About 3 a.m. on Saturday, I observed Nurse Kim, helping a veteran begin to start the process of getting control of his life again after he came to the hospital for care. The veteran also became homeless that morning in the early hours of that day. He had only shoes, pants, and an empty wallet.
Kim oversaw getting him a small amount of donated money, a travel voucher, and then made an arrangement to have the VA liaison get involved with setting up temporary housing for him once they opened up later that day. She facilitated getting him breakfast and then sent him off with a sense that this organization cared for him. He had been emotionally depressed stemming from his untimely homelessness. He told me that he had not been sure if the military would really help if the need arose. With the support from the hospital and with the anticipated help from the VA, he told me he was certain that he could get back up and function on his own again after the temporary helping hand.