AN OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

MISSION IN CITRUS
INC

Walmart Gives the Mission in Citrus $50,000

to Start Angels on Wheels for Homeless
Veterans
PRESS RELEASE - DEC 8, 2015 09:04 EST

The project is twofold. To send a powerful message to

Washington that no Veteran should be homeless, and to help as
many as possible in the woods and swamps.No Veteran should
be homeless or in need. Unless people are on the front lines ,
they do not see that the homeless Veteran problem is
increasing..Not decreasing as many in Congress would like
people to believe..Americans only have their freedom thanks to many who died , and men
and women who put their lives on the line to protect us.
Walmart seen the vision of Founder and Executive
Wake Up Congress.No Veteran
Director James Sleighter of the Mission in Citrus
Should Ever Be Homeless
Homeless Shelters...An RV capable of serving those in
JAMES SLEIGHTER, FOUNDER
rural America. An RV, purchased with a $50,000 grant
from Walmart, will be used to get humanitarian
supplies to Citrus Countys homeless veterans, inform homeless veterans of benefits and get
data on the homeless population.
The 32-foot RV is making the Mission in Citrus Angels on Wheels program a reality.
There is nothing subtle about the new vehicle serving the homeless veterans and others in
Citrus County Florida. The eye-catching RV arrived last week, and just its outward appearance
has people taking notice. One side depicts the Vietnam War Memorial and the other has an
aircraft carrier with a fighter jet screaming aloft, representing the more recent and current
conflicts.
Other graphics include the emblems of all branches of the military, a flag and a screaming
eagle. Under them are words that underline the Missions purpose: No Veteran Should Be
Homeless.
Six years ago I started working on this project, said James Sleighter, Mission Founder and
Executive Director. This is the answer to my prayer. The big two foot letters are for a good
reason. No one can miss the message. The RV was funded by a $50,000 grant from
the Walmart Foundations State Giving Program, which Sleighter successfully pursued. He
hopes that other corporations will pitch in and support the project. The projects success
depends on continued support.

In the future he plans for the RV to have networking capabilities too, so veterans can apply
for services on the spot. Most homeless veterans are not even aware that help is available...
Overall, he sees the RV as a realistic mobile tool to effectively assist the countys rural
homeless population by reaching out with services. Once proven effective, their hopes are
that many other groups will follow their lead. This is the answer to rural veteran outreach.
Mobile services reach more veterans.
And when it comes to acknowledging the needs and numbers of the countys homeless,
especially homeless veterans, Sleighter is an outspoken critic of the status quo.
The Walmart Foundation is very pleased to be supporting these organizations that play such
an important role in communities across the state, said Jeff Caples, Walmart regional general
manager for North Florida, when the grants to Mission in Citrus and other organizations were
announced. Our mission is to create opportunities so people can live better.
Phase 1 of the Missions program will start at the end of December, when the RV will be used
to provide basic humanitarian aid tents, sleeping bags, medical supplies and emergency
food to the homeless veterans living in the woods. Sleighter explained they will identify the
major camps and areas the homeless veterans can get to and obtain emergency help.
Seventy percent of our effort is for veterans, 30 percent for others, he said. We really want
to help the vets, but we help anybody.
The Mission in Citrus operates a veteran's shelter in Inverness, Florida and has veterans in
their shelters in Crystal River, Florida. They have been helping veterans since 2008.Their
shelters are operated by formerly homeless veterans. Who better to know their needs?
Sleighter has new projects in the works that can house many more veterans than
HUD VASH and other programs that are slow to action. Floridas allocation of Veterans
Affairs HUD-VASH Vouchers only amounted to an average of 11 per county. Virtually making it
impossible to end veteran homelessness.
The dedication will be at the Inverness Walmart at 10 am on December 11th. They have
invited Marco Rubio to see his support for homeless veterans on his own home turf.
Sleighter hopes that many share his message to reach Congress in a big way

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Tags:

Charity, Military, Politics

charity, congress, homeless veterans, mission in

citrus, obama, philanthrophy, politics, va,
veterans, walmart

Company Contact Information

James Sleighter
Mission in Citrus Inc
2488 North Pennslvania Ave, Crystal River
Florida, 34428
352-794-3825

Original Source: www.newswire.com