Swords to Plowshares

An article from Truthout.org featuring Kevin Bartolata tells the story of how he, a highly trained hospital corpsman, ended up homeless on the cold streets of San Francisco not too long after being discharged from the U.S. Navy.

Around July 2004, Bartolata was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an anxiety ailment common to military veterans that can manifest in different ways. Bartolata’s condition resulted in insomnia and depression.

While using his cousin’s computer to browse the internet in search of a job, a classified ad posted on Craigslist.org caught Bartolata’s attention. The Veterans Administration (VA) was seeking veterans with PTSD for a research experiment. Bartolata had been participating in medical trials to earn money for sometime. He was qualified for the study, and began what would turn out to be a life-changing enterprise….

The sixteen-week sessions, combined with the support of VA staff members, helped to get Bartolata back on track. The VA put him in touch with a veterans assistance organization called Swords to Plowshares, a leading provider of emergency housing, job training, legal assistance and case management for veterans.

Swords to Plowshares got him off the street for one month by housing him in a residence hotel. Bartolata jumped at the opportunity and set out to find a job. He got a haircut, put on slacks, a tie and his Navy pea coat, and started lining up interviews.