The Freeholder Board will honor 25 homeless veterans by presenting them with the Camden County Service Medal during a ceremony at the Volunteers of America’s Home for the Brave in Camden.
“The Camden County Military Service Medal was created by the Freeholder Board to honor the men and women who have made Camden County proud by serving their country with honor and valor,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Ed McDonnell, liaison to the Camden County Office of Veterans Affairs. “These brave men and women who have proudly worn the uniform of our country are being honored for their dedication to our nation and their undying patriotism.”
Home for the Brave, a service of the Volunteers of America of the Delaware Valley, offers housing and services to homeless veterans throughout Camden County.
“This facility addresses a great need in our region,” McDonnell said. “It provides our veterans with a warm place to stay and services to get them back on their feet.”
Home for the Brave is housed at the Volunteers of America of the Delaware Valley’s Aletha R Wright “Vision of Hope” Center, named for the former freeholder that advocated for the disenfranchised members of our community.
The 30-bed housing facility offers intensive case management with wrap around supportive services including job training and placement, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment and health care. The program provides a five-stage approach with participating veterans acting as mentors to others entering the program.
Volunteers of America of the Delaware Valley provides community-based assistance to populations in need so that they can lead self-fulfilled, independent lives.
Their programs include Community Housing and Supportive Services, Affordable Housing, Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Programs, Re-entry Services, Domestic Violence Programs and Volunteer Services.
Medal Recipients:
Sven C. Ash US Army
Ernest J. Bender USMC
Curtis Bennefield US Army
David B. Branyan USMC
Larry G. Clarkson US Navy
Lemial A. Cox US Army
Brian K. Daniel US Army
Johnnie F. Davis US Army
Reginald G. Delaney Jr. US Army
Robert A. Eschelman US Army
Edward V. Fucci, III US Army
Franklin L. Gellenthin,Jr. USMC
Brian R. Hallock US Army
Dennis J. Hamwright US Army
Anthony J. Mustaro US Army
Joel B. Newby, III US Army
William H. Pendleton Air Force
Robert A. Stange US Navy
Tyrone D. Stanton US Army
DaShawn M. Taylor US Army
Antonia Valdez US Navy
Eric D. Warren US Army
Robert D. White US Air Force
Kenneth R. Wilkerson USMC
Wayne D. Williams US Army
