by Hayley McCullough
Daily Lobo
Vietnam veteran Bruce Renolds wouldn't have a bed to sleep in if not for the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center.
"If it wasn't for this place, I would be homeless," Renolds said. "It was a lifesaver."
The boarding house helps homeless veterans get back on their feet by providing services such as housing, food and workforce training, said Amber Boruff, development coordinator for the center.
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"This is place where people want to feel safe," Boruff said. "This is a place where veterans can heal."
The organization, at 6101 Central Ave. N.E., is funded by the state, fundraising and donations, according to its Web site.
The center houses about 75 veterans.
Occupants pay 30 percent of their income, pension or disability compensation as rent and are not charged for utilities, Buroff said.
She said paying rent helps the veterans make the transition from being homeless.
Occupants can stay with the program for two years, but it's not a long-term solution, she said.
Vietnam veteran Patrick Baisley
said the center is unlike any
he's seen.
"In the United States of America, there's not one place that gives more understanding and more help to veterans," he said. "That's why I am so comfortable here."
Carol, who declined to give her last name for safety reasons, is one of two female veterans staying at the center.
"We're not in the best part of town, but we feel safe here," she said. "We're behind locked gates."
Carol said the center changed her life.
"This place is better than being on the street," she said. "I go to my room every night, and I am really thankful for this place."
Boruff said veterans should get more support from the government.
"Charities are having to pick up the slack for our own government," she said. "They fight for our country, and they come back, and they have to rely on charity. I think that's shameful."
The center helps veterans get their lives back together, said Garfield Lopez, a Vietnam veteran who works at the front desk.
"The veterans just need someone to talk to. They need help," he said. "We need to gather all of our resources so we can offer them that."
