‘These Are My Brothers and Sisters’
For Will Sanchez, a Registered Nurse and Army Veteran who cares for Veterans transitioning out of homelessness, every day is completely different.
He visits Veterans in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and newly rented apartments – unpredictable and intimate settings.
He meets his patients wherever they are, and through kindness, humor, and attentive clinical care, he works to earn their trust.
“In their homes, there’s nothing to hide,” he said. “You get a broader perspective of what their needs are. Sometimes they’re in brand-new apartments, but they’re still sleeping on cardboard on the floor. That’s what drives my dedication to this work.”
The qualities that Sanchez demonstrates in his day-to-day work with VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) became critically important last month as wildfires raged across Los Angeles.
When the Palisades Fire threatened the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center campus, nearly 200 Veterans in emergency shelter programs had to be evacuated to ensure their safety.
When faced with a tense and unpredictable situation, Sanchez stepped up to serve, spending five long days and late nights tending to the needs of Veterans and going beyond the call of duty to comfort and care for them in a shelter environment.
Answering the Call
That Saturday, Jan. 11, Sanchez, an avid sports fan, was watching football. Though off duty, he happened to look at his work phone and saw that VAGLAHS leadership had made the decision to relocate the most vulnerable and at-risk Veterans to safe shelter.
They needed help, and Sanchez volunteered.
When Alan Trinh, VAGLAHS’ Acting Executive Director of Ambulatory Care Services, came to check on the Veterans at a temporary shelter after the evacuation, Sanchez was already there and hard at work. When someone was needed to stay well past normal hours and late into the evening, Sanchez offered.
The next day, Veterans were moved to the historic, Veteran-centric Bob Hope Patriotic Hall as part of a One Team partnership with LA County’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the American Red Cross. Sanchez helped them get there safely and continued to care for them at the new location.
Over and over, he kept volunteering to go the extra mile, said Trinh, even staying until 2 a.m. one night and returning just hours later. “This is someone who, without hesitation, stepped up when it was needed,” said Trinh. “You can see in him the passion, the joy of doing the work.”
Whatever It Took
Sanchez spent the next five days with these Veterans, constantly evaluating their needs and doing whatever it took to meet them.
When some Veterans needed medical attention and refused to be transported to local hospitals, Sanchez took them back to West LA VA Medical Center himself.
Other Veterans had forgotten their medications or needed daily visits to the substance clinic. Sanchez picked up prescriptions and drove Veterans back and forth to make sure they had exactly what they needed.
The hours were long, and the needs unpredictable. “There are no rules for this, nothing in the handbook or manual,” Sanchez said. When Veterans expressed frustration or had issues with each other, he helped ease the tension, often cracking jokes per his signature sense of humor.
Being an Army Veteran helps Sanchez develop a unique rapport with those he serves. “I love my job,” he said. “These are my brothers and sisters.”
Boosting Morale and More
Trinh saw firsthand how Sanchez made an impact. “With his outgoing and joyful personality, he was very uplifting for the Veterans there. Not only was he there to provide medical services, but he was also a morale booster and really brought smiles to people’s faces. It was refreshing to see.”
Sanchez continued to care for Veterans at Patriotic Hall until they were brought back to West LA VA on Wednesday, Jan. 15, after the imminent fire risk had passed and it was safe to return.
“I always try to have a positive attitude, try to make the best of it,” said Sanchez of the experience. “It was very difficult, but we got through it and in the long run they all went back home.”
Trinh said Sanchez was the perfect person for the job. “Every need that came up, he rose to the occasion and took care of it. That’s not easy to do, and it’s not something just anyone can do.”
While his job isn’t always easy, it’s Sanchez’s way of giving back, he said.
“A lot of these Veterans have gotten kind of wayward, kind of lost. I tell them, ‘I’ll help you out, but you have to help yourself too.’”