“A veteran is someone who, at some point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to his life inclusively. Regardless of personal political views, it is an honor, and there are far too many people in this country who no longer remember that. » Data indicates that it takes years for the trauma associated with military combat to emerge, hence the name post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After the Vietnam War, it took nine to 12 years before veterans began showing up in large numbers at homeless shelters. It is unfortunate that ANY veteran in whom we place special trust will ever find themselves on the streets at ANY point in their life. We are now ten years after the start of the war in Afghanistan and eight years after the start of the war in Iraq. Given that at least 15 percent of the nearly one million veterans of both wars met screening criteria for PTSD, as a nation we must prepare for an increase in the number of homeless people. (1) Therefore, to show my gratitude to the veterans who signed this blank check, I would use the $150,000 I just acquired to purchase a distressed property and solve the problem of homelessness among our veterans. Veteran homelessness must be attacked on multiple levels to prevent it from becoming a revolving door. So, beyond just providing temporary housing assistance, we will also need to improve the lives of our veterans in the long term. This involves treatment for their PTSD by giving them access to health and wellness clinics, recovery resources, peer support groups, and individual counseling. (Note: key information from HYPERLINK "http://www.voail.org" http://www.voail.org). Once our veterans are able to... middle of paper ...... our non-profit will be able to leverage the recently acquired $150,000 and turn it into $1,000,000 in capital funds, $144,100 in in-kind donations from partnerships and nearly $710,000 in per diem to support our annual operations for veterans programs, enabling them to win the “war at home” and realize their full potential in all areas of their lives. As a result, accomplishing this mission proves to provide a maximum return on investment both financially and personally. Works cited1. Marks, Alexandra, “Back from Iraq – and suddenly on the streets” The Christian Science Monitor on the Web February 8, 2005 < HYPERLINK "http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0208/p02s01-ussc.html" http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0208/p02s01-ussc.html>2. United States Department of Veterans Affairs. October 5, 2011. Subsidy and per diem program. November 8, 2011. .