St. Colette’s Paul Daniel and Gary Hinkle mentor fellow vets adjusting to civilian life
Gary Hinkle, left, and Paul Daniel, veterans and parishioners of St. Colette Parish in Livonia, are recruiting fellow veterans to volunteer with the Veterans Court, which helps mentor servicemen and servicewomen who find trouble transitioning to civilian life.Dan Meloy | The Michigan Catholic
Redford Township — Twenty-two. Every day in America, there are 22 veterans who commit suicide. Each and every day.
The numbers are a stark, grim reminder that the cost of war doesn’t end when Marines, soldiers, airmen and sailors return home from active duty, but it’s also a reminder that more needs to be done in caring for those who served their country.
Two St. Colette parishioners in Livonia have found their own way of helping by listening, caring and simply being there.
Two years ago, Paul Daniel started an “Adopt a Veteran” program at St. Colette Parish with the help of the local Knights of Columbus. After looking for veterans to help returning servicemen and servicewomen make the transition back to life at home, Daniel discovered the work of the Veterans Court, a court specifically designed for veterans who run into problems with the law.
“I reached out to the VFW for help for my Adopt a Veteran program,” Daniel said. “The post commander of the VFW told me about the Veterans Court, and how they need help with their mentoring program.”
Daniel got in touch with the 17th District Court in Redford Township, which hears cases once a month from veterans who struggle with drug addiction, unemployment, post-traumatic stress disorder and legal trouble as they transition from active military service.
“We attend court sessions that the court expects them to show up to when they get in trouble,” Daniel said. “We show them some tough love, guide them through 18 months of the classes the court orders them to attend. We act like counselors, friends, even waste baskets sometimes. We give advice and better alternatives to some of bad behaviors from the past.”
Daniel served in the Michigan National Guard in the 1970s, and said the program is successful because veterans are paired with fellow veterans who can better relate to their difficult situations.
“A lot of them realize we speak the same language; we all served our country and we understand our situation better than the average American,” Daniel said. “Three years ago, I read articles about the VA and how the current system was negligent as far as satisfying the needs of veterans. People were dying, waiting for treatment. I figured I can’t solve the whole thing, but I can make a difference with one person.”
Mentors involved with the Veterans Court meet at least once a week with their mentor, talking about their daily lives and struggles, where they need help in adjusting and ways people can assist them in finding a job, staying off drugs and finding a stable place to live.
With the help of the Knights of Columbus, Daniel even helped organized the purchase of bicycles for veterans who had their driver’s licenses suspended, so they could get to work and go to the grocery store.
Gary Hinkle, left, and Paul Daniel stand in the courtroom of Judge Karen Khalil of the Veterans Court in Redford Township. Hinkle and Daniel, parishioners of St. Colette Parish in Livonia, volunteer to mentor fellow veterans at the court, which meets once a month.Dan Meloy | The Michigan Catholic
Daniel recruits members from St. Colette and other parishes to become mentors, including Army veteran Gary Hinkle, who now mentors four veterans with the Veterans Court.
“There’s one gentleman, who feels like the world is against him,” Hinkle said of one of his mentees. “He has very few friends, but I’m there to help. He called me one day and said he’s been sober for one year, but then he took a drink, and I went right over there.”
Hinkle served on the East-West German border during the Vietnam War, but he saw how many Vietnam vets were ignored when they returned home.
“It was all the turmoil from all the people ignoring the Vietnam vets,” Hinkle said. “Now we have people supporting the Gulf War vets more, but that disconnect is still there. There is a sense of ‘let’s get back to normal life’ from the civilian population, but some vets aren’t ready to do that.”
Hinkle said it’s hard to group veterans into one category in terms of the issues they face, which is why there’s a need for more volunteers to assist the Veterans Court.
“We got to other Knights of Columbus councils, putting on programs about what we do and the Veterans Court,” Hinkle said. “Unfortunately, we’ve had very little in terms of responses. A lot of these guys are in trouble with the law, with alcohol, because they have nobody that will listen to them. That’s why we need more help. We need more people to care about these guys who do so much for all of us.”
Adopt a Veteran
Contact Paul Daniel at [email protected] to learn more about the “Adopt a Veteran” program, and visit www.17thvetmentorsredford.co to learn more about how to volunteer for the 17th District Veterans Court or visit your local district court’s website and ask about becoming a mentor for vets.
