Jim Miller, 66, served in the Marine Corps and the Navy for 9 years.
He went on to be a Merchant Mariner for 32, but with developing hearing issues he said he couldn’t renew his seaman’s license.
“Right now the biggest issue is getting a job which pays enough for me to live from day to day,” Miller said.
In 2009 he said he was officially homeless, adding that companies he applied to said his military background didn’t qualify him.
For several years he floated between campsites in state forests.
“So you stay there for two weeks at a time and then move to another state forestry area,” Miller said.
In 2016 he found his way to Altoona and crossed paths with the Blair County Community Action Agency, which offers housing programs for vets.
Kyle Easly, a Case Manager with BCCA, is Miller’s mentor who helps him brush up on skills to integrate back into the work-force.
“You know, resume building, job searching, even character building down to things like that,” Easly
The agency is funded by the Veteran’s Administration.
For 2017 the VA is distributing grant money from three other programs, totaling nearly $5 million.
That money is used in several counties in our region including, Blair, Bedford, Cambria, and huntingdon.
According the the BCCA, In 2016 veterans made up 8.5% of the homeless population, significantly less than in 2012 at 23%.
Miller said funding undoubtedly helps but it’s not the answer.
“I don’t want a handout. I want somebody to let me have a job that pays enough that I can live from day to day as opposed to subsist from day to day,” Miller said.
He’s currently working part-time but said he’s stuck at a minimum wage.
“At 66 I’m making minimum wage and I don’t have a savings account. And it just pisses me off,” Miller said.
His frustration stems from financial stress, but also a broken heart.
He said he’s trying to save money to re-join his fiance in Ghana.
Sergio Carmona, the Executive Director at BCCA, said his office has helped about 150 veterans in four years.
“There’s a misconception that veterans are all either on drugs or drinking heavily and that leads to their homelessness,” Carmona said.
Miller agrees those issues exist, but it’s not a fair assumption for all veterans.
“Jim has been a really working on getting out of where he’s at. He’s been climbing the ladder. That’s the goal to show them the ladder and then they’ll climb it for themselves,” Easly said.
“I’m very grateful to the agency that has given me an opportunity to work but it’s not enough for me to live on,” Miller said.
Meanwhile, he said he’s working on getting his commercial license that could lead him to a steady income.
He said he regrets not taking advantage of GI Bill, which could have possibly made him more marketable for higher paying jobs.
He thinks positions beyond entry level should be available to veterans regardless.
If a position requires training he said he wants anyone hiring to know despite their military background or jobs in the service, they can be trained for other positions that come with high wages.
