July 3, 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga.---Sitting down to read the paper is something Dennis Dunbar enjoys doing, but he'd rather do it in the comfort of his own home.

"Out here in the streets, you go through so much and nobody seems to understand what you're going through. It hurts because they make me feel like I'm unwanted. When I was drafted, I was wanted, now I'm like a used commodity. They no longer need us,"said Dennis, a homeless veteran.

After spending seven years in the army, Dennis has spent the last 11 months homeless.

He went to the Garden City Rescue Mission because he had no where else to go and while many veterans have sought help from local shelters, others have had to resort to staying under underpasses to survive.

Louis Overton knows first hand about doing what it takes for survival.

"I went and pitched a tent by the river and i got some food. I was grateful for the food. I had to have it to survive," said Louis, a homeless veteran.

But the reason both men are without a home is the fact that the government they served won't serve them.

"I've gotten very little assistance from the VA, I've been there and asked for help," said Overton.

"My disability was denied. You have to get a lawyer and fight the government for what's yours and that's a shame," said Dunbar.

But the Garden City Rescue Mission is doing what it can to get these men back on their feet.

So they can celebrate their next 4th at home -- instead of in a shelter.

To donate to the Garden City Rescue Mission you can call at (706)724-6960 or stop by at 828 Fenwick Street in Augusta.