Nadia McCaffrey has adopted more veterans than I can remember. I was contacted by her after a post I did way back in 2005 because of this article I read on
One Mother's War.
Veterans Village started because her son died in combat. That's the way most things start.
The grief causes a lot of people to seek something to do with their lives that will make up for the loss the world suffered. Yes, the world. Each of us have something we are supposed to do on this planet we live on. Some are supposed to do things on a grand scale, getting money, power and attention to find support for what they are supposed to do while others are supposed to work on a small scale. Nadia is one of that type of hero.
No less important than all the other charities out there screaming "look at me" and "give me your money" while they never say a thing about what they are doing with all your money. You never really see them doing much at all while they talk about the issues veterans face, pull at your heart with their commercials, stuff sold at the Walgreens with their logo on it, they get your money for "raising awareness" and you know exactly what group I'm talking about but not interested in giving them any more free press. But people like Nadia are more about doing the good work and reliving suffering of our veterans than relieving you of what's in your wallet.
The problem is in doing what she has done is few think about her and supporting the work she does because the reality in this country is veterans are usually last on the list of things to do. Oh, sure we can line some streets in our home towns when heroes like her son Patrick come home in a casket with a flag covering it. We can show up when there is a local fundraiser for a triple amputee
Green Beret SFC. Josh Burnette but everyday there are more and more no one ever hears about.
They end up homeless in the very country they risked their lives for. In an odd way, their very sense of selflessness that caused them to set aside everything for us, is what keeps them from asking us for help. Most are suffering from PTSD. When the military loves to point out that military suicides are more connected to relationship problem and financial hardships, they never seem to mention the fact that less than half of the veterans needing help for PTSD ask for it, so that in turn means that less than half are diagnosed with it. If they don't seek help to heal, then they are passed off as not suffering due to military service. Reporters never seem to know enough about PTSD to understand that. It still causes relationship problems and financial issues diagnosed or not. Families cannot understand and deal with the actions of these veterans, so they end up homeless and supportless.
Nadia tried to do something about it and now the bank took the home she had established to give these veterans a loving home they not only needed, but earned. What happened to her is just one more example of the people doing the work to help our veterans more than raise funds are suffering.
This notice came in from Facebook.
Nadia's son, Patrick was ambushed and killed in Iraq.
Since then, Nadia has turned Patrick's home in Tracy, CA into a Veteran's safe place...taking in homeless veterans, especially those with PTSD. She has done this completely on her own.
With the downturn of the economy, and the added expenses, Nadia was selling the home to one of our veterans who agreed to carry on the legacy of Patrick's home.
All the paperwork was submitted and the home was set for a "short-sale."
This morning at 10am, Nadia was notified that the home was sold by the bank...no notice, just sold right out from under her and the veteran.
She has more details and can provide you with the back story.
As for a SD tie in, Patrick's widow and children reside in Oceanside...in fact, Patrick is buried just outside of Camp Pendleton.
On Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 4:33 PM, Eve P-A wrote:
Nadia McCaffrey is the mother of fallen war soldier Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey (June 2004) featured in several articles since his untimely departure from: Democracy Now, LA Times: "A Mother's War" and a national figure person. Nadia is a mom to us, veterans like myself (I am a disabled veteran of the Gulf War Era), in which we come to Nadia often times in need of motherly love and support. It pains me to write that since Patrick's death, his home has been a healing space and place for homeless and sick veterans who have come to Patrick's house to be loved and cared for my Nadia. Her void and loss has been caring for us veterans.
Nadia has helped over dozens of men and women in the home she is not about to lose, because the house went into foreclosure, and today, My dearest Nadia called me to tell me that the bank sold the house from "under her in an auction", knowing that they were negotiating a sale with one of the veterans who still resides in "the house that belong to our hero's".
She is currently in touch with a couple of larger TV stations and people who have done articles on her, but she needs someone to eloquently tell the brutal face of what the banks are still doing to our fallen heroes!
You can do something to help Nadia. Sign the petition on Change.org!
Save a war heroes home for veterans
