Over 100 Volunteers Band Together To Renovate Home For Homeless Veterans In Aurora.

April 28, 2011 - PRLog -- Hope for Tomorrow, Inc. (HFT) is a not-for-profit, social services organization operating in Aurora, Illinois, providing a recovery home treatment approach that deals with adult men and women with homelessness, mental health disorders (including PTSD and depression), and chronic substance abuse issues.  HFT, founded in 1999 by Jeff and Janet Gilbert, currently operates 5 recovery homes (37 beds) in the area and is dedicated to expanding housing and rehabilitation opportunities in the greater Chicagoland area.  

“Of particular concern to us here at Hope for Tomorrow, is the plight of our returning US veterans from the battlefields in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya,” says Mr. Gilbert, the executive and clinical director of the program.  “Therefore, we have placed special emphasis on the placement of US Veterans in our programming.”  In 2008, HFT designated its Hartford I Home as a veterans’ care recovery home allowing preferential placement of US Veterans in an 8-bed facility.  Following that, HFT’s U.S. VETCare Program was established and in 2010 Opportunity House was acquired through a Community Development Block Grant from the City of Aurora and will ultimately provide another 14 beds dedicated to U.S. Veterans.  

Hope for Tomorrow has partnered with Rebuilding Together Aurora to help get Opportunity House up and running.  THIS SAT., APRIL 30TH & THEN AGAIN ON SAT., May 7TH, FROM (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), OVER 100 VOLUNTEERS from Rebuilding Together Aurora, Sear’s, and local churches will donate their time and expertise to help make “Opportunity House” (469 N. LAKE STREET, AURORA, IL 60506) a reality for our veterans.

According to the Disabled American Veterans’ own annual report for 2009 (www.dav.org), approximately 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and about twice that number experience homelessness during any given year. More than half of the homeless veterans are living with a disability and one out of four homeless Americans is a military veteran.  Additionally, combat experiences have been linked to increased post deployment psychiatric morbidity, especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and substance use disorders (Possemato et al., 2010).  

“We see our mission at Hope for Tomorrow as teaching individuals with homelessness, mental health disorders and chronic substance abuse issues how to successfully and permanently reintegrate into society,” explains Mr. Gilbert.  He adds “Hope for Tomorrow is committed to the belief that incorporating a comprehensive, recovery home approach to the treatment of homelessness and addictive disorders produces an accountable, responsible, productive, and self-sufficient lifestyle that benefits not only the individual, but all of society.”

Hope for Tomorrow is licensed by the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (DASA) to provide licensed Recovery Home beds to 52 men and women and alcohol and substance abuse issues.  Hope for Tomorrow’s belief is that in order to fully recover from a hopeless state of mind and soul individuals must “Build their lives around recovery instead of building recovery around their lives”®; thereby remaining cognizant that every aspect of the client’s life must revolve around their recovery program.  “We at Hope for Tomorrow are always excited to expand our services in any way possible,” explains Mr. Gilbert, “but especially so when it involves our own American Heroes.  We appreciate all the support we can get!”

For details, call Jeff Gilbert at 630-209-3442 or visit us at: www.hopefortomorrow.net

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Hope for Tomorrow, Inc. (HFT) is a not-for-profit, social services organization operating in Aurora, Illinois, providing a recovery home treatment approach that deals with adult men and women with homelessness, mental health disorders (including PTSD and depression), and chronic substance abuse issues. HFT, founded in 1999 by Jeff and Janet Gilbert, currently operates 5 recovery homes (37 beds) in the area and is dedicated to expanding housing and rehabilitation opportunities in the greater Chicagoland area.