On this Veterans Day, let us all pause to reflect on our nation’s veterans, who embody a sacrificial spirit for the rest of America, defending freedoms that allow us to live our faith openly, gather in worship, and pursue the common good.
Yet in New York City, the treatment of these heroes too often falls short of the dignity and gratitude they deserve, revealing a troubling misalignment in our civic priorities. Meanwhile, there are inspiring examples from the private sector that remind us of the transformative power of committed action.
The city’s latest budget, adopted unanimously by the City Council at $116 billion, allocates just $5.9 million to the Department of Veterans’ Services, which amounts to a stark 9% cut from the previous year.
Programs under Veterans Services Initiatives remain flat-funded at $3.37 million, covering essentials such as homelessness prevention ($340,000), job placement ($200,000), legal aid ($600,000), mental health ($420,000), resource centers ($540,000), and community development ($1.27 million).
These budgetary cuts amid rising social needs signal a bona fide neglect.
Veteran homelessness in the five boroughs persists, with many unsheltered and ineligible for federal aid, underscoring the urgency for sustained investment as overall crises deepen. Catholic teaching affirms the inherent dignity of every person, calling us to stand with the vulnerable, especially those who have borne the wounds of service, visible and invisible.
We owe veterans not mere words of thanks, but active support: fulfilling our duty to just taxation for the common good and promoting initiatives that restore body, mind, and soul.
Yet when resources flow abundantly to other areas — such as $54.5 million for just immigration legal services — while core veteran operations shrink, we must ask: Are we doing right by our veterans?
This is not a rejection of compassion for newcomers, whom our faith calls us to welcome, but a plea for moral ordering: veterans, as citizens who risked so much for this country, all hold a unique claim on our care.
Amid these budgetary shortcomings, organizations like the Tunnel to Towers Foundation illuminate the path forward, embodying solidarity in action.
CEO Frank Siller, driven by a faith-inspired mission — “God put us on a path, and we just have to follow it” — has led efforts to lift over 17,000 homeless veterans off the streets in recent years, providing not only shelter, but also comprehensive services including job placement and family support.
The foundation has built nearly 2,000 mortgage-free homes for military families and first responders, including “smart homes” tailored for the critically injured.
Churches and Catholic charity organizations have long stepped in where government falters, offering spiritual accompaniment alongside practical aid.
However, subsidiarity requires that civic leaders take the lead in expanding holistic programs that integrate private innovations with public resources.
Let NYC’s policymakers heed this Veterans Day as a summons to repentance and resolve: Increase funding for veteran services, prioritize the homeless warrior on the street, and collaborate with groups like Tunnel to Towers to ensure no one who fought for us is left behind.
Pope Francis said during a February homily that he “would encourage” officers and members of the military to “never to lose sight of the purpose of your service and all your activity, which is to promote life, to save lives, to be a constant defender of life.”
In that same spirit, it becomes our duty — as Catholics and as a community — to honor and care for the lives of veterans, especially when they are in need, recognizing that supporting them is a direct way of continuing to defend and cherish the gift of life they fought to protect in the first place.