text: Guest Opinion: Vets' service deserves our continued gratitude | Richmond Daily News
  Guest Opinion: Vets' service deserves our continued gratitude
  In 2010, I began working toward a special needs housing effort that combines brick and mortar housing with support services to care for the most vulnerable in society – individuals at high risk of homelessness. This group unfortunately includes a large number of veterans. Due to this effort, the state housing commission has approved more than 200 units – such as the Salvation Army Veterans Residence in St. Louis and the Augustine S. Cameron Place recently completed in Kansas City, Mo. – specifically serving veterans. These units provide dignity, growth and independence for those veterans battling substance abuse, suffering from mental illness and working to rebuild after a difficult chapter in their lives.
  Veterans entering the civilian workforce bring with them valuable training and skills. To overlook these qualities, is a disservice to our veterans and a missed opportunity for our economy. These men and women deserve good-paying jobs that reflect the skills they have obtained while in service. I am proud to help veterans start and grow our main street small businesses in Missouri. Through my office's Missouri Linked Deposit Program, I have approved more than $70 million in loans for veteran-owned businesses, impacting more than 1,700 jobs throughout the state. From a dentist's office in northeast Missouri to a construction company in southwest Missouri, I am proud to help veterans improve our communities.