Jewish War Veterans speaker Marcus Brown, founder of Veterans 5-9 and member of Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, helps veterans in emergency situations evenings and weekends when facilities providing services are closed.
Nancy Stutman
Marcus Lamar Brown, founder and president of Veterans 5-9, will explain how his organization helps veterans after-hours when he speaks to Jewish War Veterans Post 619 on Sunday, Oct. 20. The meeting takes place in Bradford Room A at Oakwood Country Club, 24218 S. Oakwood Blvd. in Sun Lakes. A Meet & Greet with free lox and bagels, coffee, and doughnuts starts at 9:30 a.m., and the speaker follows at 10 a.m. All are welcome.
Veterans 5-9 provides nighttime and weekend support services to veterans currently in the military or exiting soon and reintegrating from incarceration. Options Veterans 5-9 provides include resources for substance abuse, mental health, food, lodging, and transportation, which are normally only available on weekdays during normal business hours. When the 5 o’clock hour/weekend hits, service providers aren’t available, and veterans are left to fend for themselves.
To help accomplish their mission, Veterans 5-9 partners with various ground-level organizations. “All of our partners have a wealth of resources and talented members ready to help,” states Brown. “Our streamlined process means veterans are assisted immediately and not just told to call another number. The overall goal is to immediately stop the emergency and work on long-term resources to ensure you get over the hump,” Brown tells the veterans. To ensure the veteran has a strong support group, Veterans 5-9 provides a comprehensive follow-up system to provide continuity as they stabilize and rebuild their lives.
Brown provided a perfect example of how Veterans 5-9 works. He was at a spring training game when he got a call from a constable who had to evict a veteran. “The constable gave him our number to call, saying we might be able to assist him. I immediately left the game, put this now homeless veteran in a hotel for a night, and provided food for him and his cat. The next day, we assisted with paying all eviction fees to get them right back into the same apartment. This veteran was very appreciative that he was not left behind,” concluded Brown.
Marcus Brown is a native from Casa Grande, growing up playing sports and hoping one day to make it to the Olympics for track and field. After 9/11, he decided to join the Marine Corps in 2004, completing two tours to the Middle East as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. “I was taught to never leave anyone behind,” claims Brown. “Our work is so impactful, because we work to accomplish this every day,” he concludes.
JWV Post 619, which meets the third Sunday of every month from September to June, boasts members who represent a wide range of religious affiliations and participates in philanthropic activities to help veterans of all faiths. To learn more about JWV activities and membership, contact Arthur Uram at 702-884-4175 or [email protected].