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Cara Colantuono lost her grandfather Cpl. Andrew Colantuono Dec. 19. However, the 26-year-old knows she will be honoring his memory everyday, as she works to set up Support Homeless Veterans, which will provide housing and assistance for struggling former military members.
“We are looking to make our first house a dedication to him,” Colantuono said. “He gave a lot of clothing to the vets and he would talk with them, give them cards and stuff while he was sick. We had a whole military funeral for him. We’d call it Andy’s House or something. We don’t want to call this a recovery house — it’s not a rehab house. It’s a brotherhood, really.”
Colantuono is the founder, president and CEO of Support Homeless Veterans, a nonprofit she launched last September to provide support services and housing for chronic homeless, drug-addicted and recently relieved veterans.
“I have eight veterans currently living in a transitional housing facilities. We found that by using what the military uses, classical military camaraderie, using that and combining that with trauma-informed care, we can create an environment for healing,” the resident of 19th and Ritner streets said. “We would like be able to house them in six months, to have our fully functioning home open.
“There are a lot of opportunities for people in the community to be a part of it as well.”
Relying solely on private donations — which can be made online at supporthomelessveterans.org or mailed to headquarters at 1900 Fitzgerald St. — the organization is asking the community for everything and anything to get the first home up and running.
“Were looking to build a volunteer committee,” Colantuono said. “What can you do for homeless vets? You can draw some painting for the house. Can you play a musical instrument at one of our events? Maybe you have a violin lying around and you could play.
“It’s like trading — when people don’t have money, that’s OK. You might have that old table you are going to stain and decorate with flags. There are so many things that people can do.”
While there is a year-round clothing drive, the nonprofit plans to host multiple events throughout the year to help raise awareness and funds. On the slate is a possible springtime run, as well as an already-scheduled care package giveaway.
“We have Code: Red, White and Blue in February. We are still looking, but hopefully it will be at Love Park. We will be giving care packages away to homeless veterans and we’ll need people helping with that,” she said of the Feb. 11 event.
The Girard Estate native attended to St. Monica School, 16th and Porter streets, and graduated from St. Maria Goretti, 1736 S. 10th St., in 2003.
“I knew. I really knew I wanted to do social work, really from the beginning,” Colantuono, who received her bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from Penn State Brandywine and began working at PathWays PA, said.
Over the next few years, Colantuono worked in various social outreach positions while simultaneously pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Temple University. She graduated with a master’s in social work this year.
“I was working with a couple amputee veterans in the Salvation Army Reed House [1320 S. 32nd St.] and they asked about vet benefits so I gave a cold call to Impact Services,” Colantuono, who had worked with immigrants, women and children, said. “They have veteran transitional housing. They liked what I was saying and they basically hired me over the phone.”
Colantuono currently holds the same job as an intensive case manager with Impact Services Corp., a North Philly-based organization that serves those in need, such as ex-offenders and vets. Her Support Homeless Veterans work is done in addition to her full-time job.
“We do what we do here and it’s important but I’ve got these guys timing out of the program and I’m like, ‘What am I going to do with you? Where can I put you? I can’t put you by yourself because the suicide threat or psych evaluation,’” Colantuono said.
These pressures gave rise to her own organization, which hopes to provide a more stable and long-term solution for people that suffer from drug addiction or psychological trauma, as well as for the recently released.
“The quality of life is a really important part of what SHV is trying to bring back to these guys’ peace of mind,” she said. “Other programs, they do a good job, but do they give quality of life?”
Colantuono hopes to bring quality of life — including a yard in a house in the Delaware Valley area, perhaps — and a brotherhood, which will help get struggling vets comfortable back on home soil.
“I have been working with the homeless population for five years now and for the last two years I’ve been working with homeless military veterans,” she said. “Through my work with them I’ve been finding there’s a need that’s not really being addressed on a state or federal level and that is supporting and housing homeless vets with long-term addiction issues and long-term mental-health issues.”
Support Homeless Veterans hopes to fill this gap, and give many of those struggling to find their way a support network to help illuminate the road. In addition to the clothing drive, Code: Red, White and Blue event and the possible spring run, Colantuono will be speaking at Drexel University’s upcoming Justice Week 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17. In an ongoing search, the organization is always looking for new energy to support the movement.
“We’re also looking for young students that want to learn about working with veterans — medical or social psychology, we’ll find a way to make it make sense,” she said. “I went to school for seven years now and I barely learned about veteran issues [until I researched it].”
While she encourages more community members to join the cause, Colantuono knows that her roots are the perfect upbringing for kick-starting the change she hopes to see in the world.
“Being from South Philly, I’ve always got something to say about something. And social workers are always advocating for something, fighting for us,” Colantuono said. “You need some of that South Philly voice for the vets. That’s what South Philly brings — South Philly is a very close-knit community.” SPR
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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