y Lois Krafsky-Perry
October 21, 2017
Cheri Tinker
Cheri Tinker
Sequim, WA–Republican Women of Clallam County (RWCC) met at First Federal Savings on Saturday, and hosted speaker, Cheri Tinker of Forks.
Tinker is from a military family, and is director for Sarge’s Place, which is the non-profit group, North Olympic Regional Veteran’s Housing Network.
Sarge’s Place is located in Forks and houses and cares for veterans. Some of them are homeless and have mental health issues as well as disabilities.
Funding has come from some grants as well as donations. Several years ago, a Washington Senator helped them receive $500,000 for building in Forks. They are hoping to get more help from the legislature.
Sarge’s Place has transitional housing with 12 contract beds with Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care for homeless veterans, with three 2-bedroom apartments. According to their brochure, it must meet the following criteria: eligibility for VA health care, Honorable or General under honorable conditions discharge, no sex offenders or violent offenders and extremely low income, with $1400 or less a month. There is a social worker, case manager, and house manager on-site.
“The ultimate goal is creating employment for vets, mostly combat”, said Tinker, who is a grant writer and has a Master’s degree in social work. She stated that 73 percent of the veterans have mental illness, some have PTSD [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder] and a vast majority had horrible childhoods.
Camp Sol Duc, on 1.3 acres, currently houses three formerly homeless veterans. It also houses Sarge’s Attic, a second hand store. It will eventually have an apartment building, employment with vegetables and fruit, with a greenhouse. There are chickens and fruit trees and fruit bushes on the property.
The Outpost is located in Port Angeles with four, two-bedroom apartments for homeless veterans and their children. It is a project based HUD-VASH units and comes with a VA social worker attached. It must meet the following criteria: chronologically homeless and mentally ill and be eligible for VA healthcare.
Plans are underway for future building.
For more information, to go their website, at www.sargesplace.com
