What are you doing to lead others and to help the community, and what have been the results of your actions?

ARI S. MERRETAZON, M.S.CED, He is a decorated-Bronze Star- honorably discharged Vietnam War Veteran, Headquarters Recon, 3rd Brigade, 4th and 25th Infantry Divisions, U.S. Army, and is the founding Executive Director of Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry(PSHM),a tax-exempt Veterans Service organization, serving Vulnerable U.S. Armed Forces Veterans in Philadelphia and other cities in the the Northeast Region of the United States. PSHM has directly and indirectly over 150 veterans to receive VA benefits and assistance. He directs the day-to-day work of Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry in Philadelphia. with the goal of establishing a Veteran Stan-down and Skill Center. Ari instructors the course, "How to Establish a 501(c)(3) Tax-exempt Organization and Keep It. Ari is a rites of Passage Facilitator, specializiing in The Warrior Method, A Program for Rearing Health Black Boys. His war narrative is Chapter 7, in the book, Bloods, an Oral History of the Vietnam War told by Black Veterans, by Wallace Terry. His story was used to make the movie Dead Presidents, actor Larentz Tate played his character. He is quoted in “A Vietnam Trilogy: Veterans and Post- Traumatic Stress, 1968, 1989, 2000, by Raymond Monsour Scurfield. In 1978, Ari was invited by Senator Alan Cranston, to testify on matters related to incarcerated veterans, He is a White House Honoree, President Jimmy Carter, for establishing the first Office of Incarcerated Veterans Affairs inside of a prison recognized by the VA. In 1980, he was hired by the Veterans Administration as a member of the first team to setup a “Vet Center” in Little Rock, Arkansas, under a Congressional mandate. Ari is a Certified Legal Technician, Antioch School of Law, Washington, DC., where he worked managing the Teaching Law-Firm as the Special Assistant to the Deans. He has provided representation for veterans at administrative hearings and before military discharge review boards. He is anordained minister, and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Community Economic Development, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, New Hampshire, and served as Director for the school’s Church-based Initiative. He is now the EPIC (Equal Partners In Change) Coordinator, Department of Human Services.

Choose the project category or categories:
Brief summary of the community issue or opportunity the project will address:

The issue is the return of our men and women in uniform serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will rival the scale of World War II and the Vietnam War demobilizations. This issue creates an opportunity to conduct “Stand-Down Outreach” (SDO) for U.S. Armed Forces Veterans who have returned home from America’s past wars, and the current wars in Iraqi and Afghanistan starting in December 2012 under Presidential Executive Order. Outreach will be conducted by members of Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry (PSHM) and is for the purpose of identifying vulnerable, homeless, and unemployed veterans and connecting them to medical and dental care, food, clothing, haircuts, and the opportunity to meet with many service providers—both governmental and private---assist Veterans in filing for VA benefits, such as disability and pension.

State how the project will work – the activities and timeline:

Members of Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry (PSHM) will conduct recon-outreach in selected vulnerable neighborhoods in the City of Philadelphia every other month of the year starting in January 2012. Recon-Outreach teams will consist of two to three veterans who have successfully made the adjustment to civilian life. They will identify veterans who have housing, employment, and/or disability challenges. Intake will be conducted for each veteran identified and a readjustment plan developed with full input from the veteran at the headquarters of PSHM located at 2801 Frankford Avenue. After the intake interview and the readjustment plan is developed, each veteran will be assigned to a certified Veterans Service officer who will connect each veteran to the Veterans Administration and other related services as previously mentioned. Each veteran identified will be encouraged to participate in a Veterans Self-Help Group of their choice facilitated by PSHM. Additionally, family members of each veteran will be encouraged to participate in Family Support Groups. The provision of ongoing veteran related services will be tailored to meet the goals of each veteran’s readjustment plan and monitored to successful completion. Various veteran related events and programs will be scheduled throughout the year to provide service, assistance and support to veterans and their families.

State the results you wish to achieve:

The results to be achieved include veterans receiving timely service and assistance related to their VA benefits and readjusting to home after war. A blitz of vulnerable neighborhoods with fliers and leaflets about services, benefits, and opportunities for U.S. Armed Forced Veterans, and about PSHM Veteran Service Organization and the fraternal support it offers veterans and their families. Within one year PSHM will achieve the goal of identifying and assisting 100 veterans with successful readjustment to society after war. We will be able to measure the following: • Establish case files for each veteran served. • Veteran to Veteran PTSD counseling. • Housing referrals for homeless Veterans. • Scheduled Veterans Benefit Workshops. • Visitation to Veterans in prisons. • Advocacy for rights of vulnerable Veterans. • Applications for veteran’s benefits and disability will be submitted. • Veterans receiving disability payment and other benefits. • Representation at Military Discharge Review Boards.

Choose the project category or categories:

up to $50,000

Who is leading the project? State the name of the person or the project team:

Ari Merretazon is the leader of this project. He is decorated honorably discharged Vietnam Veterans and former employee of the Veterans Administration.

How will the project engage others in this issue or opportunity affecting the community?

Others will be engaged in this issue and opportunity by direct contact including face-to-face meetings, information forums for returning veterans and their families, neighborhood recon-outreach, leafleting, flyer distribution, regular office ours, press conferences and news releases, and our website. Others will be engaged in field trips to the Philadelphia Veterans Hospital and the Veterans Administration Regional Office. Also, this project will engage the Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania State Legislature with testimonies from returning veterans. Posters will be prominently displayed in neighborhoods informing veterans and others about veterans’ benefits and the opportunity to help vulnerable veterans. Additionally, other agencies and organizations will be engaged to: • Assist veterans with health, benefits, and housing services to help them reintegrate back into society from war and prison. • Advocate to federal, state, and city agencies in regards to the immediate needs of veterans and to develop long range solutions. • Provide outreach and stand-down mental health service supports for PTSD and Depression. • Provide gender specific services to Women Veterans. • Assist with upgrading discharges, obtaining employment, housing, physical and mental stability and educational development. • Outreach to veterans in vulnerable communities by veterans from those communities, • Improve vulnerable environments where veterans help veterans to “Stand-down” (recreate rest and recuperate from the stress of readjusting to society and their families). • Provide reentry and reintegration supports and advocacy for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.