Today we’d like to introduce you to Marna Coleman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was once a homeless veteran for almost 2 years. I deployed to Afghanistan and returned home to all of my items in my home gone and nothing but my car. My oldest son and I lived downtown in my car for a year and a half. I worked a job for Schnucks and made $7.25 an hour and I was a recipient of food stamps. I had no resources, no assistance, and no way of knowing how to get off of the streets. We would move from family members’ house to the next house but could not rely on my family because they too were in a financial bind. One day, after sleeping in the car with my six-month-old son, I came out of the food stamp office and my car was being towed. I had to kick into overdrive and go to every place that would help a disabled homeless veteran with a child. I started out at the St. Patrick Center and was referred to Employment Connections, which they helped me in my housing success story today.
I want others to build from my success story, because I am now married with two beautiful sons, and I have had the opportunity to work in Congresswoman Cori Bush’s office. As Rep. Bush’s Executive Assistant, I got the privilege of helping to contribute to ending homelessness. There are so many other success stories out there just waiting to happen, they just need your help and support. I created “Meals N Wheels” because I met so many people on the streets that faced my same predicament. “Meals N Wheels” is a nonprofit corporation built to assist Ground Zero unsheltered veterans. We operate throughout the St. Louis city and county areas feeding the unhoused with hot and cold meals. We are currently creating a case management plan for those veteran, women and children that face homelessness on a recurring basis. We assist them with financial literacy and job readiness, and we receive gently used clothing and shoes for interviews.
“Meals N Wheels” has been operating since February 2020. My team and I believe that we cause an impact every time we go into the community and help those suffering from homelessness, violence and/or drug abuse. Our case management program will extend out six to nine months, working with homeless veterans and families to reintegrate them back into society. This program is built around educational seminars, such as, disability benefits, financial assistance, employment education, home ownership, and renter versus landlord education.
There are about 480 veterans homeless on the street on any given night, and about 1000 homeless individuals and families on the street on any given night. We would like for the opportunity to open up a Ground Zero 24 emergency shelter for the unhoused currently sleeping outside. Every year we have homeless individuals freeze to death from hypothermia. That is why we are creating opportunities for the unhoused veteran community to be re-integrated back into society and corporate America.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have been running smooth with the intent to accomplish the organizations’ goal, and that is to feed, clothe and house the unhoused community. We are currently looking to retain funding to help with the building of the Ground Zero 24-hour shelter. We need people to hear our story and believe in what we are doing. This shelter will help the St. Louis area tremendously. There is a little under $1 million dollars in funding that our city has received for the unhoused community through the Cares Act. We want to be able to reach different people and organization with our mission, to help support the fight to end homelessness. This shelter will allow us to house at least 20-30 unhoused veteran, women and children, allowing them eight hours of rest in order to function adequately. It also allows us the ability to make three hot meals a day for those that suffer from food insecurities.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a retired Military Police officer of ten years, for the US Army and was deployed to different combat zones and was once an unhoused veteran. I have worked as an Assistant for about seven years in the civilian life, and I understand how hard it is to function in society as a veteran. I obtained my bachelor’s degree from an HBCU in St. Louis, MO, Harris Stowe State University, my hometown. I am in many different organizations, a member of NAACP, National Society of Leadership and Success, National Society of Black Engineers, Thelma V Cook Institute and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., to name a few.
Any big plans?
Our plan in the future is to build a 24-hour emergency shelter and implement a case management program that assists in the re-integration of unhoused veteran, women and children back into society. We also have a lot of fundraising events coming up in the near future, “THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITIES” TABLE TALK, a Networking Social and a Ball is in the making. Make sure to check out our website for any upcoming events. https://www.mealsnwheels.org/home
Pricing:
- Donations are as little as $10
- Membership fees are between $100-$150
Contact Info:
- Email: info@mealsnwheels.net
- Website: https://www.mealsnwheels.org/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veteran_meals_20/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mealsnwheels2020
