Slidell businessman, disabled vet accept challenge to help homeless veterans
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Chuck Sabadie has taken on some pretty big challenges in his life, and it looks like he has saved the biggest one for last.
The longtime Slidell businessman has a track record for getting things done, both professionally and as a community leader, and now Sabadie has partnered with U.S. Army veteran George Renaker to form Vets Way Home, a non-profit that is taking on the huge task of getting houses built for many of the homeless veterans in our community and beyond.
Sabadie’s record of success began in the 1980s when he headed to California in his younger years as a financial services specialist, building one of the biggest teacher retirement plans ever while working for A.L. Williams, completing the job after nine years after he built a staff of 400 associates and had over 5,000 clients.
Since coming back to Slidell in 1993, Sabadie has continued his financial services work here with partner Jay Badeaux through The Sabadie Group, but through it all, has always focused his personal life on helping others, specifically three groups of people: teachers, nurses and veterans.
Sabadie personally headed the work that brought a Veteran’s Day Parade to Slidell for many years, then in 2007 founded the annual Veteran’s Appreciation Dinner that he holds each Veteran’s Day.
He met Renaker last year and was told about the plan by the 14-year disabled veteran to find a way to build houses for homeless veterans who can be found in most communities across the country.
“The task we endeavor to accomplish is not insurmountable, but it is not a simple one nor will it be accomplished quickly,” Renaker said. “Once we show that the process can be replicated and is sustainable, we can offer proof of the success of our program, which should bring additional support.”
Since forming the non-profit last year, Renaker connected with Sabadie, who is now fully committed to the plan. And as big as the undertaking may appear, the twosome has a formula they believe is something that can be achieved, starting with one home at a time.
Renaker sees funding coming from the state VFW groups, as well as American Legion organizations, which should encourage other non-profits, businesses and individuals to donate. He recently spoke to the Ozone Belt VFW Post 5735 in Slidell, which wrote out the first check to the group for $1,000.
While Renaker has the passion to understand the veteran side of the equation, Sabadie has the talent to head something as ambitious as this. And like he has done previously through his work, or through community projects, the longtime businessman seemed unfazed by the magnitude of the challenge.
“Like my dad always said to me, when you face something big you put your head down, show up each day and work till you get to the goal,” he said. “It may sound simple, but that is how this can be accomplished. We have a plan, and once we execute it the first time and show we can repeat it, I believe the support will grow for what we want to do.”
The homeless veteran situation is well documented in the country. The United Council on Homelessness said there are approximately 40,000 homeless veterans living on the streets in this country, with Louisiana experiencing over 2,900 on any given day.
Renaker, who suffered a severe mental and physically disabling injury when he was in Iraq—his third deployment to a war zone—was so badly injured that he spent two years in a military hospital before finally getting out in 2010. He knows full well the challenges veterans face when returning from war.
“It’s very hard to transition back into civilian life and try to live normally when you faced all the things many of our veterans faced,” he said. “And while there is a lot of help out there, I personally found that it’s harder to access than you might think.
“Many veterans get frustrated with the red tape and give up, and then many end up on the street or committing suicide,” he said. “If we can provide them a stable home life, and support to help them live, we can reduce the suicide numbers and get a lot of homeless people off the street.”
Step number one for Vets Way Home was to create a plan of how they would build the homes in an affordable way, but also to provide a support system so veterans are able to live on their own.
“We plan to have an entire social services program in place that will ensure they get the right services they need, whether it be mental or physical health care, financial assistance, counseling—we will take each case one at a time and assess the veteran to be sure we don’t set them up for failure,” Renaker explained.
Now that Sabadie is on board, a connection that was made when Renaker was invited to a Bible Study that Sabadie attended, the two have been working overtime to move the plan forward. First up is to find land for the homes in the Slidell area, where they will first have a five-unit modular home built as a transitional stop for the veterans. There they will be assessed to see what their needs are.
From there, homes will be constructed for whatever the need, individual or for a family, most probably through a more inexpensive modular home company that can keep the cost per home at a reasonable amount.
“We think we can do the homes in the $120,000 to $150,000 range each, depending on whether it is a single veteran or a family,” Sabadie said.
Renaker is now off and running to present the plan to different groups and has already had meetings with the Louisiana VFW Commander, who has expressed support since he said most local VFW’s have funds they put away for housing assistance to veterans. Renaker recently was the guest speaker to the state meeting.
“If we are able to draw from those funds from every VFW in the state, and hopefully a similar situation with all the American Legion groups, we could build a lot of homes,” Renaker noted. “Then we hope to take the program to other states.”
The homeless situation for veterans is so critical that suicides have been far above average for that group. There is currently an average of 22 suicides a day nationally among veterans.
Renaker said they will find the most needy situations by working with Veteran’s Affairs in the Slidell and New Orleans area, which deals directly with veterans needing help.
“They will immediately know who the veterans are that are facing the most critical situations,” he said.
Sabadie, who has always had a passion to help veterans, believes the story told by Renaker, a disabled veteran himself, is the key to gaining support.
“If we continue to communicate this story, with George telling it since he is the veteran who best understands, I think we will see genuine enthusiasm for this program grow,” Sabadie said. “There is a tremendous need here, and there can’t be a better cause than helping the men and women who defended the freedoms we all enjoy.”
The program will begin by offering assistance to 100 percent combat disabled veterans.
If you would like to support the program in any way, contact Sabadie at 504-251-8361 or e-mail him at:
chucksabadie@gmail.com