Catholic Charities Hawaii offers several programs to help veterans and service members
Special to the Herald
If you visit the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., you will see a large, black granite wall with these words inscribed into the cold, dark canvas: “Freedom is not free.” Our freedom was purchased with sacrifices, with honor, with courage and with lives lost.
However, not all the lives are lost in service to our nation. Sometimes soldiers return and successfully transition back into society, their families and their communities. However, many do not.
On any given night, an estimated 32,495 veterans experience homelessness in the United States.
Many veterans struggle with their mental health. The Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this year released its 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, which provides the most up-to-date data available. The report details that there were 6,398 veteran suicides in 2023, averaging approximately 17.5 deaths per day. Further, approximately 181,000 military veterans are currently incarcerated across federal and state prisons and local jails, making up roughly 8% of state and 5% of federal inmates.
At Catholic Charities Hawaii, we believe in the dignity of the individual. We believe that those who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms that we frequently take for granted — our freedom of speech, our freedom of religion, our freedom to assemble and advocate for social justice — deserve more than a salute, a handshake or a holiday. Veterans and service members who sacrificed so much to serve our nation deserve our help.
Similar to the practice of “accompaniment,” Catholic Charities Hawaii’s Service Members, Veterans and Their Families (SMVF) staff walk alongside veterans in their struggles with compassionate presence as a fundamental duty based on love and respect for those who served. Veterans get a second chance through our wraparound services addressing homelessness; mental health challenges due to traumas such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, moral injury and military sexual assault; and legal issues that impact homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness.
Through our programs, eligible veterans and service members may receive:
Case management, which includes assistance with accessing VA and public benefits, financial literacy education, and help setting goals toward safety and healing.
Housing navigation, which includes help in finding shelter and more stable housing options, landlord mediation and more.
Temporary financial assistance, which includes rental assistance, child care assistance, transportation and more.
To learn more about Catholic Charities Hawaii’s services, please visit https://www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/veteran-services.
About SMVF
Catholic Charities Hawaii’s SMVF team is dedicated to walking alongside veterans with the compassion, respect and care they deserve. Our programs include:
Supportive Services for Veteran Families: Helps veterans and their families obtain or maintain safe, stable housing.
SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program: Offers mental health support, crisis intervention, and peer connection to veterans at risk of suicide.
Legal services: Provides referrals to attorneys to help homeless veterans or those at risk of homelessness with landlord-tenant issues, discharge upgrades and other civil legal issues.
Together, we offer hope, healing and a path forward for our nation’s heroes.
Above: The Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy Catholic Charities Hawaii)