A veteran mid-Missouri lawmaker who was re-elected to his fourth and final term in the House last week is pledging to work once again to try to obtain funding in January 2025 for Columbia’s Welcome Home.
The aim is to help an increasing number of homeless veterans. State Rep. Dave Griffith (R-Jefferson City) is disappointed that Governor Mike Parson, a fellow Republican, has vetoed $1-million for Welcome Home for the past two years. Columbia has a growing number of homeless veterans, and Representative Griffith tells 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that he’s hopeful:
“We tried to address that last year. Actually for the last two years, I tried to get $1-million for Welcome Home there in Columbia, so they can expand their operation there and actually move down to (southwest Missouri’s) Springfield as well,” Griffith tells listeners.
Welcome Home is a veteran homeless shelter on Columbia’s Business Loop. It provides transitional and emergency shelter, permanent housing, job assistance and wrap-around supportive services to at-risk and homeless veterans. Representative Griffith, who is expected to chair the Missouri House Veterans Committee again in January, says the $1-million would be used to expand the house and to help get more Columbia-area homeless veterans off the streets.
Griffith tells listeners that Welcome Home executive director Megan Sievers and her team are doing fabulous work:
“What Megan is doing over there with Welcome Home (in Columbia) is just short of God’s work, in really trying to bring them (veterans) off of the street and get them back into society in a very effective way,” says Griffith.
Governor Parson vetoed the funding because it was not part of his original proposed budget blueprint. Parson leaves office in January, and Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe (R) will be sworn-in then.
You can listen to the full “Wake Up” interview with Representative Griffith here.
