Island Volunteer Caregivers (IVC) Bainbridge Island WA IVC truly great, yet disposes of 76-year ex-Marine and long standing community/youth worker Bainbridge Island WA

IVC truly great, yet falls short here!

Yes, IVC contributes to our Bainbridge Is WA community beyond description.  Still, with sincere respect, it also has a limitation yet to admit and correct.

Consider, if you would, a 76-year male ex-Marine, former teacher, counselor, and community advocate who upon receiving IVC service ... found himself in tears for the first time in 64 years when needing assistance so readily and graciously provided by his IVC volunteer ...  yet alas, only then to be precluded from further IVC help.

Yes, a senior who worked with/for youth in various capacities since 14 gaining a master's in school counseling plus two years training in marriage/family counseling amidst years of his own inner work.   Too, with childhood and military trauma fostering un-employability in 1982 (diagnosed by a VA hospital in 92), therein subsisting on social security, 10% VA disability & HUD since 93 only to become homeless for the first time this past December 2017 continuing to August 5th this year. 

So alas, this past July 2018 upon meeting w/housing officials in Bremerton to procure lodging (needing an IVC ride there given he does not drive now), he was presented w/a 25+ pg 2-sided application to complete. Finding it difficult to read a single page these days, his IVC volunteer thankfully came to his aid.  And yes ... the tears came then for the first time in all those years. 

Thank God, his IVC volunteer was there and readily stepped up to read and fill in the blanks for him to initialize.  Yet alas, it seems owing this incident and a previous call from Maui a month earlier when seeking to return to BI - IVC elected to discontinue service to this former BI resident from 2002-12.

Something seems wrong here.  Yes, he "cried".  And thank God since it's been so long.  And yes, understandable after eight months w/out a home he deeply feared winding up on the street.

What seems so sad now is that he was judged and "disposed" of by IVC owing to the challenge faced that resulted in a measure of anxiety and feeling of helplessness for a time ... from which the tears and needing further help resulted.   He did not become violent, nor injure anyone or any thing, including himself.  

In sum, he has contributed his life from age 14 to the wellbeing of children and community.  In addition to homes, camps and schools, he has addressed school, local and global violence - including of late the growing erosion (read "devolve-ment) of BI's former balance, integrity and "heartfulness" characteristic of the term of "community".

Alas, he does not deserve to be rendered "disposable by IVC" - especially at this point in his life.