Both administration and board of managers are a disgrace to veterans. More so to those veterans who are banned from being able to go on the property to visit friends, because they were once members who got kicked out of the home for what ever reason.
I can understand the bans on the veterans who committed violent acts against the staff or any other person. But when these vets did not lay a finger on anyone and were blowing off steam or for other non violent issues are banned from the property and prevented from visiting friends, the administration again insults and disgraces veterans.
The administration may also be violating their rights.
Rob S, Bill Y, Greg M, Herman J, Mike W, Steve C, Don W, Richard M, are just a few who have been banned from the property for life, for non violent offenses.
There is the Case of Richard M, who was in the Dorm unit, (people who medicate themselves). He came back from the VA in Ann Arbor with medicines for his condition. The home demanded he turn them over to them and wanted to replace them with some thing else. His refusal to turn them over got him discharged and banned. THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
Don Kramer, a well liked DAV volunteer is also banned for life because of one of the staff claiming harassment, when she was the one caught violating the homes rules.
The administration could argue that Greg M threatened violence, but so do many who are still there - he just did it in writing, not at screaming at the top of his lungs 12 inches from their faces. And he never laid a finger on anyone in anger during his 2 year stay at the home. Hes been fighting to get his rights to go visit friends at the home for over 3 years now. The home lets him on property on the days the national charity group Guitars for Veterans, when it meets at the home and teaches vets how to play guitar.
Herman J, was kicked out for refusing to take showers due to a mental condition and the homes violation of not having proper counseling available got him kicked out. Hes never harmed anyone.
Rob S, and Bill Y, both were total drunks and got kicked out for that, yet they never hurt anyone either. Rob was not kicked out when he brought a 5th of vodka into Greg M's and Wayne B's room to give Gary, a 3rd roommate that just got transfered up from Rankin 1. Rob S should have been kicked out that day as the rules stated, but when has this administration ever followed its own rules? Then later he got kicked out, was allowed to return to the home and I am told just recently got kicked out permanently again.
And all are banned from the property. They cannot visit friends during regular visiting hours without fear of being arrested for trespassing.
The only exemption to this is Greg M. He is allowed to attend the Guitars for Veterans class on Wednesday nights. We are guessing that its because its a national charity that uses the home for its meeting place, as Guitars 4 Veterans Grand Rapids Chapter was started there by a non veteran guy called Mark R.
This has been going on for years. Greg M has been seeking to obtain his right to come and visit the guys there for over 2 years. Not sure about the others. Many of them just walk away and write it off as a bad experience. I know I did, when I left - I got tired of being discriminated against - and I left of my own free will from a place that is supposed to be for us veterans.
The guys left at the home feel isolate because no one comes to visit them. These guys who were once part of the Dom unit, try to and cannot. This is not right.
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