“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
– James A. Garfield
May 30, 1868 Arlington National Cemetery
Memorial Day is a moving observance of all of those that have given everything for the freedom we enjoy every day. In light of this ultimate sacrifice, I am reminded that there are others that have also sacrificed, but are still with us.
As the calendar switched to 2014, my heart began to stir for the cause of the men and women who have served our country but found themselves broken and forgotten on the streets.

As the military downsizes, we are seeing more and more men and women of service on the streets struggling to transition to civilian life.
It is my intention to make sure that these veterans receive the highest level of excellence in services and resources that are available to them as they return home and seek to rebuild their lives and careers. But even more importantly, my hope is to see our veterans restored, healed and counseled in matters of the heart so that they can be the best they can be upon returning home.
In fact, last week, our first veteran moved into the Village of Hope in hopes of serving one who has served our country in such a sacrificial way.

Rob Jewel has joined the Orange County Rescue Mission in the position of Veterans Outreach Care Coordinator.
Rob is a United States Air Force veteran. During his term, Rob was awarded with several awards including the Korean Defense Metal, Air Force Good Conduct Metal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Metal.
While Rob is providing a face to face contact with his experience and meeting homeless vets in their current circumstances on the streets in hopes of helping them under the Rescue Mission’s umbrella of services, our long-term vision is to establish a Veterans Village of Hope program providing over 100 beds.
If you would like to join our initiative to help our veterans, click here to get involved. 
If you encounter any veteran in need please contact Rob directly: Rob.Jewel@rescuemission.org.