Please sign this petition to help our homeless Veterans....

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I don't know if you have been following the info about the VOP in Tucson AZ. When I started hearing about it, it was very confusing with two totally different story lines. So I went down there to see for myself.

This is solely based on my personal experience. With everything on the "news" I didn't even know that Lewis and friends had been operating a volunteer donation run homeless Veteran camp for 3 years. The land was donated to them, for this cause.

I was more interested in what Lewis had found in the desert, and wanted to weed through the crap that was circulating on the internet.

What I didn't expect was to have my heart truly opened by what the original mission was...

22 Veteran suicides per day in the US.

So they got a group of beautiful people together and made this camp. It has housing for males, females, Veterans and even allows for families to stay together (which is almost unheard of in shelters.)

It is military style housing (tents) with a Rec room (with a/c!!!!), kitchen and patio tables for the residents to gather at.

Every day they go out in the elements to find those who are living in washes and in the desert and let them know they have a place to go to.

When I was there, I attended their Sunday community meeting. They are asked to live by a set of rules and inspired to be a part of the community. Even the recycling of water bottles was addressed. The residents cook, and clean up the camp. There was a sweet man in a wheel chair who liked to rake the yard.

They helped each other. No one was looked down on. One of the women who was just put into housing this week, ran the free clothing shop set up in the front.

There is a table outside where water and food are available for anyone who needs it. And they go out and offer water to those living in the desert, even if they don't want to go back to camp.

I thought this was the most amazing model of a homeless camp that I have ever seen. And it was SAFE.

At the time, they were averaging about 29 homeless a month. Their goal is to move them into permanent housing.

They have volunteers who drive them to appointments with the city, state and other groups who provide help. And they have been working and developing relationships with these programs for 3 years. There has never been a problem with the camp itself. Only with what Lewis is now pursuing.

In mentioning that - as of now - Lewis has cut all ties with Bravo Camp - "Camp Conklin" because they are being attacked for what he is doing. And it means enough to him to walk away, and leave it in the hands of his friends who are and have been running it.

The City is going after the homeless Veterans Camp to get to Lewis.

~Sigh.

Every time I drive through the city, and see our Homeless Veterans forgotten about by our Country, I have always wished there was something more I could do.



There is something to be said for providing shelter and food to those who believe the world has given up on them. Yet to bring them in to a community that they can be a part of is the most amazing gift we can give.