Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy visited the White House this week to be honored by First Lady Michelle Obama for the city’s work to house homeless veterans.
Mayor Piercy was joined in her White House visit by Lane County Commissioner Pat Farr, City Manager John Ruiz and Terry McDonald, Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul, all of whom partnered to get vets into housing. The First Lady issued the Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness in 2014. In Lane County more than 400 vets were housed. Piercy says Obama urged the group, which included officials from dozens of other cities, to keep doing what they’re doing.
“She said monuments and parades are good." Piercy says, "But there’s nothing that shows more respect for our vets than being sure they have a home to live in.”
Piercy says the work to end veteran homelessness is still underway in Lane County.
