a roof over their head and provide resources to get them adjusted to civilian life.
"Well, I'm a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder," Hubert Lipscomb said.
Lipscomb says when he enlisted into the Army in 1970 during the Vietnam War, his views made him an enemy.
"And I believe communism posed an imminent threat to our way of life, and I forced those views, so I was attacked for it," Lipscomb said.
He says his time in the Army sent his life on a downward spiral.
"Suffered from alcohol addiction, drug addiction," Lipscomb said.
He says his PTSD kept family members away, so he went searching for a solution.
"I would have never thought the Salvation Army would bend over so much to help veterans," Lipscomb said.
Now Major Andrew Gilliam says the group wants to help vets like Lipscomb.
"We have finally reached a point where we are targeting veterans specifically to help them through any number of capacities, rather that is through counseling or sheltering," Gilliam said.
Gilliam says they will help with job placement, permanent housing, and helping vets navigate personal issues.
"We have anywhere between 20 to 40 beds specifically for them as they come through our system," Gilliam said.
They will make this happen by phasing out their recovery and work-therapy program and referring Veterans to outside agencies for help with those problems.
"So in conjunction with the VA hospital, and the other groups that are in Macon, we are helping them transition back into that civilian life," Gilliam said.
For Lipscomb, he says this program is already keeping his life on track.
"You can see results, you are involved, they are not doing it for you, they are doing it with you," Lipscomb said.
Gilliam says despite this expansion of service their mission will remain the same: to help out anyone who comes knocking on their door. He says in the next five years they would like to double the number of veterans they can take care of.