Shane D'Onofrio, N.M. Veteran, Uses His Disability Check To House Homeless Veterans

It's an understatement to say that Navy veteran Shane D'Onofrio would give the shirt off his back for his fellow servicemen.

The Rio Rancho, N.M. veteran actually dedicates his income to vets in need, according to KOAT.com. D'Onofrio reinvests his disability check -- about $1,700 each month -- back into What Would U Give, a nonprofit he started a few years ago designed to help other disabled veterans get off the streets while building community development and helping veterans achieve their after-military life goals.

"The idea was, why don't we start something here locally to help our veterans, brothers and sisters, that are on the street?" D'Onofrio told the news source. "And find them a place to live."

New Mexico is home to about 5,000 homeless veterans, but D'Onofrio hopes that by letting the veterans explore their avenues of interest at the housing facility will result in a successful move into employment, and out of homelessness.

"We're trying to find what their niche is and let basically emphasize, push them forward to it," D'Onofrio told KOAT.com.

Still, D'Onofrio isn't the only veteran taking that bond of service seriously. Many like him are drawn to the continuation of service work through the skills they gained while in the military.

"[Veterans] don't want to drink beer and share war stories in some dark beer hall," William McNulty, a Marine who co-founded the disaster-relief nonprofit Team Rubicon, told The Huffington Post. "What they do want to do is continue their service."

To get involved with D'Onofrio's nonprofit, click here, and to find out about more opportunities to support veterans, click here.

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[Judy Schiller]

06:40 AM on 01/20/2012

Its a shame our veterans are homeless, after going to war to fight for our country. What is wrong with our goverment, with not helping our people in saving there homes and there jobs??? ITS all about GREED and the hell with the American people anymore, from the so called politicians in the white house. Do we see any of them on the streets homeless and freezing or starving, hell no there to busy lining there pockets with more of the Americans money. tax tax tax everything. its disgusting to see what our country has become!!

[Jim Pasterczyk]

06:27 AM on 01/12/2012

Keep in mind Republicans denigrate altruism.

[firstamendment3]

05:50 PM on 01/11/2012

Vets certainly can't rely on the VA to help fix things.

[TheBlueCoyote]

01:25 AM on 01/12/2012

On the contrary there are abundant resources available to vets, the problem is getting them to take advantage of them. Lot's of homeless vets have substance abuse and mental health issues and are unwilling to make the changes to get off the street. Any VA Hospital can and will address these issues and will put them up in a DOM while they get free health care, meals, and housing until they have a job and savings to go out on their own. Not all VA Hospitals have DOMs but they will ship vets to the nearest one. There is a DOM at the Albuquerque VA Hospital, but the beds are limited and their is a waiting list, so I salute Shane for seeing a need and acting on it. Homeless policy is a complicated issue often acted on arbitrarily; some towns simply ship their problem to other communities, while others take a more pro-active stance and work for long-term solutions. P.S. I'm a Vet who got his life back together at the Albuquerque DOM, and I will always be grateful to the staff there and the VA. Now I live in Hawaii and volunteer at the VA here.

[Counter Sniper]

01:52 AM on 01/12/2012

Unfortunately it depends on the people working at the VA and how informative they want to be.

I've received great caring service and found out about services I didnt know about and on other occasions I received horrible service from people with attitudes who were about as helpful as a case of gonorrhea.

It really depends on where you go and who you see and what they are willing to do.

I am a Disabled Infantry Combat Veteran who also suffered immeasurably and climbed out of HELL with the VA's help but I had to sometimes fight for that help.

[Youcantstandthetruth]

07:47 AM on 01/12/2012

Thank You for your service, and your comments.

[excab2]

05:29 PM on 01/11/2012

May God Bless You In All Good Ways Shane for your goodness, kindness to your brothers and sisters who have served to defend our country.

Saw a young man today walking up Riverside Avenue with his blankets that keeps him at night as it gets really cold here. We do not have snow and not much rain so far but guy looked exhausted. Wasn't old enough to be a vet but he was homeless. Makes you thankful that you are not.

Where are the benefits from the government for these service men and women? I want to know.

[Claudia L]

04:03 PM on 01/11/2012

It can't just stop with Albert. They don't have enough people in the government to process the disabled VETs and they like it that way. I know my son's a wounded Vet. Not disabled. Can't even get his regular VET promises.

[excab2]

05:33 PM on 01/11/2012

Well, Claudia, pull in some people, train them to fill out the forms for our disabled VETs and get the ball rolling. It is almost worse than dumping your unwanted animals off on the road and hoping that somebody will come along and pick them up and feed them.

Time to start be responsible for our men and women who put their lives on the line for all of us. Enough to make you hopping mad.

[Claudia L]

05:46 PM on 01/11/2012

You got me hopping. F&F

[pamelagoodenough]

12:24 AM on 01/12/2012

Me too!

[excab2]

11:27 AM on 01/12/2012

Well, Claudia, then it is about time to get some retraining involved. Give some people an incentive to get up in the morning and go to work. Actually do some good. Guess they can't outsource it to China or the Phillippines. Wouldn't work. If we are not careful, there will be tent cities from here to Kingdom Come.

[Claudia L]

12:02 PM on 01/12/2012

I just see us becoming a 3rd world country. I've been trying - volunteer at school, fight with the VA even fight my own town council. Kids in high school already talk about graduation and getting stuck with their college bills and no jobs. My other son is a surveyor but is working in a kitchen. Has a job and a1/2 and is still making 1/2 of what he used to make 2 years ago. My husband is a Merchant Marine and lost his job to some guy from Honduras for 18 months thanks to NAFTA. It's every man for himself it seems. No one really represents the middle class. We are becoming a class of people with nothing to lose. NO ONE HAS A PLAN.

[Darrion Beckles]

03:35 PM on 01/11/2012

A real American.

[keith1963]

02:22 PM on 01/11/2012

Bless you Shane!!!

[marinemomof3]

10:59 AM on 01/11/2012

http://whatwouldugive.org/

There are many organizations helping our homeless Veterans. In San Diego we have Veterans for Peace, Hugh Thompson Chapter #91, handing out sleeping bags and poncho's with toiletry packs.

http://www.sdvfp.org/

Please check an organization near you and donate a few dollars or what ever you can.
The Veterans who are homeless appreciate it !

[akrazyrunner]

10:49 AM on 01/11/2012

In answer to Bonnie Tyler, I think we found a hero

[AztecSezWhut]

09:52 AM on 01/11/2012

I spell Shane D'Onofrio: H-E-R-O!!!