Eyes that See the Good in Things: Nov. 4, 2019

Veterans Day is a day that is set aside to honor and celebrate the people who have given so much to guarantee our freedom in the United States. This column will tell the stories of two of those veterans and the very different paths their lives have taken them. The two people whose stories are being told don’t even know each other but both have had their lives changed by the Valley Brook Home for Veterans.

The Valley Brook Home for Veterans was a lifesaver for veteran Joe Malcolm. As a matter of fact, he says they gave him his life back. Malcolm grew up on the streets of Manhattan’s Lower East side but now lives at Valley Brook Village, the first supportive housing village for veterans in New Jersey, which is now home to 62 formerly homeless veterans. The village is on a quiet 16-acre corner of the Veterans Administration Medical Center campus.

It was at Valley Book Village that Malcolm saw his first groundhog and where he can finally see the stars at night. More important than that though, “Valley Brook Village provides a safe place for veterans to address the issues that led to their homelessness and provides them with the resources for a successful recovery and the skills to overcome poverty and despair,” said Michael Armstrong, chief executive officer of Community Hope, which partnered with private developers Peabody Properties and Windover Construction to construct the three-building community.

Malcolm, 53, served in the Marines from 1980 to 1984, and was stationed in Lebanon. After he left the service, he was never able to regain the equilibrium in his life and eventually found himself without a home and fighting a tough battle with substance abuse. He told “USA Today” that he was about to give up when, through the VA, (United States Department of Veterans Affairs) he found his way to Valley Brook, where he was one of the first to move into the community that has won national honors.

Malcolm says he still finds it hard to believe that there were people out there who would help but he said the VA gave him a chance and he took it. “I’ve been very fortunate,” said Malcolm. “The difference in my life is like night and day.” He now works for the emergency medical service stationed on the VA campus and, more importantly, he has been clean and sober for four years.

There is a list of more than 100 veterans waiting for a spot in Valley Brook, said property manager Carrie Radice. One of the most important goals of the village, she said, is to help the residents, who range in age from 27 to 95, become independent again. The village offers on-site vocational training, a job placement program, access to counseling, and medical and mental services.

In the main building’s computer room, the residents get help on how to search for jobs, apply for jobs online and how to write a resume, Radice said.The professional management, case managers and maintenance are on-site, she said.

Just as importantly, the village, fully handicapped accessible, offers opportunities for socialization. There is a fitness center and a community center where residents gather to watch sporting events (though each apartment has cable, phone and Internet access). There is also a movie night and holiday celebrations.

The residents prepare meals in their own kitchens, and a minivan is available to take them shopping.The rent remains affordable because the residents receive subsidies through the VA, Radice said. Radice said many residents, like Malcolm, cannot believe their change in circumstance.

“One looked at me and said, ‘Am I no longer homeless?’” she said.

The village has been so successful that Community Hope is going ahead with plans to build a 50-unit community across the road. Many times, Malcolm is on the verge of breaking down when he talks about his rediscovered life at Valley Brook.

“I’m happy now,” Malcolm said. “I just get better and better. Life is good.”

Stacia McDonough, the widow of a New Jersey veteran, was not looking forward to the first holiday season without her husband. McDonough found herself approaching the Christmas holiday with a great deal of sadness. Her husband, John McDonough, had served in the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. Across the span of four years, McDonough’s squadron was deployed in various operations in Saigon, Anloc and Nha Trang.

As she mourned the loss of her husband, McDonough told herself that Christmas is a giving season and decided to channel her sadness into something selfless instead: helping New Jersey veterans in need and was the path that led her to Valley Brook Village.

That was the beginning of McDonough’s annual “They Kept Us Safe, Let’s Keep Them Warm,” winter clothing drive. All donations and gifts directly benefit veterans housed at Valley Brook Village.

In the last several years, the clothing drive has grown exponentially, largely because of the overwhelming and heartwarming response from the community, according to McDonough.

“It’s snowballing and picked up momentum. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would come to this. I hope this year is a banner year. I hope to give them a spectacular Christmas,” said McDonough. And while the community praises her for the work she does, McDonough emphasizes that at the root of her efforts is a simple love story.

“He was my sister’s next-door neighbor and when we met, it was just fireworks. We fell in love. He was my best friend. This was all inspired by him,” said McDonough of her late husband.

When the two were married in 1999, they moved from Monmouth County to Bedminster, where John McDonough died six years later, shortly after Thanksgiving. In that time, as Stacia McDonough learned more about the war from her husband, she said she also witnessed the physical and emotional toll that war takes on those who serve.

“I know deep down inside if it were not for that war, my husband would still be alive,” said McDonough.

It is this loss that has inspired her to work harder year-round, with the help of volunteers, to provide for other veterans like her husband and Joe Malcolm, who gave so much of themselves. Malcolm’s situation has changed exponentially, and it is McDonough’s belief that many people working together can help to do the same in the lives of so many more.

We would love to share local stories about the good things your eyes are seeing.

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